Monday, September 08, 2014

Addictions

Passions come and go and some of them come and never go.  The wonderful thing about retirement (if your family is amenable) you can indulge to your heart's content those things that light your fire if they do not require large amounts of money that you do not have.  You DO have time!  Lately photo manipulation has been my addiction.  I go out and take a bunch of photos and if the lighting or focus is particularly good I can manipulate it until the cows come home or my back screams for me to get up and get moving and just have fun with the creations that appear.

Below is a butterfly I found sitting on my deck this past spring taken with a Canon point and shoot that I rested on the railing.



He is perhaps not exceptional, but the white background lent itself to manipulation.

First I cropped him, changed the photo light levels and contrast and then gave him super cool edges.


Then I decided to really turn him into a work of art.


I found in a coffee shop the poster below that seems to say it all when it comes to my approach to photographic art.


18 comments:

  1. Love that coffee sign and would hang it in our kitchen if I owned it. They are so many ways to manipulate photo imagery these days that it gobbles the mind.

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  2. You said it for me too! I do get lost in my photos, blogs, light. . . . .


    isn't it great?!


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  3. Isn't manipulating photos soooo much fun? I love the way the butterfly turned out. And the coffee shop note is right on!

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  4. If that is the case, then coffee is my middle name.

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  5. It must be such fun! It looks cool, for certain.

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  6. I've never been very good at manipulating - anything.
    Fun results.

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  7. Great butterfly and perfect coffee sign. I have several friends that would like it ;-)

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  8. I love playing with my photos and "fixing them. As you said, we now have time for fun and doing things that give us joy.

    You did a wonderful job with that butterfly.

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  9. I love photography --but my passion is different from my hub's... He wants the PERFECT photo --and works hard at getting it no matter what... ME??? I take a zillion photos and then pick the best one and go with it... Every once in awhile, I surprise myself and get a super photo --without trying!!!! That's my passion!!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. I think it is so important to have a creative outlet and spend time on it every day.

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  11. Post processing can be rewarding, whether trying to get it realistic (as when you saw it) or artful.

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  12. LOL...I'm an expert at doing things faster, and in this 97% humidity, I too stay indoors and manipulate images. :) How about black and white?

    Magazines: Yes, we are now down to National G and the Smithsonian which I enjoy then pass on to the youngest G-daughter. I read Poets & Writers and Consumer Reports. I used to read GOOD Housekeeping until they ruined it. The new editor needs to rethink herself.

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  13. I'm definitely with you here - I'm learning a new camera AND a new editing system. OH - my brain! What fun is right out of the camera?

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  14. Very nice! Think of how difficult this would have been to do before digital photography.

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  15. I think I like the butterfly just the way mother nature made it.
    The coffee sign is great.

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  16. This week I have time, but usually all is rushed. Jealous of your retirement fun! I haven't had a week off work since last November!
    So far this week I've done very little art. Just one story written, n journal stuff offline. 3 days left, then back to no time again!

    Like your art-full Butterfly- Wish I had a good macro /zoom lens but can't do decent pics. Lots of monarchs here this summer, I let my milkweed for their eggs go crazy in the side yard- Have seen many.

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  17. Love the feeling of 'relaxed leisure' that comes through this post :). Nice art, Tabor.

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  18. Nice. I wish I could do that.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.