Day 23 POTD: Feed Me!

So close, yet so far! I would love to be able to get my little subject to continue to sit for another photo, so I could deal with the blow out in the upper right. I used the custom white balance, but set this for a section of the floor that DIDN'T include Bonnie's favorite sun spot. But I'm very excited about learning to use Custom White Balance, thanks to Debbie yesterday who posted her wonderful "Dance" photo and talked about this.

Settings were ISO 200; Manual; using my 35 mm 2.0 lens, 1 milkbone dog treat; f/5.6; exp. 1/125. I adjusted curves, sharpened, and applied a vignette to see if I could diminish the over-exposure a little bit. CC most welcome!

Now We're Rockin' LO

KPertiet Winter Vintage Alpha; Trish Jones Distressed Diva, crusshed bubles, idea papers; grunge frame; Torn edges; KPertiet Paper Reveal #2; JSprague Stapled Hearts; MFenwick Sept Afternoon Alphas; Angie Briggs Doodles; KPertiet Snow corners; Obsidian Dawn snow brushes; AAspnes Explore clock

This is my first lo for the NWR classes over at JessicaSprague.com. I'll probably scrap this photo more than once, because it is a very important photo to me, as you can see in the journaling. For those of you who have taken any of Jessica's classes, you'll be very excited to learn that today she opened a chat room! Such fun! So many ways to play. . . .
Thanks for looking!

Day 22: River City Cinema

Enough with the shots from a car window, already! I decided to get this picture of a movie theatre in the early morning hours. . . just because I like the way it looks. I think the marquee would like good at night as well, and may try for an evening shot later. Manual mode; f/5.6; wb-sunny; using my 18-135 mm lens at 95mm; exp 1/125.
Oh, and while I'm at it--have you seen any of these movies and liked them?

And this is for my good friend, Veevs, and anyone else who is interested: This is a link to Lady Ren's (Ren Oakenfull's) site where she sells PSE actions and to see explanations of her actions--Lady Ren

Day 21 POTD: Chilly Old House

Before:


Not in focus, but I still kind of like it. I'd love to go back there, in warm weather, getting family members to agree to stop when we're on our way from Here to There. This was shot again at 75 mph through a car window with fog and hoar frost everywhere, with an 18-135 mm lens at 52mm, manual focus, wb cloudy; ISO 800; exp 1/125; f/11, and with a polarizing filter.

After:
I used Ren's defog action, adjusted levels, sharpened further, and this was the best I could do.

If you look at my layout below, you'll see, sort of, a self-portrait (from last summer), and I used a gradient mask to blend several photos together. Thanks for looking and, as always, CC appreciated.

Day 20: LayOut A Day Challenge

Anna Aspnes gradient maps; Marily Fenwick Posh Twilight Dreaming paper

Just another picture to "honor" the -25 degrees this am (before windchill). I used a gradient brush tool from AAspnes to blend a current winter picture and a couple of photos from this past summer.

Day 20 POTD: An Alley View

Before: Just an alley in Grand Forks. I just thought it had an interesting perspective.
I shot this in auto mode with my 18-135 mm lens at 62mm; ISO 400; f/5.3; exp 1/500.

After: I then used Ren's color booster (juicy) action (below).



This one was with Ren's color booster action (below).

Thank you for all the wonderful comments I've been getting, and the commiserating over the weather yesterday! Tell me which you like best!

Day 19: POTD

Before-- A Rushing River Scene frozen by shutter speed 1/160:

Well, ok, not really. Frozen by the -32 degree windchill! And this made me so stubborn that I went outside anyway and got a picture. Rapidly. Manual mode, ISO 200, exp 1/160; using a 18-135 mm lens at 58 mm; f/13; temperature before windchill -15; wb sunny.


After:

Just minimal levels adjustment, a little saturation, and a frame.



Before--A picture outside of my window:



Through my office window, at night. Manual mode, 18-135mm lens at 75 mm; wb shade; ISO 800.


After:



Levels adjusted slightly, Slight bit of saturation; Used Ren's defogging; Unsharp mask; Ren's simple vignette; a little bit of spot healing to try to get rid of some of the window reflection. Thanks for looking! CC most welcome.

Day 18: LayOut of the Day

MElgen designs Call of the Wild kit

I must have a foot fetish or something, but the messy site of my kids', and their friends', shoes all piled up in our entry way just warms my heart! When they were little, I'd get cranky that they were in the way, on the stairway, but now I like seeing them.

And I'll take the warmth where I can get it! See my weather pixie? As I type this it's -15 degrees. It's suppose to get worse today. . . on the order of -30 to -40 with windchill. Send me some warmth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 18: Photo of the Day

Before:
My lovely Ms. Dianna graciously posed for this. I used my new lens, 35mm 2.0 at f 2.8; ISO 400; Manual setting; 1/60, with the icky flash.

After:This photo was edited using the adjustments described in this tutorial.
Now that I look at it more closely, I want to go back in and crop out the right side of it. CC GREATLY APPRECIATED, because I want my (big) babies to look their best!

Oh! And poll results. . . look at the poll results and 90% of you liked the Original background with Dianna and Scott on Day 15. Thank you for all your input! Also, to feel better about wherever you are, check my weather pixie on the right and marvel at our temperature BEFORE WINDCHILL tonight!

Day 17: Lay Out of the Day

SG Eternal Love paper and elements; Jen Caputo Torn Hearts templates

I'm starting my Valentine for my husband! He's such a great guy! Even though he's a little blurred in this photo, I love the two of us together. I'd just gotten my remote for my D40, interrupted his football time, squeezed into the couch with him and said I wanted to try the remote, look into the camera, and instead he just cuddled with me. This is Day 17 for the Lay Out a Day challenge at bigpicturescrapbooking.com. Thanks for looking!