Photique

FW: test

2007-11-30T01:16:00.001Z

From: Valerie [mailto:valj@ezlink.ca]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 8:07 PM
To: Photique 3 (taitterns.Photique3@blogger.com)
Subject: test

More western shots

#0415 is an old abandonded building along the highway.

#0429 old farmstead

#0437 this is the town of Vulcan and this is their Star trek spaceship tourist office.

Out West

2007-11-29T01:06:00.001Z

#0433: shows the prairie and barely in the distance the rocky mountains.

#0464: the old grain elevators, these are being slowly taken down.

#090: writing on stone nat'l park /on the Montana border

#089: more nat'l park. The rock formations are called "hoo doo's".

by val

Themes for January and February 2007

2007-02-28T11:59:00.000Z

January

1--season
8--January Blues
15- Ice

22--mary--smudge-tool brushing and/or winter trees
29--special "babuska" photos (photo within a photo--just for fun!), family, other special such as cool photos that didn't fit a topic, favorites.

February
5--season
12--The City (town or even village if you cannot get to the City)

19—bundled up

26--mary--black and white

--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

2006-10-30T00:52:00.000Z

this little light of mine.......

the Hannah ballerina / Halloween

2006-10-30T00:47:00.000Z

ballerina Ella / Halloween

Layers with Birds at Sunset

2006-10-23T03:00:00.000+01:00

This was originally for the low light theme but it was hard to get a nice landscape for the wonderful sky. This one had a funny shape tree in it on the left. So I cropped picture to a square but saved one of those little red clouds from the cropped bit in a different layer. I had to chop away quite a bit around the edge as the colour didn't match. I tried just using the opacity to blend it but it didn't work so I merged the two sky layers and used the plaster healing tool to blend in where I'd cut it. I just selected the birds and copied and pasted them into the picture. It didn't seem to work with the composition until I flipped the background sky horizontally then the birds fitted in better. I still have all the layers if you have any suggestions for moving the birds etc.

Layers with Sunflowers

2006-10-23T01:35:00.000+01:00

I am posting this to Layers as I have plenty others for the sunflowers. I combined two shots as I liked the background of this one but there were too many gaps at the front. I used a combination of the magnetic selection tool and the one that does straight lines to work around the foreground flowers that were in focus. I just used the move too (arrow) to move it over to the other picture which meant there were two layers. Then I did a bit more selecting and deleting to make the flowers fit in.
Then I clicked on the original background layer and used the highlight tool to select the sky and I gave it more contrast to darken the blue a bit more. I think that was all I did before I flattened the layers. I will post the other two pics to show why I chose to do this.

Layers Sunflower

2006-10-23T01:30:00.000+01:00

Background Original with gaps showing the soil

Layers with Sunflowers

2006-10-23T01:14:00.000+01:00

Foreground original. I first used the exposure control in PS to get the sunflowers looking the same as the background.

banging pots (layers outtake)

2006-10-22T23:24:00.000+01:00

OK, I know this is silly, but I was playing with layers. Every single component in this picture is in a different layer.

I love Moo's sunflower sky picture. This is a poor cousin, very poor, but it is instructive in the use of layers for constructing something.

Sunflower Intake: "Like Father, Like Son"

2006-09-18T23:58:00.000+01:00

Sunflower Intake: "Like Father, Like Son", by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger.

Guess what! I found a whole field of sunflowers right in the middle of Detroit and took about a hundred pictures--more than that relaly, becaes I deleted about 50 already and there's over a hundred left. Don't worry, though, I won't post them all.

Sunflower Outtake

2006-09-17T22:24:00.000+01:00

Sunflower Outtake, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Click image to view larger. This is a cloth (fake) sunflower at our local market.

Sunflower Seven

2006-09-14T23:48:00.000+01:00

Sunflower Seven, an attempt at a high-key sunflower, not sure it succeeded. Maybe not quite high key enough. Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger.

Sunflower Sunshine

2006-09-14T22:58:00.000+01:00

Well, I hope this works, and I apologize for all your work, Kate!

Is this any better or not?

These could be posted under layers, since I did many layers, but they don't hold a candle to your bird sunset one!!!

Sunflower

2006-09-11T23:00:00.000+01:00

Sunflower Close Up

2006-09-11T22:23:00.000+01:00

closeup sunflower

Garden Sunflower

2006-09-11T22:20:00.000+01:00

ontario garden sunflower

Sunflower Detail

2006-09-11T01:10:00.000+01:00

This was my attempt at something a bit different

Sunflower on the Edge

2006-09-11T01:01:00.000+01:00

There were a few sparse sunflowers growing on the edge of the field that had a white groundcover plant growing between them which I thought made them stand out rather than against the usual green foliage.

Classic Sunflower

2006-09-11T01:00:00.000+01:00

This was the sort of image I wanted when I suggested sunflowers. I never seem to be very good at getting a pleasing composition when cropping a circle. This is my favourite of the shots I tried like this.

Cedar Shadows

2006-08-28T23:58:00.000+01:00

I'm posting this under trees as compositional elements but I could post it under shadows too, LOL!

Trees - Pines and Ferns

2006-08-28T03:51:00.000+01:00

The ferns seem to be holding up well in the dry weather. I think they make a lot of condensation from night to morning. I know this as I have a secret path which I chopped back myself and use as a short cut but it is too wet to walk through it especially when it has been windy and all the ferns have collapsed into the path. This is not it!

Trees

2006-08-28T03:44:00.000+01:00

This wee path here is one of my favourite spots to photograph. I have pictures of this in all seasons. This was taken Saturday 5th August and already you can see some leaves covering the ground. At least there are no dead leaves on the trees in this picture but there are many in some spots. I know I should photograph them but they look so horrid I can't bring myself to. I doubt there will be much of a show this autumn.

STATELY TREES

2006-08-28T01:49:00.000+01:00

Sorry this is an old picture from my old Fuji Finepix taken at Felbrigg Hall which is a National Trust property in Norfolk close to where my mum lives. I am going to see mum on Friday but I doubt I will get time to go there and redo it. Besides it means leaving mum on her own while I go off. Due to poor quality of pic I have buzzed it and added more contrast. Not all the pics I buzz are poor quality but I do find it is a way of making something of them.

Stately Trees - Edited

2006-08-28T01:45:00.000+01:00

Cropped and cloned as suggested by Mary.

Much better of course. Thanks!

POPLAR TREES

2006-08-28T01:36:00.000+01:00

This row of poplar trees looked a bit dull as the sun must have gone in when I took it. So I used Virtual Photographer ambience (faded) then Filter, artistic, underpainting (faded) to try to liven it up a bit. Maybe with the scenery in the background it is not really what you had in mind Mary but it looked kind of dull with just the poplars.

TREES - Alternative Intake

2006-08-28T01:01:00.000+01:00

Funny how sometimes you suddenly see things as soon as you have uploaded. I much prefer this crop. Lesson of the day is to stop and think before uploading!! Maybe I should
delete the other one or leave it as a lesson?

TREES - Intake (I think)

2006-08-28T01:00:00.000+01:00

Handheld and shot on full telephoto 300mm from a local road in Messing. I preferred this crop for the composition but also because the crop (agricultural crop) in the foreground was out of focus and I do not like out of focus stuff in the foreground. Maybe I should also have cropped out the r/h side so the tree covers the whole of the top of the frame. I will give it a go and post it if I think it is better. Opinions please.

Trees Outtake

2006-08-27T11:41:00.000+01:00

Trees Outtake, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger.

Triangles Outtake: Night-Bloomer in Spotlight

2006-08-22T23:51:00.000+01:00

Triangles Outtake: Night-Bloomer in Spotlight, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Click image to view larger.

Triangles Outtake

2006-08-22T23:46:00.000+01:00

Paint chips, cut in hald and taped to the front of my notebook.

Triangular Love (Outtake)

2006-08-22T23:44:00.001+01:00

Triangular Love, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger. This is not a love triangle!!!

Triangle Outtake

2006-08-22T23:44:00.000+01:00

Triangle Outtake

Triangle art by Mary Stebbins, click image to view larger.

(I haven't got a name for this one yet)

Low Light Again: Another sailboat

2006-08-22T17:16:00.000+01:00

The water on this one was also very blue, extremely blue, just as it came from the camera. In order to make it look less starkly blue, I selected the water with the magic wand and selected the color of the sail and paintbucketed that color over the water at a low let opacity to overlay. This one was taken a few minutes earlier than the other. Mary Stebbins Taitt.

Triangles: Hummous on Pita

2006-08-21T23:55:00.000+01:00

Triangles: Hummous on Pita, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Click image to view larger.

This is the hand of jo(e), my poet friend.

Triangles: At the Secret Garden

2006-08-21T23:54:00.000+01:00

Triangles: At the Secret Garden, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger. This is at The Stone Quarry Art Park in Cazenovia, NY.

Triangles: Plastic Pie

2006-08-21T23:49:00.000+01:00

Triangles: Plastic Pie, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger. I do know these aren't really triangles, but they did remind me.

Triangle: my hands

2006-08-21T23:43:00.000+01:00

Triangle: my hands, photo by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger.

Triangles: Cottonwood leaf

2006-08-21T23:36:00.000+01:00

Triangles: Cottonwood leaf, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger. Fall already???

2006-08-21T22:04:00.000+01:00

oddball triangle. we were trying to take photos with the big mirror, but didn't fare too well, but I thoguth this was interesting.

2006-08-21T21:13:00.000+01:00

triangle tent

2006-08-21T21:11:00.000+01:00

triangle

2006-08-21T18:33:00.000+01:00

garden ladder

TRIANGLES - Nautical

2006-08-21T13:37:00.000+01:00

Traditional scooners berthed at Brightlingsea.

A prize if you can count the triangles!

TRIANGLES - Nautical

2006-08-21T01:43:00.000+01:00

Mooring lines make interesting triangles

TRIANGLES - Nautical

2006-08-21T01:24:00.000+01:00

Sorry guys I only seem to be able to find triangles on boats! This was taken while we were becalmed and I was laying flat on the floor of the boat but still could not get the whole of the sail in. But I am sure you can use your imagination to finish it off!

TRIANGLES - Nautical - Outtake

2006-08-20T23:59:00.000+01:00

This is Eric's (my ex) boat called Bluebell. Eric is forward and his best mate Brian is at the helm. We always go out sailing with them all day on Thursdays. Sometimes some other friends join us also.

Triangle Outtake: Corner Fence

2006-08-20T23:13:00.000+01:00

Triangle Outtake: Corner Fence

Low Light: Coming in for the night

2006-08-14T23:39:00.000+01:00

Sailboat at Pier Park by Mary Stebbins Taitt, click image to view larger. Just at sunset about 1 minute before the sun went behind the trees. The sun sets on the wrong side for good water sunsets; I'd have to get there at dawn, an unlikely prospect.

2006-08-14T22:13:00.000+01:00

early sunrise at Miller Lake

sunset

2006-08-14T19:08:00.000+01:00

I am sorry to report I have not been out to any cool places for sunsets, so I am submitting a couple old ones for now, hope to back date some new ones later.

sunset

2006-08-14T19:06:00.000+01:00

Low Light Geese flying at Sunset

2006-08-14T03:43:00.000+01:00

I used the same geese again but scaled them down in this fiery sunset shot.

Low Light Geese over a Tree at Sunset

2006-08-14T03:25:00.000+01:00

Oh no not those same geese again! Medium size this time. This tree is the one I took out from the layers sunset picture. Just thinking that maybe I should have flipped the background again then the geese would by flying the same way as the tree is bending. Ah well. It is not a perfect picture so I shall not bother now.

Sunset over Abberton

2006-08-14T02:00:00.000+01:00

NGD filter. This is the magic moment when the sun appeared between the split in the clouds. It was magical being there on my own with the sounds of all the coots and ducks and geese. But with the filter in the camera I couldn't get it off quick enough to properly capture the geese when they were flying overhead. But I reckon that would be hard anyway with the low light. Though of course I could up the ISO.
It was not actually as dark as it looks here but that is how it looks best to me.

Sunset over Abberton Reservoir 1

2006-08-14T01:59:00.000+01:00

Graduated Density Filter used on this and yes Mary I did have it the right way around even though it looks so much darker on the left. But that is how it was with all those clouds.
This is the first one after converting the RAW image and showing the concrete left untouched.

Sunset over Abberton Reservoir 2

2006-08-14T01:50:00.000+01:00

The foreground is actually horrid concrete with lines in it so I used the healing brush to try to make it look like something more natural. Hope it succeeded. I changed to colour in the RAW conversion. The natural colours were more blue/green and dirty looking. I don't have a saved copy of the natural colours.

Sunset over Abberton Reservoir (filtered)

2006-08-14T01:05:00.000+01:00

This is a fascinating thing that I have found lately under Filters, Noise, Dust & Scratches. If you play around with the controls you can get this really simplified effect.

Low Light Outtake: Pier lights and Masts

2006-08-13T23:43:00.000+01:00

Low Light Flying Birds Outtake

2006-08-13T03:14:00.000+01:00

Geese flying over a stubble field at sunset. I added the birds in from another shot by selecting them and copying and pasting them in.

Low Light Wheatfield Outtake

2006-08-13T03:07:00.000+01:00

I took these two outtake before I started using my filters. (No way I could fiddle around with filters and look after the dog at the same time) So I selected the sky and incresed the contrast then inversed and lightened the wheatfield

Low Light Hogweed Outtake

2006-08-13T03:00:00.000+01:00

I took this way back in beginning July while walking my holiday dog. I was waiting to see if I could get something better but now I have decided to put it in anyway just as something different.

Themes for September, October and November

2006-08-13T00:05:00.000+01:00

September

* 4 Seasonal, late summer, first signs of fall (+family)
* 11 Sunflowers
* 18 Harvest
* 25 Black and white, high, low and medium contrast.

October

* 2 Seasonal, fall (+family)
* 9 Sky
* 16 Pumpkins
* 23 Playing in PS: Layers, layer blending. For a "straight photo" alternative, cut and paste collaging with real scissors (Tutorials provided upon request)
* 30 Family, Holiday, All Saints, Halloween, best of the month, special

November:

* 6 Season Fall, early winter (+family)
* 13 Food (Kate)
* 20 Antiques
* 27 Patterns and repetition, interrupted patterns and repetition ("echo" effect)

2006-08-07T22:09:00.000+01:00

afternoon tea

Unseasonal Harvest

2006-08-07T01:22:00.000+01:00

Sorry I couldn't choose so you have two of them. Again taken from my bedroom window

Seasonal or Unseasonal Harvest

2006-08-07T01:17:00.000+01:00

I don't remember seeing the harvest this early before. This was taken on 1st August and a lot of fields have been harvested end July. Normally it would be middle to end August. This was taken from my bedroom window.

Seasonal - Global Warming Pond

2006-08-07T01:15:00.000+01:00

This is the best view of the pond at the moment. Not much water left for the teenage ducks.

Seasonal Global Warming Outtake

2006-08-06T23:56:00.000+01:00

You can see how bad the pond is here covered in red algae which I have never seen there other years. And it is only about ankle deep. The lilies are all leaf this year. I suppose that is because the water would normally come up higher and they would be half under water.

Seasonal Duck Outtake

2006-08-06T23:54:00.000+01:00

You can just about see here the 5 ducks that are left out of 11 ducklings. The adults left about 2 weeks ago and 3 days earlier I had seen 10 ducklings. I am hoping that Mary's theory that the fox could be taking them because there is not enough water is wrong. I havn't seen any footprints or signs of struggle in the mud. I am hoping they have gone off to a better location with water.

Family: Erin

2006-07-31T23:54:00.000+01:00

This is my daughter, Erin, 6-24-06 at OLP West shore in her Oscar the Grouch shirt. She is 30 years old this year. Click image to view larger.

Family: Sara

2006-07-31T23:53:00.000+01:00

This is my daugher Sara who is 32 ears old, taken at OLP 6-24-06. She has a Canon digital Rebel.

Family: Margaret

2006-07-31T23:51:00.000+01:00

This is my Mom, Margaret, at the nursing hoe 6-24-06, not sleeping, but resting.

Just us

2006-07-31T23:50:00.000+01:00

Just us, in from of my house in Kimbrook where we've been working.

2006-07-31T23:40:00.000+01:00

Delivering the piano: I inherited this piano from my Aunt when she died and we drove it across Canada to Detroit. Graham took lessons on it, but we got him a bigger piano so Keith drove it back across Canada and delivered it to my daughter Sara and her partner, Erwin. Busy busy busy!!!

Fence (July 31 Special): Musk Mallow

2006-07-31T23:27:00.000+01:00

For one of my July 31 specials, I'm entering a "fence" picture from an old theme. Mary Stebbins Taitt

Do Stay Cool

2006-07-31T23:17:00.000+01:00

Something a little different for the July 31 open day.

Hope you stay cool!

Love, Mary XOX

I did this on Photoshop.

Suday Morning at Loretto

2006-07-31T23:16:00.000+01:00

My mother Margaret, me, and my daughter Sara at the Nursing Home. Actually taken 8/6/06

2006-07-31T22:16:00.000+01:00

trres between corn rows. thought I'd try black & white for a change.....

2006-07-31T21:47:00.000+01:00

Zach & the dirt pile

2006-07-31T21:39:00.000+01:00

swinging the kid

my daughter Jennifer and Zachary

2006-07-31T21:04:00.000+01:00

daddy I don't want to go.....

2006-07-31T19:13:00.000+01:00

my co-workers daughter (front with silver scarf) going to the prom this week. ah youth!!

2006-07-31T18:37:00.000+01:00

shower time

in the Barrie fountain

2006-07-31T18:36:00.000+01:00

where's grandma?

2006-07-31T18:01:00.000+01:00

my son and his family:

Ella, Anne, Hannah, Jason

at July 1 parade

"family intake"

Family, Sisters

2006-07-31T11:52:00.000+01:00

Erin and Sara, 6-24-06

Calm Sea Favourite

2006-07-31T04:04:00.000+01:00

I still have hundreds to get through and am only at the beginning of editing the Round the Island shots but although I don't think this is the best composition I really love this one. I like how it captures so much of what is going on in the race including showing the guy in the yellow boat still has his keel up, and although he is not on a reach (sailing in same direction as wind) I guess with the little wind he didn't need the keel down to stabilise the boat so he would go faster with it up. I think the fishing boat spoils the composition but I like it there anyway.

Seagull on Post Favourite

2006-07-31T03:50:00.000+01:00

Buzzed

Red White and Blue Favourite

2006-07-31T03:43:00.000+01:00

More boats I'm afraid!! Fairly near the start of the Round the Island, West Mersea. I reckon this one might make a nice birthday card.
Needless to say, since it is a favourite, I will be putting it on BP so no need to comment twice.

FAMILY FAVOURITE

2006-07-31T01:59:00.000+01:00

Mia blowing out her 4 candles on her Disney Princess Castle cake. I did a lot of work on this as I combined two pictures. The best one of Mia had Holly in the background looking "durrrrr"! Touch of ambience added but I can't remember why!

FAMILY FAVOURITE

2006-07-31T01:56:00.000+01:00

Mia's 4th birthday party. Stiflingly hot day and her Disney Princess Cake was collapsing in the heat. She was fascinated with it as was Holly who is looking on.

FAMILY TREE

2006-07-31T01:54:00.000+01:00

There used to be Geoff and Beryl and they begat Andrew and Alison.
Andrew married Layla a Peruvian who has a daughter called Maria Fernanda who is now 14 and is going through a very difficult stage of not being interested in school and you can guess what she is interested in. They have Mia who is going to be 4 in July and will start full time school in September.
Alison married Derek and they have Alec 9 and Hannah 6.

There also used to be me (Kate) and Eric and we adopted Sammy when she was 6 weeks old. She has married Phil a farmer and they have Thomas 7 and Holly 5.

Now there is me (Kate) and Geoff and we begat Charlotte who is 30. I do have somewhere a shot of our extended families - one with all Geoff's family and one with mine but I fear that would be even more confusing.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:37:00.000+01:00

Maria Fernanda and Mia. Maria Fernanda is our stepgranddaughter from Peru.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:34:00.000+01:00

Thomas playing Happy Birthday to you for Alec. He has a ways to go before catching up on Graham.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:31:00.001+01:00

In a clockwise circle from top left:
Hannah, Alec, Mia, Thomas, Holly. Thomas and Holly belong to Sam and Phil.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:31:00.000+01:00

Sammy and Holly taken at
Hannah's 6th birthday party last March.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:20:00.000+01:00

The girs from left: Hannah, Mia, and Holly. Mia belongs to Andrew and Layla (Peruvian) and Holly belongs to Sammy and Phil.

FAMILY

2006-07-31T01:13:00.000+01:00

Alec and Hannah who belong to Alison and Derek. Alison is Geoff's daughter from his first marriage to Beryl.

the rock

2006-07-30T23:21:00.000+01:00

We chose platinum (boy is it heavy) and a small rock tightly bound for my active lifestyle.

2006-07-30T21:46:00.000+01:00

Nellie & Shadow

my Mother's neighbour, she wanted a photo of her & her cat to send to her brother in Holland, big cat!!

(people outtake)