Using Sepia and Masks

I've enjoyed putting some of my pictures into sepia ... and keeping part of the picture in colour. To do this you need to work with your layers, and make the top sepia layer into a layer mask - then "paint"  with black where you want the colour to come through from the other layer. This is how to do it but I realize these directions are very simplified. You have to be careful to only get the part you want in colour. It takes some practice, but is effective with some pictures.

Afternoon delight

A walk through the woods

What's in the future?

God provides a much more colourful world for us than sepia. He paints this world in a riot of colours for our enjoyment. I'm glad we get to see in colour. Too often we're too busy to appreciate this though. We need to take time to look around us and enjoy what God has created.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

John 10:10

Vignettes

I took a slightly different approach with these pictures. I thought I'd try putting a vignette around them. Each of the flowers were taken with a neutral, blank background. The bottom one is actually a white rose, and was taken with backlight from a window, then given a pink tint. Still practising, still learning.


I've learned that post production should not be too elaborate or it will take away from the actual photograph itself. I use some of these photos for greeting cards, so am always looking for subjects that can be used on the cards.


When I look at how much there is to learn in photography, and how much more I have to learn, it reminds me of how much more I have to learn about God. Even more importantly, it reminds me that I need to know Him more and more all the time. 

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. 

Isaiah 55:6

Learning to Shoot in Raw Format

 I've recently been using Raw Format when I'm taking photos. They do take up more space in the camera so that you can't take as many pictures as you can when you have your camera set to Large (jpeg) for photos. It takes longer when you download and when you open the photos. The photos also take up more space in the computer.


But ... it lets you play with the white balance ... contrast ... saturation. I've been working with the white balance the most, and still have more to learn. White balance is the camera setting that adjusts lighting so that white objects appear white. Otherwise, the picture might look a bit blue, orange, or other colour. This happened to me when I was taking a photo awhile ago, and I'd forgotten to take the "tungsten" setting off. Black hair can look quite blue sometimes - not necessarily what you want.

The two pictures below illustrate what I am talking about. The top one looks closer to the actual scene when I took the picture. The bottom one has had the white balance changed to tungsten, to show how it can be changed. Both are interesting - matter of taste?

When we saw this sunset, I was glad I had my camera with me. We stopped, and I was able to take the photo. We need to take time to look around more often and enjoy God's handiwork. He provides us with so many beautiful sunsets for us to see and commit to our memories.  And ... just imagine what heaven must be like ...

In my Father's house are many mansions ...

John 14:2

Looking ahead ...

 After the Rain

Lily

During January, I thought I would put up a variety of photos I've taken over the last few years - as a record for myself of where I've been so that I can make comparisons as I learn and take more photographs.  I hope to continue to put photos up on my blog, and continue to grow in my photography. I'm finding that this is helping me to improve my work..


These flowers have water droplets on them. They are actual rain drops, but I have sprayed water on other flowers to give the same effect. When you do this, you need to give the drops time to settle so that they look natural.  I've also seen tutorials for "painting" water drops on flowers in post production, but I believe the real thing looks best.


God has put so many different kinds of flowers on this earth for our enjoyment. We could be taking photos for the rest of our lives, and still not take photos of all of the types of flowers in the world.

... my God will meet all your needs 

according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 

~ Philippians 4:19

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

To take pictures of water drops, I need to prepare for the shot. It could not be taken unless this preparation takes place. There are more sophisticated methods for taking these photos than I am using ... but they still need to be set up in order to get the photo. Each of these methods provide some form of control by the photographer.

When we look at the year coming up, we have no idea what we will be facing. It could be a good year, or it could be a very challenging year with difficult circumstances to live through. As a Christian, I can be thankful that God is in control, and He knows what the future holds. Better yet, He has promised to be there for us. We have so much to be thankful for.

... I know Who holds the future

and I know Who holds my hand ...