Life Through a Lens

OK so, lately, I am addicted to all things Adobe… specifically Photoshop and Illustrator, and there is no shortage of awesome tutorials out there for people looking to learn what both have to offer. Today, I’m going to spotllight a tutorial by a fellow blogger, Jennifer Borton.

Jennifer is all about vectors as her blog will detail. It provides a host of excellent tutorials, and all are marked very clearly with their difficulty level. You’ll find everything from creating basic vector illustrations to preparing them for sale to iStock.

The tutorial I chose to do today was one of her beginner tutorials, “Drawing a Face Using Simple Shapes.” It took me a little while to get the hang of it and, admittedly, I had trouble with the hair, but, after several deletions and recreations, I got it to where I like it. I even pulled mine in to Photoshop to try adding a few brushes. Why not right?

If you’re just starting out using Illustrator, this is a fantastic tutorial to test your skills while learning some of the basics of Illustrator. Don’t be afraid to experiment! What do you have to lose? Jennifer’s excellent tutorial can be found here. Check it, and others, out on her wonderful blog and definitely check out her fun portfolio!

Enjoy!!
*tracey*

Happy Almost Spring! Well, today is the first full day of Daylight Savings Time here in most parts of the United States so I thought I would create a little reminder for those who, 1. forget to change their clocks every year and 2. forget which way to turn the clock. For those of you who don’t recognize Daylight Savings Time, this will be a pretty basic tutorial on how to create planets from scratch.

Today’s post is actually going to be a multi-step tutorial where, with the end product, you’ll have created an Earth, a moon (well a, “moon like thingy”),  a point of light and wrapped text all in Photoshop.

A note- this is a pretty basic tutorial but it does require a working knowledge of Photoshop. I’ll try to be as detailed as possible but it definitely helps to understand where everything is and have a basic understanding of layering and what functions each of the tools perform.

Continue reading ‘Photoshop Tutorial- And on the 14th day…um of March, I created an Earth…’

Droste Clock

Well, I apologize, it’s been a few weeks since I posted. I appreciate everyone’s patience while I attended to some family matters (and of course surviving the biggest snowfall in Philadelphia’s history…brrr). All is well and I’m excited to get back to the blogging!

For those who have been following along, you know of my recent obsession with all things Photoshop. I have even gone so far as to go through a very extensive training program (three phases, about 20 hours each) to get certified and I can honestly say, it was well worth it! I learned so much that I can’t wait to share with all of you!

Today’s post is going to be spotlighting a wonderful tutorial on The Droste Effect, along with one of the filters which can be used in Pixel Bender plug-in within Photoshop (as well as other products in the CS suite).

There are a number of examples out on Flickr of the Droste effect, some a little creepy but cool all the same,  found here.  First though, a few definitions…

What is the Droste Effect?

The term refers to a specific type of recursive picture…well, wait, recursive? What’s that? There’s an a long and completely confusing definition, used in both computer science and mathematics, regarding functions and components. Long story short, it’s a broad term used to describe objects self-duplicating themselves repeatedly, seemingly infinitum.

Example please!!  Ever been to a Hall of Mirrors? I don’t know about you but, as a kid,  I had fun making the Millions of Tracey’s dance and jump and, well act silly all in unison. Because the mirrors were set at particular angles to one another, the image would repeat over and over, and the reflection got smaller and smaller for what seemed like forever.

The Droste Effect is the same concept, meaning a picture depicting a smaller version of its self and, within that a smaller version, and so on and so on. While, to the eye, this duplication appears to continue on forever, it will only truly continue until the resolution of the picture will no longer allow it.

What is Pixel Bender?

I won’t even begin to boggle everyone’s minds with the exact definition of what Pixel Bender does, especially as I’m only on my first cup of coffee. I have, however, attached a link to Adobe Labs definition of how it works. In laments terms though, it’s a pretty cool plug in for several Adobe products, including Photoshop, which very quickly processes a bunch of complex algorithms to apply filters or effects to your photo or illustration, in this case, the Droste Effect.

First things first, in order to use Pixel Bender, you have to download the actual Pixel Bender plug in- found here. (check the very bottom) Now, once that’s downloaded, if you have a mind to, you can code your own image processing algos (the filters and effects) or, you can take advantage of the wealth of shared knowledge on the dedicated Pixel Bender Exchange site within Adobe. (Yes, it’s just that amazing that it has its own site.)

Now, as I don’t claim to be a computer genius, to achieve the Droste Effect, I am using the best (at least in my opinion) filter out there, created by a developer by the name of Tom Beddard. Tom, also known as “subblue,” has created a number of amazing Pixel Bender downloads that he offers up for free (oh did I mention the actual Pixel Bender plug in is free as well?? Thank you Adobe!) His graphic design work, blog and downloads  can be found here on his site.

Tom also provides a wonderful tutorial on how to use his Droste Effect filter, along with the filter  download, here. I’ve attached a couple of my own initial attempts and plan on providing many more down the road. I won’t dare to repeat everything Tom provided in his tutorial but I’ll offer up one suggestion… don’t be afraid to play around with the tool on a copy of your photo. (I’ve said it before and will say it again, if you’re going to play, especially when messing with pixels, save an original copy somewhere else as you never know what can happen.) The more you tweak the settings, using Tom’s basic tutorial as a guide, the more interesting the results and guaranteed you’ll end up with something different each time.

If you decide to play around with the Droste Effect, I would love to see what you’ve done with it. Please feel free to comment and post!

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Droste Lotus"

It’s Martin Luther King Day here in the States which, for me, as well as many others, means a day off. (That is, of course, in addition to the historical importance of the man we’re remembering…)

As I’m in a bit of a lazy mood today, and it’s too cold to break out the bike, I’ve decided to play around in Photoshop a little and share some of my creations, along with a little tutorial I happened upon. The other day I created planets, today we’re creating what I’m going to call starbursts.

Continue reading ‘New Project- Starbursts’

I always envy those people who have the discipline to do those “365 in 365″ blogs where you take one photo a day for 365 days and write about it. I tried it once… I got to about day 7… that was three years ago.

I am much better off jotting a random post, musing about whatever I might be working on, or, for that matter, thinking, at the time. That said, I thought I would take a quick break and swing by the old blog to write a quick post. Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend thus far and, for those that are lucky enough to have a three day weekend (like me, YAY!) I hope you’ll be doing something fun.

It’s been a busy few days here on the blog… glad people are really liking the Little Planet Project I posted! I plan on posting more and more like it! I will respond to everyone’s comments but please don’t be offended if it’s not immediate. (occasionally I stop to sleep )

Continue reading ‘Musings- Getting Ready for My Website’

The latest piece heading off to a good home is “Patina” part of my “Paris, Venice & Beyond” series. This print can also be found as part of the, “Day in Venice” set.

Taken in Venice, along the Grand Canal, the blue door was what caught my eye first. If I owned a really cool, old home, there are a list of must-haves, one of which is an amazing door in a vibrant color. Most of Venice’s homes along the canal not only have amazing colors but also this beautiful patina from being along the water. Color abounds in Venice, not only along the Grand Canal but along the back canals as well. Given my love of color, I can only imagine seeing such beauty on a daily basis.

Let’s try something new… how about a poll? 

“Patina” as well as the “Day in Venice” print set can be found here in my online gallery.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Patina"

Whoa! I finally updated my portraiture page, check it out…jeesh! Took me long enough right?

I love portrait work, especially when kids are my subjects. Now, mind you, not every child goes to a portrait session willingly; dare I say, most won’t. Even those that do may prove to be a challenge greater than Everest so it’s important to be armed with a few tools to save the day, not the least of which is a sense of humor. Here are a few of my tips for making the most of your time when photographing children:

Continue reading ‘How to Survive Photographing Children Without Losing Your Cool…’

I’m one of those people who, when I learn something new, I’ll attack it with the voracity of a lion stalking its prey. (sorry, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet…)

My latest obsession is creating little planets from panoramic shots that I’ve taken. Now, I’m just saying up front, those I’ve attached are the first I’ve created, I’m still learning, but, now that I’ve provided that little disclaimer,  I have to say, this has opened up a whole new world to me. (get it? See what I did there? World? No? OK…fine)   Little Venice World, Little Paris World, Little Rome World, Little New York World… oh the possibilities. Little caricaturized planets from some of my favorite places around the globe!

While I’m perfecting the art, I thought I would share the link with you so you can try making your own little planets at home (a note, the directions in the upcoming link are using Photoshop, and that’s what I used with mine, but for those that use PSP, the same directions apply, just look for Effects/Distortion/Polar Coordinates up in the toolbar instead of  Filters)

You can find great, step by step directions in a fantastic tutorial by photographer Dirk Paessler, here on Photojojo.

Try it! It’s fun! Please feel free to share your little planets here as I’d love to see them… Take me to your leader… Nanu Nanu…live long and prosper… peace out…

*tracey*

Venice World

Temple Bar World

Venice World 2

Today’s photo of the day is aptly named, “Twilight,”  shot at dusk from beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

 I love how the burst of light from the sunset provides just enough to outline the amazing architecture and detail of the tower and the trees behind it. Aged for a vintage feel, this was one of my favorite evenings in Paris as it was the first day we arrived and, thankfully, the March weather was beautiful.

Find it, as well as many others, in my gallery found here.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Twilight"