Tag Archives: metallic paper

“Photo” of the Day… Pendant Style

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"Lotus No. 2" Photographic Pendant

My photo of the day is in a bit of a different form today. I’m so excited to introduce handmade wearable art to my shop as it’s been a long time in the works.

My original photograph, “Lotus No. 2″ is sized down, printed on Kodak metallic paper and mounted in a delicate silver-plated pendant tray. A polished, real glass (not resin) tile is adhered over the top for protection. I love how the dome of the glass magnifies the photo slightly, making it almost pop off the paper.

This is just one of several photo pendants I have introduced to my shop over the last day or so. There is a lot more wearable art on it’s way to… including earrings and rings!

Check out the Wearable Art section here.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo(s) of the Day- The Subway Series

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"The Red Line" - Tracey Capone Photography

For those who have been following my blog for a while you know that I was away from my beloved city of Chicago for about three years, living down South. While I loved the rustic, natural surroundings, it only took me a short time to realize one very important thing… I love living in a city. I love the grittiness, the abstract lines of the skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle and yes, even the subway. The second I crossed the toll at the Chicago Skyway I was home and it was like I had never left.

I’ve been taking advantage of the fact that Old Man Winter hasn’t officially hit the Windy City and been out and about with my camera. “From the Loop,” a selective focus shot of the CTA train passing the Willis (aka Sears) Tower along the Chicago River was one of the first from my new urban landscapes series and I’m happy to say the series is growing.

New to the gallery are three retro-inspired photographs, collectively known as “The Subway Series,” that I took while hanging out in the Red Line tunnel: “Follow the Line,” “The Red Line,” and “Up.” I love playing with light, whether it’s changing the exposure settings to get the streaks of light from the train lights in “The Red Line” or blurring the yellow escalator in “Up.” In all three I really wanted to play up the grittiness of the subway using a cross-processing technique in post-process. (be sure to check back for a tutorial on how to create an action to get that same look) I loved how the technique pulled out the crimson red of the lights, and the teals and emerald greens of the subway platform.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"The Subway Series" - Tracey Capone Photography

“From the Loop” in Zoomed Local [Chicago] at Scoutie Girl

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Well how tickled am I that “From the Loop,” one of my new favorite Chicago themed prints, was included in the Zoomed Local [Chicago] post on Scoutie Girl blog today?Not only is it Friday which, as far as I’m concerned is the most awesome day of the week, but I absolutely love Scoutie Girl. :) Such an honor… be sure to check out the post because there are so many other great items included!

Enjoy!

*tracey*

 

"From the Loop" by Tracey Capone Photography

 

Autumnal Fire- a new metallic print

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I love Autumn, especially here in Chicago where it typically starts to get cool early enough that you get a “real fall” and get to see some changing leaves.

New to the gallery is “Autumnal Fire,” a square format, metallic print of an abstract of a large oak tree with the most beautiful orange, red and yellow leaves. Taken at the “magic hour” just before sunset, looking up was like looking in to a fire. I love how the branches flow in to one another like the darkest part of a fire, with the leaves lighting up the photograph from within.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

 

"Autumnal Fire" by Tracey Capone Photography

 

New to the Gallery- Canterbury

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Brand new (not “relatively new” like the last couple have been) to the gallery is “Canterbury” an 8×8 metallic print.

The name came from the frequent use by Geoffrey Chaucer of the word whippletree, another term for a dogwood,  in “The CanterburyTales.”

Enjoy!

*tracey*

 

"Canterbury" by Tracey Capone Photography

 

New to the Gallery… “The Extrovert”

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Admittedly, I’m behind on posting some of my newer creations so, no time like the present, however, perhaps I should change the title to “Relatively New to the Gallery” How about this… “Added to the Gallery Within the Last Month or So?” It’s a mouthful but it will do.  Time just gets away from you…

“The Extrovert,” shot here at the Chicago Botanical Gardens is “relatively” new to the gallery and one of my favorites. It was recently purchased in a large format print and I truly wanted to keep it for myself :) (Wait, I’m the artist, I suppose I can right?)

The flower is in no way Photoshopped, it was just THAT pretty. I loved how it stood out against the murkiness of the pond it was in. Fact of the day… that’s actually one of the reasons the lotus flower symbolizes perseverance against all odds… something so beautiful can grow up from the dark, dirty waters of a pond.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"The Extrovert" by Tracey Capone

What it Feels Like to be a Girl… A Treasury @Etsy

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I’m a dichotomy… sometimes a tomboy, sometimes girlie girl. I think I’ve found a pretty good balance though. Women aren’t actually as hard to understand as men like to think ;) They just need to understand that we’re the sum of all of our parts… some good, some bad, but in the end, it’s what makes us who we are.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Crimson

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It’s getting cooler here in the Land of Wind, how about where you’re at? I’ll admit, I’m one of those crazy people who love the cold weather and, having lived in Tennessee for the last three years, I am so very happy to be back to the crisp, cool Autumns and pending winter. (bring on the snow!) That said though, I am quite certain that some time come February or March, I’ll be feverishly wishing for some warmer weather.

“Crimson,” from the coast of Maine, one of the newest in my gallery, is a photo that reminds me of just such a day. Enjoy!

*tracey*

 

Crimson

 

Photo of the Day- “From the Loop” (a sorta, kinda, well maybe, homage to tilt-shift photography)

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"From the Loop" Tracey Capone Photography 2010

 

So, technically, tilt-shift photography is usually from the vantage point above the subject so, hence the “sorta kinda, well maybe” part of the title but I just had to try this  and see what happened.

A few weekends back, on a whim, I decided to take the full Chicago architectural tour… yet again… because I love boating along the Chicago River, seeing all the amazing buildings that make up this wonderful city. The history behind Chicago’s architecture is fascinating and some of the stories you’ll hear on the tour are sure to make you chuckle.

One of the things I missed in my three years away, believe it or not, was the CTA. Yes, it smells funny and some of the people are weird but the El (elevated track line) is one of the best ways to see the city. Jump from the Red Line to the Brown and the Brown to the Orange and just keep riding around the loop taking in the mix of modern and retro buildings that Chicago has to offer.

But I digress… “From the Loop” is my “take” on tilt-shift photography. By using selective focus (hey remember that from yesterday?) and blurring out the buildings in the immediate background, the train and that beautiful red, brick building are pulled out of what was once a pretty dull picture that was basically overpowered by the Sears Tower (yes, yes, it’s the “Willis Tower” fine… it’s the big, black building in the back)

I still plan on doing some true tilt-shift photography and will definitely post it here. In the mean time, here’s a great tutorial on how you can fake tilt-shift using Photoshop.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

“Second City” (Using selective focus and color for creative results)

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"Second City" Tracey Capone Photography 2010

 

One of the newest pieces in my gallery is, “Second City;” a photograph of the Chicago Theatre sign along State Street here in Chicago.Those who know State Street will also recognize the Marshall Fields clock (sorry, still can’t call it Macy’s) and the Marina Towers in the background.

I’ve used two techniques, one pre- and the other post-processing, to get the ultimate effect you see here.

First, by using my Lensbaby Composer lens, which utilizes a ball and socket setup to provide an amazing selective focus effect, I’ve blurred out the areas immediately surrounding the sign, including the clock and the towers in the back.  By switching my camera in to manual focus and a combination of moving the lens on the ball and socket as well as manually focusing the lens, I was able to focus in on the sign without completely blurring the surroundings to the point where you can’t recognize them. (If you haven’t already tried a Lensbaby, check them out. The amount of fun and creativity that comes from using one of their lenses, as well as the many accessories available, is well worth the cost of the lens.)

Secondly, in post-processing, using masking as well as some creative actions in Photoshop, I’ve pulled out the amazing colors in the sign, while creating a platinum black and white effect for the remaining areas.

Moral of the story… don’t be afraid to “draw outside the lines” and use selective focus for creative results. Not every shot has to be 100% crisp and clear. Sometimes, blurring out certain aspects of the shot forces the viewer to look at the entire photograph rather than just your main subject while it conversely sets a more creative stage for the main attraction. You can find more great tips on using selective focus here.

And voila, I give you, “Second City.”

Enjoy!

*tracey*