Friday, September 07, 2007

clouds reprisal

Well, while I interview muses, I thought I would respond to Silfiriel! The cloud pictures I posted were actually not taken in the evening, and here they are before I retouched them.
I thought that they were pretty like this, but when I retouched them it made them more dramatic- in my opinion :)) Kind of fit my mood better if you know what I mean.

I retouch a lot of my pictures, just the standard touch up button. I use Microsoft Picture It 7.0 a lot when I work with my photos. It is really easy to use and doesn't make me want to throw the computer out the window. LOL

I don't know how to use Photoshop or anything, even though we have all the latest software for it. When I edit my photos, I need it to be fast and easy. I work with about 100 a week between my business and the blog and all.



Recently one of my pictures I entered in a contest was rejected. It is the rose you see. It is interesting to me what appeals to people. I wonder why it was? Is it the date and time? (darn that thing, I couldn't figure out how to take it off!!) Do they think it was not really mine? I don't know. Oh well, I sent another one in instead!


Right now I am busy getting ready a new display board for the Kern County Fair. It is just a tri-fold board, like for a science project, with info about alpacas and pictures I have taken over the years. It will be displayed with the fleeces that will be judged there.


So, which pictures do you like better? Don't worry, I won't be offended if you like the 'before' pictures better!
Slainte~

Rachelle

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rachelle:

As someone that uses photoshop everyday, I can say that while there are days that I want to throw out the mac, they are pretty rare...
The only technical issues I can see with the rose are that the shadows are too red and the date stamp... both of which can be easily fixed.
I'm an alpaca breeder, too. Got your link from one of the posts today...
Hope you have great weekend!

Brian Willsey
Rockin' W Alpaca Ranch
St Louis, MO
314.681.9211

Rachelle said...

Dear Brian,
Welcome! well, if I still had my Mac, I wouldn't ever feel like throwing it out the window! LOL
Sort of forced to buy a PC recently, and can I just say.... they suck!!!!

LOL, now I'll tell you how I REALLY feel.... :))

Wanna give me some PhotoShop lessons? Huh, huh, do ya????
*grins*
Slainte~
Rachelle

silfiriel said...

These are much better, when you made them more dramatic, the noise was enhanced and came in front of the actual photo. These are like heaven would be. If only you knew photoshop a little better, you'd be a total pro.
I must say the date stamp is a sin, literally. I hate when I see a beautiful photo with a date stamp. Date stamps are for birthdays and holidays.
Also what's wrong with the rose is that it's orange, and kinda pale. They should move from sugar pink to reddish pink.
Forever an optimist
Pozdrav from Silfiriel

silfiriel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
silfiriel said...

Oh, Erato is the muse of lyric poetry, especially love and erotic poetry.
Give my love to the pacas.

silfiriel said...

Here's a tip, use Picasa it's a picture organizer and basic editing tool too. There is a button "I'm feeling lucky" which fixes the photo automatically,(sometimes for better sometimes for worse) also you can fix saturation , hue, warmness and you can always revert to the original photo if you don't like any of the changes. It's really easy, I use it all the time. Plus you can blog the photos directly from there and write the text. (It's a google application).
About the noise I use Imagenomic Noiseware, it removes the noise very easy and effective. But not too much noise, in this case it will remove some and some will be smudged. Lets say your clouds would look great if processed first with Noisware and then With Picasa's "I'm feeling lucky".
But I guess you don't have time to play around all day on the computer, because those alpacas need care and love.
I've got both apps , I can e-mail them if you like. Or you can download them , both are free.

I think That's it, if I didn't forget anything.

Pozdrav
(Phew, this one was a long one)

Anonymous said...

Always shoot at the largest/finest setting your camera allows. Ultimately it's the camera & the lens that determines the quality of the shot.

If you retouch a lot of photos, I would think it worthwhile to learn, buy a book or take a basic class in Photoshop.

These original cloud photos look a little flat. I see why you adjusted them with more contrast, but you used too much.

If you have Photoshop use the "Levels" adjustment layer. (You're probably wondering what this means)

Saving and resaving over and over again as a jpeg file also reduces quality.

Anonymous said...

How many mega pixels is your camera?

I downloaded one cloud and gave it a quick adjust with "Levels" in Photoshop. I noticed it is small file size and bitmapped (tiny squares, which will only get worse as the photo is enlarged) Despeckling or reducing noise will actually blur/soften the image a bit. But that may be your only choice of solution.

link clouds

As you can see it loses some definition in the lighter areas. I assume that is because of the low file size, meaning there is not enough information in the digital file to begin with.

Am I rambling?

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

We don't hav photoshop or enything like that either. We have a "enhance photo" button on the scanner photo thingy, wich I sumtimes yews. An I mayke them smaller by openin them in "paint" and pressin "image" an "stretch an scew" an ritin in about "25" in both boxes. This way it gets small enuff to upload kwikly.

Enyway, I like the "befor" clowds best becos I don't like thunder an the other wuns look thundry.

An as fer the rose, I think it is very good, an much nicer than a sissy pink wun. Mummy likes them this culler. An yello wuns, too.

:@}

singleton said...

Wow! I just think they're all beautiful and knowing nothing about retouching photos...would have thought you just clicked away at the sky, catching the clouds as a story unfolded!
I'm feeling really technically unsavvy at this point,
but loving the pics........

Catmoves said...

I'm with singleton. I think we'll both leave all this techie talk to the pros. Simply put? I liked them, I liked them all.

Peaceful/Paisible said...

actually there is not one photo I prefer, they all have something nice and interesting...I play with my scanner and "Photofiltre" it's quite fun...that how i make most of my pictures...i love doing it...Photofiltre is free, sure it must exist something in English...you can add drawings pictures silhouettes on your photos, it's so nice to do...
love to all
Mousie
PS: did you get the photo allright..

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

I think your rose is perfect, just like you! ((x))

Victorya said...

While the date stamp kind of ruins the serenity of the rose, it's a gorgeous one nevertheless!

I'm also very non-techy, I use 'photomosiac' which came with my camera. And that's it!

Clouds make good posts. Just take cloud pictures, have us outline what we see in them :p

Rachelle said...

Dear Silfiriel,
Wow..... cool beans.
Yup, I would LOVE for you to email them to me :))
Pozdrav my friend!
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Chewy,
Well, I do have photoshop, but it has kept me away from it because of it's 'intimidation factor' LOL!!

I will try it again, thanks for all the tips! Great to hear from an artist.
I am blessed to know you my friend!

But, I couldn't open the clouds link! :((
Try again?

My camera has no problem with high reolution photos. It can create 1600 x 1600 sized pics, no pixilation.

It has a cracked LCD screen though, so it is challenging to adjust things because I can't always see them!! Ha-ha..... ha.... laughs weakly.

Slainte~
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear B.t.,
I'm with your mummy!!
I like to point and click when working with photos in any computer medium.

I agree, the other clouds DO look too thundery.
Nose hugs,
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Oh, Chewy, I forgot to say I shrink the picture files before sending them to my blog, otherwise it takes 32 days to send them on my sloooow dial up!
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Singleton,
Cool, thanks!
That's why I love you, you are just so easy going!
Slainte~
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Catmoves,
Well, thank you very much my friend!
I like them too, both before and after. Depending on my mood :))
Slainte~
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Mousie,
I have several programs, some I use for painting, and some for photos, some for artsy things, and some just to point and click for a quick fix.

I think every computer comes with a basic photo editing program, that's what yours sounds like.

Your magic comes from your ability to create in an entirely new media! I love it!
Slainte~
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Shrinky,
***smooches***
Rachelle

Rachelle said...

Dear Victorya,
I totally agree, I hate that date thing! It took me forever to figure out how to take it off!!
I have a cracked LCD screen, so I can't see half of the options on my camera!!

LOL- time for a new camera!
Slainte~
Rachelle