Artful Photography Archives - Page 3 of 12

Wabi Sabi Wood Table Study Part I

November 12, 2015 by Barb 9 Comments

Hello, today I have a little “wabi sabi wood table study” as well as a study of the light and how it changes in our little end-unit condo in Arizona.

When Kim posted the new prompt in The Studio | Online, I was astounded!

It was exactly what I needed … I’d been thinking I should get some shots of this wabi sabi table before we leave for home, but I hadn’t felt inspired.

Wabi Sabi Wood Table, The Studio Online, studying light, shadows, focusing on tables

kk_Lilly – photo taken at 2:00pm north and east light

Here I am, holidaying in the sunniest state, and yet feeling completely blah about taking photos … specifically still life photos—and not just blah … a bit blue … I think I miss my props :( which is silly because I’ve been gathering many wonderful items for this place as well.

Items like this sweet little Wabi Sabi Wooden Table I found last year at a garage sale for $0.50. The story is comical and fits perfectly with the new hashtag #stillswithstories I’m hosting with Kim on IG (have you checked it out?)

Anyway, after reading the prompt and listening to Kim’s inspirational video, I jumped up and started gathering a few treasures to set on my table. I’m also “studying the light” in our little condo, and I’d have to say it’s abundant … we have an end unit so we get north, west, and east light. Mostly, I prefer an east or north exposure for the cooler light and when I get a corner with both lights … well, I’m in heaven.

So, my table doesn’t have great legs ;) but what I love are the grooves along the edge. Apparently they’ve formed because the softer part of the wood has worn away over time and left the hard ridges.

So that’s where I put my focus, on the rough edge.

Camera Settings **
f4.5
1/100s
ISO 250

Wabi Sabi Table, The Studio Online, studying light, shadows, focusing on tables

kk_Chocolate – photo taken at 2:00pm north and east light

It’s dry as tinder and the top boards fall out if you don’t handle it properly … someone suggested glue, but I think I’ll just leave it and see what happens.

kk_Air

… same image, different crop …

Sweet little oak leaves from our trip to Mount Lemmon …

kk_Lilly

I’m now on a mission to capture this table in all sorts of different locations and lighting situations.

** Just wondering** do you find camera settings helpful when listed on a blog post? Does it ever influence how you shoot?

Updated Shoot Info (for Petra) thank you Petra! Your comment made me think a lot harder about my settings, and I’ve tried to answer in the order you asked ;)

I’d say, that it’s interesting to see camera settings when they are listed on a blog post, I always have a look at them, but generally I don’t find them helpful. They usually represent just part of information, don’t they? You don’t know where and how far from the scene the photographer stood, whether they had a lens hood in place and where exactly the focus was aimed, whether the flash fired and at what power, what metering the camera was set to and what kind of light there was, whether they were shooting in manual or aperture/time priority… Also, if you don’t have that particular lens, you can be sure that with your lens the conditions would be different… Yet I admit that if there is most of the above listed explained, then the data have some value. They may not be comparable with your data but they may teach you some principles. They may not give you a detailed manual but they may show you a way. Well, does it make sense, as contradictory as it seems?

~Petra~

My Camera Settings: (these setting are based on the second photo, although they are almost identical for all the shots.)
f4.5
1/100s
ISO 250

now, in answer to Petra:

I was sitting about 3 1/2 feet from the table.
focal length 38mm
no lens hood
focused directly on the edge of the table
no flash (I never use a flash)
matrix metering (now I wish I had used spot metering!)
north and east light (2:00 pm)
manual mode
18-105mm lens

Oh my … you just never know how a reader may challenge you! and in a great way – thank you once again Petra. Please feel free to challenge me some more!

Day 12 #nablopomo

What I Did This Morning (and most mornings) and What Does Goatsbeard Have to Do With It (take that Google)

November 9, 2015 by Barb 6 Comments

So what happens when you go to bed at 8:30 pm?

… you get up at 4:00 am.ugh. that was me this morning. and the answer is … what? you get goofy? umm yeah … but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Now it’s almost 4:00 pm and I’m just getting around to writing my daily blog post for #nablopomo. I couldn’t think of anything to write so I popped over to BlogHer to check out the prompts. The question for today is “What is the first thing you do every single day (I mean, after you hit the snooze button)? When did that step in your routine begin?”

OK. So I guess the first thing I do (or at least the first thing I do that you want to hear about) is I make coffee, and then drink it. That started in about grade 10 … . Post done. Check.

Not.

I must elaborate. Today I got up at 4:00 because I couldn’t get back to sleep. Which means I probably was awake at 3:30. Ugh. Oh well. I made coffee then picked up my phone and started checking IG. After a bit I thought I should post a photo. So, (because it was still pitch black outside) I had to go into the archives where I pulled out this image of Goatsbeard I’ve been sitting on since late August.

So I’ve determined that, when you go to bed at 8:30 and get up at 4:00, you:

Write silly posts with really long titles which Google hates.
Write posts that score BAD on the SEO scale. If fact the SEO of this post is N/A. I don’t even have a red dot, it’s black.
Bring things out of the archives (for better or worse).
Have a bit of fun.

Day 9 #nablopomo

Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About-Town Part I

November 6, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

One of the many things I enjoyed while attending Finding Stillness|2015 in Rivers, Manitoba were the walks we took …

Not only did we take walks along the many beautiful trails, we also walked around the town itself, and were delighted to find some of the most intriguing buildings you are going to find anywhere!

While I know it’s not a true still life, as I composed this first shot and then later edited it, I found stillness in there; the weathered wood, the window, the door, and the chippy paint … these are all things I love to incorporate into my photography … I just wish I could have brought everything home with me!

Don’t you just love it when a photo opportunity is just sitting there, waiting for you to take notice!

All photos edited in Lightroom using kk_DarkMood

Read Part II here.

Day 6 #nablopomo

Artful Blogging Magazine Giveaway

November 4, 2015 by Barb

Today I’m celebrating something I dreamed of, but did not quite believe would ever happen … my blog has been published in the winter issue of Artful Blogging!

The moment I laid eyes on a Stampington Publication many years ago, I was smitten. I’d never seen so much creativity in one spot; such inspiring and unique creativity. Since then I’ve amassed quite the stack of these treasures: Somerset Studio, Somerset Life, Stampers’ Sampler, Where Women Cook, Where Women Create, Digital Studio, Mingle, Artful Blogging, Bella Grace … so many! Goodness, I can’t even list them all here! To say I’m obsessed … um well … maybe?

No matter! To celebrate, I want to gift a copy of Artful Blogging to one of my lovely readers … could it be you?

If you would like to be entered into the draw, please leave a comment here on my blog saying that you’d love a copy (I’d love to send it to you) … don’t be shy – everyone welcome!

The draw will be random and will be made on November 10, 2015. ** comments are now closed **

Thank you for visiting and remember that dreams can and do come true …

Barb

Day 4 #nablopomo

Succulent Parade and a Lightroom Tip

November 3, 2015 by Barb 7 Comments

I’m not ready to say goodbye to the succulent parade …

Succulent Parade, Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the Times

kk_Lilly

I guess I’ll have to spend the winter editing photos and playing with Kim’s presets …

Succulent Parade, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank, #nablopomo

kk_Lilly

kk_Hazed

kk_Organic

Do you use Lightroom? Have you ever spent a ton of time getting a photo just right (which is great) but then deciding you want to adjust exposure, or contrast,or try a different preset?

Lightroom Tip of the Day:

In the Library Module, with the original image selected, right-click and choose Create Virtual Copy.
Work on the virtual copy.
Now you still have the original to go back to.
You’re welcome!

Day 3 #nablopomo

kk_DarkMood

Stills With Stories

October 28, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Kim Klassen has started a brilliant new series Stills With Stories because well, every still does have a story. Granted, some are more profound than others, yet a story is most certainly in there somewhere (and it doesn’t have to be profound!)

A few weeks ago I wrote about my ladder in Serendipity Part I. It was an amazing find, and an amazing story. It most certainly was not earth shattering, but it was curious, and one of those things that make you go hmmmm … .

It was just plain fun! and who couldn’t use a bit of fun in their life?

So when Kim asked if I’d be interested in co-hosting a brand new hashtag on Instagram about stills with stories, I was thrilled. This tag is a way to celebrate the stories behind our stills, and we’d love to have you join us! To play along, simply tag your photos with @keepingwiththetimes @kimklassen #stillswithstories and every week or so we will share a #stillswithstories feature four.

I didn’t start my photography journey shooting still life, I was into landscapes, birds, and animals. But I adore shooting still life. To me still life is real life is still life.

I’ve always had vignettes set up in my home as part of decorating: the mantel, a cupboard, a coffee table … and now I see them as photo ops … no space is safe. I even see my deck and garden as a real life still life. Vignettes bring order and calm to my surroundings, as well as my mind.

OK, now for the truth … shooting still life is hard work. Let me say that again … it’s hard work.

Especially my food photography since I’m usually cooking at the same time. If you could see the “behind the scenes” on some of my food shoots you would see chaos, and by the end of the day I’m exhausted. However, after a good rest I get up and start all over again. Every.single.day. I get up and do the work. Why? Because I love it. It fills me up.

Still life fills me up. It fills me to overflowing and then I have to share because I have too much. I share my food, I share my images, I share my process, and I share my enthusiasm.

Barb

That’s why I’m so excited about this new stills with stories series. If you shoot still life, tell me … what does it do for you?

Foraging for Fun

October 19, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

I spent this past Sunday morning outdoors, foraging for relaxation and a few photos to work with for The Studio | Online prompt. Foraging is good for the heart, mind, and soul wouldn’t you agree? I’m so lucky that I can walk out the door and into a natural reserve where there is no shortage of inspiration. I need it like I need air to breath.

It goes without saying I’m smitten with succulents, leaves, and rustic wooden backgrounds. And there’s nothing I love more than a quirky succulent … there’s just something so fun about them. I watch as they sprout up and spray outward, reaching for the sun (and probably more space.) I rescued these two from my Upcycled Toolbox Planter which had become extremely crowded over the summer.

I’m also a lover of repetition … leaves, leaves, and more leaves …

Foraging for Fun, Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the Times

kk_SoftLightMoreLeft

… so perfectly imperfect … I was shooting outdoors so I didn’t use studio lighting as did Kim in her lesson, instead I used kk_SoftLightMoreLeft to slightly enhance the natural light coming from the left …

kk_SoftLightMoreLeft

That pot of succulents on the top shelf is so funny; it’s been struggling all summer and I love it to pieces!

Succulents on Sunday

October 4, 2015 by Barb 8 Comments

Now that it’s October, the time has come for a bit (a lot) of garden cleanup, but as I was dumping flower pots and and digging up plants and bulbs, I had to stop and well you know, play with a few succulents …

(before I go any further, Sunday Sundries will be posted later today) …

After bringing in all the plants I wanted to save, I looked around my yard and saw chaos, so this is my attempt to tame it … I’d like to use that hammer and shout “order in the garden!” and some magical force would clean it up …
I’ve had a lot of response to my Blogging Bits and Bytes and I’m so grateful! Thank you to all of you who are participating. It’s very encouraging and my head is spinning with ideas … . See you later for Sunday Sundries!

Today I’m participating in Mosaic Monday at Lavender Cottage where Judith talks about her reasons for naming her blog, and her reasons for continuing blogging when sometimes it seems pointless. Her story is very interesting and I can relate to a lot of it. How do we stay inspired? How do we keep up? Pop over for a thought-provoking read. And thank you to all who have revealed their own personal stories as a result of this prompt from Blogging Bits and Bytes.

Quail Eggs Celebration on Steller

September 1, 2015 by Barb 1 Comment

Just popping in to announce my Steller Story “A Celebration of Quail Eggs” is showing up in the Editors Picks … whoa! I think it’s safe to say I’m hooked on Steller! I’ve seen a lot of my IG friends featured as well … so.much.fun.

It’s just another beautiful way to tell your story. Have you tried it? Instagram on Steroids.

Rustic Photography Background

August 25, 2015 by Barb 17 Comments

When shooting still life, I love using a rustic photography background. Therefore I’m aways on the lookout for new and unusual pieces to add to my collection. I have a lot of barn wood in the form of coffee tables, side tables, and potting benches. I use old doors (front and back), and my recently acquired old table, covered in scratches and paint splats. But it seems I’m never satisfied!

So begins my (shameful) story of … dumpster diving … . As we live in a rural setting, we don’t have garbage pickup, and I have to take our garbage to the dump once a week. Well, at said dump, there’s an area called “take it or leave it” and I’ve done my share of leaving (mostly junk that could go into the landfill, but with a little tlc, could be salvaged.)

But on occasion, my eye wanders as I’m dropping stuff off … and one day I spied these … and of course it’s not the poppies … or the books …

Rustic Photography Background, Keeping With the Times

kk_MatterFact

At the back of the building sat a pile of something … something I recognized, but couldn’t quite believe. It was an old Hoosier, falling apart, and not all there. I gasped. I have a Hoosier, and it’s a treasured family heirloom from my husband’s parents. Check it out here if you feel the urge to see what I’m talking about.

With a sinking feeling, I knew in my heart I wasn’t going to be able to drag the whole thing home. I’m not physically capable, my car isn’t big enough, and I couldn’t involve the hubs. On top of that, it would need to be completely restored with new pieces built from scratch … just.not.going.to.happen. What to do.

Well, I knew I could not walk away from the enamel table top, so I sheepishly dragged it to the car and hoisted it into the trunk. This table top sparked a whole series on white enamel #fromtheenameltabletop so I have no regrets about it. I know I’m going to be using it all winter, it’s easy to move, and will work extremely well with the changing light in my home.

After that, I couldn’t stop myself … into the car went all the drawers … the pile was impressive …

When I got home, I washed the pieces, and proceeded to hide them under the deck, all the time wondering what I was turning into … an eccentric hoarder perhaps? During the summer I felt guilt and angst every time I saw the pile … but I knew … I knew I’d be using pieces of it sooner or later. And what the heck, I could always take all of it back to the dump.

So, the background for my images today is metal … a metal drawer and a metal lid. I think it looks beyond amazing, especially when one of Kim’s Lightroom presets is applied. Pure magic.

kk_Truly

kk_MatterFact

My only regret is I didn’t drag home more.

Putting Myself Out There

August 20, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

My latest food styling post is on the blog at Kim Klassen dot com .

I’m always so amazed and humbled that I’m even there … I’m also amazed and humbled at how kind people are … with all the lovely comments and lots of support every single time …
I am not a professional food photographer … not even close … and I don’t pretend to be.

All I’ve done is study the art form, and applied it to what I love … which is working in the kitchen and sharing my creations with family and friends. It’s how I demonstrate love.

I make mistakes … I sometimes don’t get great shots but I still share them. I share my inspiration, my workflow, and my camera settings, and every time I share something, I learn something.

I put it out into the Universe and let it go … and what comes back is amazing … .

Echinops in a Corner

August 12, 2015 by Barb 2 Comments

Right now the globe thistles (Echinops) are bustin’ out and I have to say they’re one of my favourite flowers … so quirky …

It’s quite funny what a photo can reveal … the first shot I took revealed there were spider webs on the wall, the blue book (which by the way is Hamlet) was upside down, and the stack was crooked!

Now that was real life … this is the edited version!

But see that vase … I die … my daughter gave it to me … it’s from Anthropologie …

I created this for The Studio Online where the prompt right now is “in a corner”.

August You Amaze Me

August 10, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

August … you amaze me … I love all your beautiful imperfections, and your beautiful colours.

Weeds, bug-eaten leaves, seed pods.

Greens, yellows, oranges, reds.

Berries, lilies, dahlias.

… my perfectly imperfect (needs to be weeded) garden …

Our summer has been so hot and dry. Today the temperature reached 29C (and I begin to melt at 25C) but now, thankfully, the nights cool down to 12C or so … truly a blessing when one does not have air conditioning in their home.

The mornings are cool, and a thick layer of dew covers the lawn, and the garden, and the deck. It doesn’t dry up until after 10:00 am … and it’s bliss. That’s when you’ll find me out in the yard, pulling a few weeds, taking a few photos, and arranging berries and flowers on tabletops.

… just having an “unwinding” kinda day …

Serendipity Part II

July 31, 2015 by Barb 11 Comments

In Serendipity Part I, I wrote about not only the ladder that got away, but also the luck of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for … those things which may not be obvious at first glance … perhaps it’s an item, or an idea, or simply a treasured moment.

Of course you already know I have a ladder … the PERFECT ladder. But how did that come to be? Even I don’t quite understand, since it’s almost a replica of the one that got away … but there it is, sitting on the deck, gracing my herb garden … perfectly imperfect … in a perfectly imperfect “behind the scenes photo” …

So now on to Part II.

It was almost a week later, and the kids and I were discussing when we should go back into town. I was aiming for Thursday, they were aiming for Wednesday. Wednesday won.

I suggested to the kids that we may as well stop at my fav store for a minute (I was on the lookout for vintage white enamelware), and they agreed. As I casually headed toward the back, something made me glance over to the spot where the original ladder had been standing … and … oh.my.gosh… I nearly fainted … there it was, and as far as I could tell it was the exact same ladder, in the exact same spot! Deja-Vu of the highest order.

This time I touched my granddaughters arm and said “Teagan, look! MY ladder!” As I rushed over to put my hand on it, she ran to get the owner, and I started to remove the items that were sitting on it.

As we headed toward the front of the store (and out the door), the owner assured me it was a completely different ladder just arrived that very morning. Then she casually remarked how strange it all was … someone had called the day before and asked if the store had any ladders, and at the time, they didn’t …

It’s quite inexplicable. What are the chances?

Thanks for stopping by!

Serendipity Part I

July 30, 2015 by Barb 8 Comments

Today I’m sharing a story of serendipity … after you read it, let me know if serendipity is the right word … can you think of a better one to explain this event?

The New Oxford Dictionary of English defines serendipity as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a satisfactory or beneficial way, understanding the chance as any event that takes place in the absence of any obvious project (randomly or accidentally), which is not relevant to any present need, or in which the cause is unknown.

say wha? lets just go with this:

Serendipity = the luck of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for.

If you’re part of The Studio | Online I need not explain why I had to have a ladder … well, actually not just a ladder, but this ladder … this vintage, weathered ladder, covered in paint splats, splotches, and drips.

Oh, and just look at that hardware … that gorgeous grey hardware … love … .

If you’re not part of The Studio but you love the old, the weathered, and the worn … you’ll understand as well.

Ladder, Vintage, Keeping With the Times, Serendipity

kk_SoftLightMoreRight

Several months ago, one of the prompts in The Studio | Online was “on ladders” but Kim shared some images on her Still Sunday on Ladders blog post (take a peek if you want some amazing inspiration).

Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect specimen, so I now own one red ladder, one 11′ grey ladder, and now this wonderful paint splattered brown gem. Newsflash: when Kim suggests a prop, said props are scooped up across the country … heck no … the world! So here’s the puzzling and amazing story as to how I got my hands on this …

kk_Hazed

One lovely summer day whilst browsing my favourite junque store “One Man’s Treasure” I spied an amazing ladder. The PERFECT ladder. But after looking at it and swooning and exclaiming loudly about how wonderful it was, I walked away. Why did I walk away? Well, I’ve pondered that decision a lot.

On that fateful day, I had three of my grandchildren with me, and I guess I thought I was going to demonstrate self-control to the kids … aaacckk … is it possible I didn’t want to appear impulsive? I really don’t know. I remember telling them I was going to walk around and think about it … but I KNEW better. Well, it wasn’t 5 minutes later when my granddaughter touched my arm and said “grandma … look! that lady is taking YOUR ladder!”

Gah! I spun around and stared at the woman as she began removing the items that had been set on it. She clearly was on a mission … and I swear she shot me an evil look. It didn’t phase me. I took a few steps towards her, my mouth open, wondering how I was going to stop this. But all I could do was gawk helplessly as the shop owner appeared and began to help that woman take it to the front of the store and out the door … and, er … I may or may not have followed them … I can’t remember.

Within 10 minutes the whole event was over, the ladder was gone. I turned to my granddaughter, and with some weak bravado croaked “I guess it wasn’t meant to be mine.”

Suddenly I didn’t feel like junquing anymore, so I suggested we should come back another day … for now, let’s just go to Walmart (insert a chorus of hooray’s from my grandsons) and out the store we went.

kk_Hazed

In the car, my sweet grandchildren expressed their sadness for me, so I had to make a joke out of “the ladder that got away”.

We discussed the whole matter at length, until I was sure they had had enough, and I promised to never mention it again.

But of course I brought up several times that week how the ladder wasn’t meant to be mine, how I had enough stuff already, how it didn’t matter, and oh yes … I won’t mention it again. It always elicited a huge laugh. I was having a wonderful time teasing them, and they were enjoying it wholeheartedly … a valuable and agreeable memory … one we weren’t looking for.

If the story had ended here, it would have been fine. But it didn’t.

Continue reading Serendipity Part II

Blackberries

July 15, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Blackberries can be somewhat difficult to photograph. I spent the better part of a day figuring out how to best show off their gorgeousness and it happened by chance …

Check out my process, and a few Lightroom tips, on my food styling post at Kim Klassen dot com.

Photographing and Editing my Chamomile Tea

July 9, 2015 by Barb 12 Comments

Today I’m sharing my process on photographing and editing my chamomile tea images. I’ll explain the setup, the shoot, and the edit in Lightroom.

I adore chamomile. As I drive along I’m always scanning ditches, and right now this exuberant little flower nods, and waves, and beckons me.

I will acknowledge some people regard it as a (noxious) weed, but I regard it as a wildflower full of possibilities … photography, a bouquet, tea … certainly something to be celebrated.

I do not make my own chamomile tea (I leave that to the experts) but it is probably my favourite tea. It warms, it soothes, and it calms. Apparently it has medicinal properties and any Google search will attest to that. But today I simply want to explain my photography process.

I set a cup of tea on top of the green door which I dragged home a few weeks ago. I chose the green door since I thought the white flowers needed contrast. I then ~~painstakingly~~ lovingly, clipped the flowers off the stems and arranged them closely, leaving one on a stem so I could prop it in the teacup.

In the following images, the one flower is my focal point. I used f5.6 to blur the background, but not too much.

Camera Settings:

Nikon D7100
Nikon 40mm lens
1/125s f5.6 ISO 160
No flash

I was thrilled to have this image featured by @poppytalk (IG) and on their blog Poppytalk: Tuesdays Summer Colours

Photographing and Editing in Lightroom, Chamomile Tea, Keeping With the Times, Lightroom Edit

kk_Hazed

Since my photos were a bit overexposed in camera, when I imported into Lightroom, I did not apply an Auto Tone. I wanted complete control to tone manually, and on an individual basis.

After cropping and straightening, I applied Kim’s kk_Hazed Lightroom preset … and kaboom! magic!! Dreaminess with a click of a mouse … the one thing I loved most was the softening haze it put over the tea …

kk_Hazed

After that I simply grabbed the Adjustment Brush and brushed over the prominent flower, bringing back some sharpness.

Then I decided to experiment just a little … I wanted the images to be “less green”.

To do this, I clicked on Color in the HSL/Color/B&W tab in the Develop Module, chose Green and moved the slider to the left to desaturate … what do you think?

Do you prefer more green, or less green?

I’m undecided … I’ve printed one copy of each and am still debating … I’ll let you know …

Thank you for stopping by today!

Set of 3 Greeting Cards Winner!

July 2, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

Good morning! The winner of the Set of 3 Greeting Cards is Barbara Skrobuton … Barbara, I’ll be sending the cards to you right away, and I hope you enjoy them.

And just because I can’t create a post without a photo … I present to you another peony shot … I had a lot of feedback on the template and the word art – and am so happy everyone enjoyed them!

Purple Haze

June 12, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

It seems that when I was choosing flowers and pots for my garden and deck this year I gravitated towards so much purple that I dubbed my Instagram feed “Purple Haze”.

So today when I was writing this post, and entering a keyword for SEO purposes, up popped “purple haze lyrics” … hmmmm … oops, I have to admit I didn’t know (or remember) the Jimi Hendrix song, so that led me down a cyber path whilst I did some research … very interesting. Serendipitously I named the following photo “let’s dance”.

Purple Haze, Lavender Love, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds

“let’s dance”

OK, how about “let’s hang” …

Purple Haze, Lavender Haze, Keeping With the Times

“let’s hang”

Here’s the soap dish, on the back of the green door, served with wild cranberry florets and cranesbill geranium …

A purple haze post would not be complete without my little Johnny Jump-Ups …

Bachelor buttons, anemones, columbine, and wild vine”y” things …

This is my interpretation of “the human touch” for The Studio On-Line” … me, myself, and I at the potting bench … I have quite a few more ideas for this prompt, swirling around in my head, it’s just too much fun …

Check out my “purple haze” post on IG …

https://instagram.com/p/3lvh03JZ1H/?taken-by=keepingwiththetimes

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Lilac Party II

June 9, 2015 by Barb 9 Comments

Today I thought I’d better get on with the lilac party … even though the shrub I picked these from has finished blooming. It happens so fast … but I have another type that’s just starting … too much fun around here I tell ya!

Lilac Party II, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday

kk_dreamlike

Original

You can’t even imagine the scent … or maybe you can …

kk_QuietDreams

Here’s a favourite from last year, edited with the new preset kk_Hush …

Lilac Party II, Keeping With the Times, Texture TuesdayLilac Party II, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday

kk_Hush

I take hundreds of photos and it seems that once a few weeks (or years) have passed, I don’t feel right using them. Well, I’m on a mission to get over that! Does it matter whether I took a photo today or last year? I don’t think so … a lot of work goes into setting a scene, shooting, and then processing images. It’s a self-imposed restriction I’ve put on myself … one of many it seems.

I do think a side note letting viewers know you’re using an older image is all a person needs to do … or maybe not even that? Anyway, seems like I was into a lilac series last year as well:

Melancholy Lilac I

Melancholy Lilac II

Melancholy Lilac III

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Lavender Love

June 5, 2015 by Barb 17 Comments

I can’t believe how fast I went from the lilac party to lavender love … but when I spied these lovely plants at Costco I was thrilled!

I haven’t been able to find this specific type at any of the greenhouses I’ve been haunting. I love the small, slim wands with the tiny flowers.

The scent is beyond words … but even more so when dried (I know because I’ve already dried a few sprigs).

So far I’ve simply photographed the plant like it’s growing in a field that goes on forever, but ideas are spinning around … small bouquets, dried bunches, perhaps even a wand or two …

Lavender Love, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds

kk_Hazed

I want my summer to look like this … lazy, hazy, and dreamy …

kk_Hazed

Thank you for dropping by, and have a wonderful day!

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Lilac Party Part I

June 2, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

Oh my heavens … it’s lilac party time around here and I haven’t shared any photos on my blog! And I’m so overwhelmed I’m going to have to break them into Parts I to III, or maybe even IV or V.

Spring is one crazy season in these parts … it’s like a dam has burst and every plant is pouring blossoms out in torrents. Everything from shrubs and perennials, to annuals in the garden and pots on the deck … flower overload … and then there are the wildflowers popping up everywhere I look.

Therefore, today I’m going to take it slow and concentrate on my #fromthechippypottingbench series from Instagram.

Lilac Party Part I, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday

kk_Lilly

With the rustic nature of the bench and the tools, I felt stronger edits (presets) were in order; kk_SoftLight and kk_Lilly. Both enhance clarity and colour. Everything just pops, including the white paint, but believe it or not, there’s a slight (de)saturation adjustment as well … and that’s a good thing …

kk_SoftLight

Here I set a few snippets on the back of my “green” door, which is white …

kk_Lilly

OK, I guess I’ll stray one tiny bit and share my white lilac that clearly is not white … note to self … don’t buy shrubs unless there is at least one bloom for colour verification …

So, I'm going to go slow and concentrate on my #fromthechippypottingbench series. With the rustic nature of the bench and the tools I felt that strong edits (presets) were in order.

kk_DayDreaming

“Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see”

Oh I had fun trying to give credit for this quote! Who do you think said it?

Happy Texture Tuesday everyone!

Kim Klassen dot com

Spring Flowers

May 26, 2015 by Barb 23 Comments

It’s a good thing my friend asked me to go for a walk last week, or I may have missed these Marsh Marigolds entirely. There’s one spot in the ditch where these flowers flourish … technically its a mini swamp. A mosquito-infested mini swamp … ask me how I know … .

Quite honestly I think my head may explode … there are so many flowers starting to bloom right now and I can’t keep up. It’s like a parade on fast-forward.

Marsh Marigold, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday, Still Life

kk_DayDreamingLightRight

So of course I had to have a bit of a play in Lightroom …

Marsh Marigold, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday

Original

kk_Raw

kk_Midnight

Caltha palustris, known as marsh-marigold and kingcup, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Ranunculaceae, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Lightroom and Finding the Light

May 22, 2015 by Barb 10 Comments

I’ve been so inspired by Kim’s bright and airy images lately, that I set about finding (creating) the right light and then enhancing it in Lightroom. Now I think I’m going to change my dining room window situation from no curtains, to white opaque curtains …

Oh, and I’m loooving the new presets she’s created, some of which are available in The Studio Online … can I say magical … basically one click …

Lightroom and Finding the Light, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds, white cosmos, flowers

kk_DayDreamingLightRight

When I saw this vine at a local greenhouse, I didn’t hesitate one second before putting it in my cart … it’s called a Wire Vine … love …

kk_Lilly

Light + Lightroom Presets = Magic:

kk_Air

The weather has turned so incredibly beautiful and I’m finding it hard to stay inside … hmmm … I just happen to know where to find a garden that needs to be weeded …

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Radish Tea Sandwiches

May 21, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

My food styling post is now on the blog at Kim Klassen dot com where I explain my process, as well as the trials and tribulations of a still life artist ;) … but for now, here’s another version of the Radish Tea Sandwiches, and the travelling knife …

So what is the travelling knife? Well, it’s a knife that’s travelling the globe, making it’s way to several members of The Studio Online. My turn has come and gone, and I must rush to the post office to send it on it’s way to Spain! Yes, the knife is heading to Rosana … and I can’t wait to see what she does with it!

Thank you for stopping by today!

Potting Bench for Friday Finds

May 8, 2015 by Barb 15 Comments

Of course you knew you were going to get more of the potting bench for Friday Finds … right? And about Friday Finds …I can hardly believe it … where did that week GO? It’s just … gone …

kk_MatterFact

It was a crazy, chaotic, and creative week—I had messes all over the house; from the basement, to the deck, and everywhere in-between …

kk_still

Parts of it were a bit more organized, like when I went to town to get a hair cut, and then groceries. Of course I had to visit every greenhouse in the area (just to look, I told myself).

However, I did bring home a few pretties … such a miracle after a long, cold, colourless season …

kk_litely

Oh yeah … we did have a bit of this … aaacckk …

… and I fell down some icy stairs (ouch), but other than that, it was all good …

Potting Bench, Friday Finds, Pansies, Keeping With the Times

kk_Midnight

Thank you so much for dropping by today!

Rhubarb Leaves are Beautiful

May 4, 2015 by Barb 29 Comments

I can’t be the only person who thinks rhubarb leaves are beautiful; they’re so full of curly, crispy, crunchy texture!

Rhubarb Leaves are Beautiful, Keeping With the Times, Texture Tuesday, rhubarb, potting bench

kk_air

We’ve just recently returned home from Arizona where I played with roses, and ranunculus, and gardenias … all breathtakingly beautiful, colourful, and exotic flowers.

But this northerner is extremely happy to be home, and as I took a stroll around my garden, every tiny green shoot filled me with wonder and awe. It’s such an amazing experience to witness the miracle of spring.

When I saw some tiny rhubarb leaves pushing up through the soil I was so struck by the beauty of it, I had to pull a few stalks for a still life set-up. This is almost sacrilege because, for every tiny shoot I pull, it means one less stalk of rhubarb that will make it into crisps or pies. I think I’m OK with that … I can always throw in a handful of strawberries to compensate.

kk_air

So, now I must introduce you to my new potting bench … oh my … when I saw it at the Carvel General Store I nearly fainted. I wanted it badly … very badly … but I made myself go home and think about it. I already have a gorgeous potting bench, and numerous other barnwood pieces … so I really needed to consider the pros and cons.

Turns out there were no cons ;) … it’s smaller than my “real” potting bench, and as you can see, there’s chippy white paint all over it … to.die.for.

kk_lilly

I’m in the process of rearranging the deck, painting a couple of wooden chairs, and getting my plant pots ready to go. When I accomplish all that, I’ll post the reveal of our full deck makeover. Such an exciting time of year!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Wreath Play in Photoshop

April 29, 2015 by Barb 11 Comments

I had to have a little wreath play in Photoshop and thought I’d share it with you.

These days I’m taking advantage of every single bit of floral inspiration I see when I look out my window.

It’s a blessing to be able to stay in Arizona until the weather in Alberta turns lovely … not just spring in the technical sense, but warm, sunny, and green … sigh … I know it’s happening and I’m so looking forward to returning home … it’s starting to heat up here in Arizona—big time. I’m not complaining … just sayin’ …

Now, on to my wreath …

or is it two wreaths … you tell me …

I’m guessing you sense there’s a bit of trickery going on here since “Photoshop” is part of my blog title. OK … here’s the scoop.

I created a wreath on a piece of white foam core and took a few shots in Auto mode … er … yes … I used Auto (and why not?) it gave me the sharpest image.

In Lightroom:

I adjusted exposure using Auto Tone, then did a bit more tweaking to get the colours brighter, whiter, and sharper.

With the Tone Curve tool I clicked and dragged in the white part of the photo to whiten the background as much as I could without blowing out any of the whites in the flowers or the wire frame.

I exported the image to Photoshop and dragged it onto a new 12in x 12in, 300ppi document. I duplicated it and moved the duplicate into the upper right corner … looks weird right?

Here’s the magic, change the blend mode of the top image to Multiply:

How fun is that?! When using the Multiply blend mode in Photoshop, areas on a layer that are pure white completely disappear from view!

I did have to tweak the white backgrounds again in both images, and used a bit of layer masking to hide edges but really the initial effect is pretty good.

When I posted it on Instagram I suddenly lost my mind and went off the rails … and created a kaleidoscope (not once but twice). I’m not sure how much it was appreciated, but I had fun!

I hope you enjoyed my little Photoshop tip today!

Oxford Book of Garden Flowers

April 24, 2015 by Barb 14 Comments

I had some pretty special “finds” this week, and one of them was The Oxford Book of Garden Flowers … when I first saw it, I mumbled out loud, are you kidding me? Then I sheepishly looked around the store to make sure I hadn’t offended anyone … then I said it again, are you kidding me!! I quickly flipped to the front to see what they were asking for it, and $5.00 later I was walking out the door with my new treasure.

Botanical illustrations are extremely popular right now, and these old books are hard to come by (ask me how I know.) But this baby was meant to be mine! I had about 10 minutes to spare before my hubby and I were to meet friends for lunch (my other special find this week) so I picked one last antiques store and quickly walked straight to the back, scanning as I went.

In the back corner, on the top shelf, sat a handful of books … and the rest is history … .

Here my lovely ranunculus drew their last breath …

kk_oldendays

And here’s my other special “find” …

Yes! the lovely Melinda of Melinda Anderson Photography. How fun! What a sweetheart she is, and we had the most wonderful visit (lovely hubbies included). This photo just makes me smile.

Don and I had taken a spur-of-the-moment road trip to Prescott, and when we got there I texted Melinda to see if she would like to meet. I guess the stars were aligned that day, and it all came together … another serendipitous moment.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Lightroom Preset Play with Ranunculus

April 21, 2015 by Barb 15 Comments

Applying a Lightroom preset to ranunculus (or any photo for that matter) is like watching magic unfold.

While I still love original images, I adore the rumpled and dreamy edits.

Kim has a wonderful demonstration on her blog today … she’s amazing … and it looks like she’s going to offer her presets for sale!! Right now they’re available only through The Studio|Online, so this is pretty exciting news!

kk_rumpled

kk_dreamlike

kk_rumpled

Original

I had the following image printed at Artifact Uprising (as a card) and oh my … gorgeousness …

Original

… I’ll be doing a post on that later … .meanwhile, I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Chocolate Ranunculus and Tea

April 16, 2015 by Barb 19 Comments

You would not believe how many hours, and how many photos were shot, for me to get this Chocolate Ranunculus and Tea series just the way I wanted it! Whew! It was quite the production and I’ll tell you why … but first … the story behind my finds.

This week, I was on my own for a couple of days while hubby was away on business.

But just before he left, we stopped at Trader Joe’s because … well … really, do you honestly need a reason to stop at Trader Joe’s?

I’m just looking, I said …

… but he was on to me … and, as a matter of fact, hubby was the one who spied the ranunculus and was more than happy to lead me to them. I tell you, I nearly fell over (really). I turned a bit quickly and stumbled ever so slightly.

I’ve been dying to get my hands on some after since seeing so many gorgeous images on Instagram … every time I saw one I was filled with longing (drama queen here).

I ended up buying four bunches, three brightly coloured, and one white because at $4.99/bunch I did not feel one bit bad about it. In fact if I get the chance I’m going back for more.

But today I’m sharing only my white ranunculus. When I started arranging them on this sweet teacup (which I also found this week) I was swept up and way (more drama).

When I applied Kim’s kk_chocolate preset I was stunned. That preset tends to blow out whites in photos but oh.my.good.heavens … when my heart starts pounding, that’s when I know I’m on to something.

I spent almost a whole day taking shots and as I was posting them on Instagram, I noticed an old problem of mine. I had used different white backgrounds and shot my images in different lighting. Well, that’s OK for IG I thought, but I’m going to fix this because I wanted a good cohesive series. So the next day, I redid the whole shoot using the exact same setup for each one and I also shot them all within an hour, beside an east-facing window …

… because I wanted this …

… a collage with matching tones.

I learned so much by doing this shoot, even more than I’m going to share, so as not to bore you to tears … oh, hello? … are you still with me? If so, thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful Friday!

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