Remembering September 11, 2001

image by John Skelson   http://www.silverprintphotography.com/911lights.html

It's hard to believe it's been ten years since this tragic event occurred.  I can remember with incredible precision exactly where I was standing and what I was doing when the news came across the Internet.  It was the one time I was happy the other department supervisor was taking some time to access Yahoo News.  I can remember him saying "something happened at the Twin Towers".  Even my mother could remember leaving for work having just heard "there was an accident involving a plane in New York."

As the events unfolded, we watched video pipe through Supervisor Joe's computer showing the plane hitting the first tower.  And when the second strike happened, it became blatantly obvious this was no accident.  A TV was rolled into our small cafe and all us workers piled in to view what was going on.  Horrified, we sat there without saying a word - the only time our busy crew of lab techs and supervisors fell completely silent and still.  It almost seemed as if the world around us came to a complete stop with all attention directed on the events happening with each passing moment.

With the anniversary of 9/11 upon us, I'll be out on another all-day whale watch in the waters of Cape Cod Bay.  It will be a different kind of trip knowing there will be events all around to remember those heroic souls lost.  And I know I certainly will take a moment to pay tribute to our fallen Americans and all the soldiers who are still fighting for peace.

This morning on the morning news, Dan Holdridge tells his story of being at the Pentagon.  I was most impressed with his words to a group of students at Albertus Magnus college:

"No one's going to solve their problems by burning of Bibles or other materials.  People are going to solve problems when they put down hand grenades and pick up hand shakes."

Such wise words - when will we all learn to just get along?  Why can't we all learn to live in peace?

Dan Holdridge's WTNH televised interview:

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_london_cty/ct-native-living-on-a-pentagon-prayer

At 8:42 AM EST on Sunday, September 11, 2011, please honor our lost brothers and sisters with a moment of silence and pray for all the world's peoples to find the strength to one day set aside all differences and create a world of peace for all.

Going to the Cats

Cats - those graceful, seductive creatures that people either love or hate.  People have long since categorized themselves as either cat-people or dog-people and sometimes a lover of both species.  These fascinating creatures have been a part of my life for many years, all starting with a stray named Samantha who was named for the character in I Dream of Jeannie for one minute she would be here and the next she was gone. 

Samantha graced our family with at least two litters of kittens each year, one litter she gave birth to was in our laundry room behind the clothes washer.  She also became the one cat who later introduced us to the need of spaying and neutering one's feline companions.  Over the fourteen years she spent in our yard, as those years passed, it became harder and harder to find homes for her offspring.  She was the mom to two of my first feline house mates - an orange tabby named Fritz and a grey tabby named Ollie born a litter apart.

In 1997, my mom became one of the founding members of a feral cat welfare group.  We learned about new programs like that run by TEAM (Tait's Every Animal Matters) - a mobile surgical unit that travels our home state spaying and neutering felines - feral and housemates alike.  This same surgical unit became a model for other similar ones in Pennsylvania.  Long story short, the pyramid of offspring that can result from just one pair of cats is a striking number and that's if one kitten from each litter survives.

Just this year, I was asked if I could lend a paint brush to some sculpted cat resins to help raise money for the Cat Guardians of Illinois and you bet I jumped on it!  These five figurines were sculpted by Marcy Osedo (Studio Cute), cast in resin by Deb and Randy Buckler of Resins By Randy, and painted by me (Sunshine's Creative Endeavors's Arcadian Creations).

Chris Wallbruch is selling the cats via auction with all proceeds going to help her Cat Guardians and the final day to make a bid is September 8.  Feel free to contact Chris (wombats AT earthlink.net) to place a bid!

Patches - a Himalayan - CURRENT BID $15  http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?id=872158

KitKat - Russian Blue  Starting offer $15  http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?id=872156

 Hanna - orange tabby long hair CURRENT OFFER $25  http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?id=872160

 Napoleon short haired tortoiseshell calico - my personal fave of the bunch!  CURRENT OFFER $30
http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?id=872137

 Cookie - black tiger long hair  Starting Offer $15 http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?id=872161

A Bit of Fun with Colorful Butterflies

Ever since I can remember, I've been intrigued with the beauty of butterflies.  In my youth during summer recess, you would always find me outside on a sunny day in the yard or the vacant lot next door before it was subdivided and built on.  The wild flowers were prime attractants for them and provided hours of outside time running around with a butterfly net.  Later on, I switched over to photographing butterflies enjoying watching them go about daily business without being hassled by me or net. 

I was familiar with the common species - cabbage whites, monarchs, several of the swallowtails.  But, as the scientist in me grew, so did my desire to get to know more about these colorful insects.  Once I obtained a macro lens, it was really all over!  I am without a doubt hopelessly addicted to photographing small things or getting in closer to capture detailed images of some of my favorite subjects.

Here's a few:

 
I started learning about butterfly gardening.  You don't have to live in the country to provide for butterflies.  There's plenty of flowers that can be planted in pots that will bring in these beautiful winged creatures.  It's more than just providing sources of nectar for the adults.  A great attractant is through the providing of host plants for their larva.  This takes some researching and becoming familiar with the different species in one's area and this can be accomplished easily if one is willing to let a section of the yard "go back to nature".  I was inspired to do so as the usual store bought plants just didn't hold up with the extreme heat whereas native wildflowers will manage. The benefits of native plantings abound - the most important reason - it's healthier for the environment.

This leads up to a fun story to tell - a story of an encounter with a Red Admiral.  This particular species I find tends to be a bit nervous when approached making getting close pictures a bit of a challenge.  As with all wild things, one needs to get to know one's subject in order to photo it well.  At the time this little one showed up, I was outside with my macro set up shooting small insects and I certainly wasn't thinking of the Red Admiral that had been spending the last two days teasing me with his appearances and quick departures whenever I approached too close.

However, at this particular time, he/she decided to delight me with a close encounter.  I don't recall having any perfumes on or anything of particular interest, but this little one landed on my shoulder and would fly off only to return again and again and again.  Then, he landed on the Rose of Sharon and delighted me with staying very still while I got in close for the following images.

What was so fun was having him fly off and return and each time I went in close with the macro lens it seemed as if he was keeping a direct eye on that lens.  I can only imagine what he must have been thinking.  Did he see his reflection and think the other a rival male?  Was that other butterfly in the reflection a pretty female?  I haven't a clue.   We were in each other's company for a good twenty minutes.  I think I finally walked away after taking a couple dozen pictures.

Look at this close up!  I swear it was as if he was staring me down from his perch on that Rose of Sharon that was just over my head.

I know this particular shot will end up a greeting card and I have yet to determine how I will use it.  Maybe a "Hello" card.  I haven't decided yet.  It's going to have a comical twist to it, however it ends up.  Before I left, I thanked the little bugger for delighting me with his extreme interest in me - for whatever reason he had, I certainly enjoyed it and have a bunch of wonderful fun images to remember the encounter.

Inspiration and Motivation - Trying to Get Creative Again

I didn't feel up to writing last week.  There's been a lot of junk going on that drew upon my energy and put a bit of a damper on my creativity.  With all that I've handled over the years, I managed to be strong as I have indeed survived them, but sometimes it saps my energies.  It's a struggle, admittedly, to find the strength to continue handling life's "bumps in the road" as many times I feel that my tires are running flat.

Through one recent dilemma, I have been in touch with a fellow artist who has posted on her blog how she's dealt with creative block, especially when you feel like your self-confidence is being severely tested.  I thought I would link up her blog posts here as they are indeed appropriate for how I'm feeling right now.

http://judyadamsonartanddesign.blogspot.com/2010/05/magic-of-confidence.html  and http://judyadamsonartanddesign.blogspot.com/2010/08/max-shapey-lcsw-on-blocks-to-creativity.html

and to overcome creative block in the art world, http://judyadamsonartanddesign.blogspot.com/2010/07/6-tips-for-overcoming-artists-block.html

It comes down to getting motivated and finding one's own goals and I thought I would address some things here.  Motivation - the driving force to do something.  Hum... where does one start?  I guess in a way I've been lucky in that my creative juices flow in many directions.  When I'm feeling particularly down lacking motivation to do any one particular form of art, I hop over to something else or do something else.  And then the flip side of this, I face hurdles in staying focused when I feel things aren't going quite the way I want them to go.

Model Horse Painting/Customizing.  Sometimes it's a battle here as in many cases your sales come down to how well your work wins in our hobby competitions.   I've battled feeling held back and one well-established artist told me to stop thinking about what others think - paint/create model horses because it makes ME feel good.  I really tried to change my mindset, and believe me, I still battle with this today.  However, when I started focusing NOT on creating winning pieces and focusing on doing a better job, it seemed to help.

Here's one of my latest creations named Incantation - a Peter Stone Ideal Stock Horse model repositioned, repainted, and given real mohair.  He is owned by a dear friend who's been kicking my butt to push on with this art form based on two models I've now done for her that have become local "champions".   My focus here now - not on creating winners but having fun doing the creating, doing the best I can, and just pleasing a commissioning client or MYSELF. 



 


When the painting of model horses "isn't talking to me," I'll jump over to another form of art to refocus.  Sometimes it's attempting to do poetry, writing fan fiction for my favorite movies or TV shows, or doing something like digital art.  I can spend hours looking for colorful patterns and pictures using free program called Fractal Explorer and Apophysis and taking the rendered images and at times making even more creations by combining them together.

 

Inspiration - something that sparks that inner drive to move forward.  To me, it can come in many forms - perhaps as a kind word from someone who understands what you are going through; a feeling of success at one step that drives you on to the next; or obtaining some inner peace doing something relaxing (sometimes these are temporary "fits").  For example, I will take a stroll down to Center Cemetery in my home town - yes, this sounds freaky but let me explain - Center Cemetery resides right alongside a salt marsh and it's truly beautiful there in the summer.   As a nature watcher, I enjoy the large number of birds that congregate here to feed on fish and small crustaceans that make their way upstream on the high tides.  Egrets, herons, songbirds, ducks and geese, sandpipers, and my favorite - the Ospreys - all hand out here.  I'll watch kingfishers show off their marvelous hunting skills hanging in the sky as they locate a fish to pounce on.  The sandpipers probe the exposed mudflats for bites to eat.  And seaside dragonflies patrol the cemetery grounds and over the river's water for prey.  As a water sign being a Scorpio, I find peace here.  It's generally quite except for the periodic visitor wishing to pay respects to a loved on that passed on.  Even for myself, a dear friend was laid to rest here and now I get to say hello to her while I commune with Nature.  I never go to this place without my camera as I never know what I will see there.  And after a venture like this, there are times I'll come home and create, create, create!

You don't necessarily need to go far either.  Sometimes I just need a short walk outside my own door into the yard to feel inspired to work on art.  I also don't go outside without my camera.  The flowers are blooming now both wild and cultivated.  There are numerous creatures hard at work with daily life.  Sometimes I find inspiration in seeing how they don't let the bad things hinder them.  They have things they must do and they just do them.  Even if you are in the city, take a moment and go outside.  One favorite thing I enjoyed in my youth was just looking up at the clouds and observing patterns or pictures that emerged.

 I see ocean wave rolling in.  What do you see?




Like many, sometimes you feel like the weight of the world is upon your shoulders.  I'll focus on the things I can't do or haven't felt successful with and these will curb my creativity a great deal.  Then, I will get a swift kick to the posterior that gives me the strength to push on.  Yes, there are times I feel like I'm taking a step forward and then twenty backward.  We all can be our own worst enemy - this can squash the creative focus or cause unnecessary high levels of stress.  I'll whine and complain, but I will eventually seek something that allows me to push forward - like a fast and hard reminder I still have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and my health.  I've overcome stresses others might have folded to long ago.  Admittedly, it's a battle but I refuse to give up.  As I was yet again just reminded via conversation with a fellow artist, perhaps something is coming along that just hasn't presented itself yet - maybe where I am now is just a springboard to something bigger and better - and I need to be there with open arms to embrace it.

I guess the reason for my ramblings is this - find something that boosts your motivation and allows you to find inspiration to create, or to accomplish a task that has otherwise proved daunting to face.  So today, I will finish painting that model horse I was commissioned to do, take care of a few necessary chores around the house, and take a short walk outside and marvel at what I might discover in my own back yard.

Coming Soon:
Feel Better Friend card and a Friends Like You birthday card

Digital Play

Oh, darn!  I set the wrong ISO on the camera and my image came out a bit too grainy!  Darn it, I over exposed or underexposed my picture and my butterfly took off!  Oh, man!  The color is off!  My image is, well, boring!!  ARGH!!!   Cuss.  Swear.  Rant.  Ok, back to reality.

We’ve all had these problems and we have a choice we can make – hit the delete key or we can actually try something new to rescue it or give an image new life.  Please bear in mind I am NOT a professional photographer and my ideas of “rescuing” an image might not play as well in the realm of professional photography.  I am your average “Joe” who’s been shooting pictures since way back in the day when Kodak Instamatic cameras were the norm for the casual photographer and enjoying what comes of it – even if unsuccessful the first time around. Most of my work currently is of a documentary type since I am a wildlife watcher and want to record what I see.  I'm trying to learn to take the curve around to combine what I see and make images that are pleasing to others.  I have a great deal still to learn, but in the meantime, I am enjoying some digital play.

I left my early days with that old Kodak to finally venture into the world of digital photography leaving the world of film cameras forever behind when I purchased my first digital SLR in 2004 – a Canon Rebel 6.1 megapixel.  I had spent quite a bit of time seeking my new “side arm” and I did consult with a pro photographer for insight.  Bear in mind that this blog is geared not only to the dSLRs but any digital camera.  No matter what, we have all suffered through some blunders – accidentally forgetting to change settings resulting in under or over exposed images or those that were too noisy or blurry.  Some shots I just didn’t have the heart to delete – they were still a special memory for me and I started to learn about some of the various programs and plug-ins one could use to play with the images.  Whether they are your best shots you want to manipulate to give a different feeling to, or in my case, taking some otherwise “documentary” or poor quality images and making them a bit more aesthetically pleasing or perhaps rescuing them all together, digital manipulation might be the answer.

There are several programs or plug-ins out there that can be either bought and downloaded or are free to download and use.  For me, free is best.  Who doesn’t like free?  But, some of these programs or plugins you do have to pay for. So, for the purpose of this article, I thought I would introduce a few of these options I’ve become familiar with and hope that perhaps others might add to this discussion and help expand this topic and library of fun applications.

My post-processing is usually done within the Canon software that came with my camera or after I convert my RAW images to a format my old Photoshop Elements 2.0 can handle.  I’ll give the usual corrections a run through - compensating for minor over or under exposures and color/contrast corrections.  However, sometimes no matter what, I might still have a picture that just doesn’t quite shine, even to my non-professional eyes.   

Now, what to do?   

I had one shot I really liked and didn’t have the heart to just delete it.  It was not your standard image taken with a telephoto lens but a combination of camera body and a Swarovski birding scope (a method called “digiscoping”).  The resulting series of images of this immature great blue heron hiding in the reeds came out less than spectacular.  The image is soft and very grainy due to the high ISO I needed this day and due to the fact that I was still learning how to take pictures via this method.  However, I knew I’d never get this shot again. 

 Pretty yucky looking, right?  Well, enter a plugin from Redfield called Fractalius.  I was introduced to this downloadable, although not free, plugin through the artists at RedBubble.  This plugin does work with my old Photoshop Elements 2.0, which generally is another hurdle I must leap over since PSE 2.0 is VERY OLD but all I have.  I opened the image in PSE after downloading the Fractalius plug-in ($49.99 charge), did some clean up removing some of the reeds that cross the bird’s bill through cloning them out and sharpened the image as best as I could.  Then, I ran the image through the Fractalius filter using the “Glo 100” choice.  This is what resulted.

It’s certainly a far cry from the original version and I called this new image “Night Heron” because it gave me the impression of a bird hunkered down for the evening with the moonlight splashing over him.  I can expand my visual picture in my mind thinking the moon is full and shining high off to the left.  I did share this picture with some pro bird photographers and got some nice feedback on it as well as a few suggestions to tweak it a bit for further enhancement.

Here’s another example of a rose photo taken at a friend’s house.  It’s a beautiful image as is, although I am a bit miffed I clipped the upper petal… and below that is what it became after running it through Fractalius.

I did so some additional clean up removing some stray lines and blending/blurring some of the edges I didn’t like but I did get some nice comments on this one as well.

 

 

A documentary image of a captive Barred Owl.   Again, this could be taken as pretty boring.  The following images are made by using the black and white drawing selection and the Glo 100 selection. 

 

 

Hum... what to do with this one?   

 

Let’s try Fotosketcher!! 

After running this image through this free downloadable program, I ran the image through using the “oil painting” choice and selected to add a canvas texture to it as well as heavier brushstrokes.   Beside the full image is a detail crop showing the brush strokes and texture effect.

When I visited a local craft store to get a price on matting and framing this image, a pro photographer was also waiting at the counter.  She couldn’t believe this was a digitally post processed image and raved about how beautiful it turned out.  Needless to say, I was beaming when I left there!  

Fotosketcher has several effects from pencil sketches to watercolor effects or even adding frames and canvas like textures.  And, it's a free downloadable program that will work with my old PSE 2.0.

How about a third choice for unusual effects?  I recently was introduced Optikvervelabs by Suzanne Williams after seeing an image she turned into a spectacular black and white.  I took one of my “documentary” images of a monarch butterfly and ran it through several of the choices available.  These are just at the tip of the iceburg!  There are many more options you can try!

Here's my favorite which I hope to turn into a greeting card.  This one was done in layers.  I took the original butterfly image, duplicated the image, turned both into layers, and did a gaussian blur on the lower layer.  The sharp layer required me to delete everything around the butterfly letting the blurry lower layer show through.  I flatted the image and then ran it through the "Dreamy" selection and this is what came of it.  Not too shabby.


To sum up, sometimes those less than stellar images can sometimes end up pretty cool after doing some digital alterations or manipulations using some of those programs and plugins out there.  Most of all, it's about having fun, creating, and enjoying what results!

  


NOTES:  Additional links to other programs.


Incendia  http://incendia.net/