Weekly Photo Challenge : The World Through Your Eyes – Something Old, Something New

1 Ctrl+Shift+H BL

I have said, time after time, I am a portrait photographer. There is just something special to me about expressing the different facets of a human being through pictures. But I’m still exploring landscape photography. It’s a challenge, to be sure, but I will keep trying.

The Weekly Photo Challenge today is about showing the world through your eyes – the photographer’s eye. Initially, I was going to use only this portrait – my strength, in my opinion. But I will never improve at landscape photography without critique. So I’m including a photo I shot of this old church (?) I spotted at Ctrl+Shift+H. I still don’t think I have the perspective, angle or framing right, but by shooting it as a black and white, it seems to add the drama I saw in my mind’s eye when I snapped the photo.

Ephemeryl_009J

Albert Einstein said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” So here is something old and something new from me. Let the critiquing begin.

You can view other entries in the this week’s photo challenge by clicking the link above.

Island In The Sun

1 You are my sunshine_020b

I love living on and island in the sun.

Pretty stuff in the picture:

Bikini: *Boom* Hampton Bikini – Dandelion (Available at Summerfest ’13)
Hair: D!va “Lili” (Type A) (Red Amber) (available at Collabor88)
Sign: fri.day Mesh Beach Signs (available in a pack of 14 at Summerfest ’13)

Pose by Glitterati – Beauty – 013

Deviously Delicious Designs

1 Erratic_021B

I really hate love when a designer launches a release and I immediately think, “Gotta have that!” I’m not shy about shopping, and I am fortunate enough to be able to buy pretty much what I want, so it’s normally a cause for celebration, not angst. I’m usually decisive about a style that I want; it’s when the devious designer releases so many colours or prints that I like that the trouble begins. That’s what happened when I saw the new Briony shorts and Cary double tank tops from erratic. I was in a total state of panic. Which to choose??? It is a cruel dilemma, to be sure! And just so you can be dazzled by these new items, you can drool over them on erratic’s blog or the Marketplace store (sort by Age: Newest First to go directly to the most recent releases).

Now, I will admit to succumbing to fatpack fever on many occasions. But I’m trying to be more disciplined when it comes to shopping. I agonised long and hard over the decision and finally went with the white shorts (which are surprisingly sparse in my wardrobe) and the very summery stripes-lemon tank. The tank has a system layer underneath the mesh top that tucks into the shorts, or you can be more daring and forgo the layer to bare your toned and tanned tummy. It’s just the outfit for a warm day, and this colour goes perfectly with the cup of lemonade I grabbed to revitalise me after my agonising decision!

On another note (so this doesn’t turn out to be totally a fashion post), I was pleased my Picmonkey tutorials were included in the SL Blogger Support photo processing list. While I was checking out the page, I noticed Harlow Heslop’s Photoshop Essentials Tutorial. I have been a follower of her blog for quite a long time and I remember when she posted this. However, at the time I hadn’t yet started using PS and while I read it when it was published, I promptly forgot about it. But now that I’m trying to tame that particular beast, I revisited it and attempted to use her tips on blur in the photo above. It’s yet another effect I have to perfect, but I do like how the ocean is less focused, leading the eye to the subject of the picture – me and these deviously delicious designs 😉