Images

The Joy Of The Happy Accident

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1 ColdLogic Photo Contest - Peep Sideshow

I can remember watching “The Joy of Painting” by Bob Ross on PBS with rapt fascination as he painted really amazing landscapes. No, he wasn’t a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt, but his calm joy in creating and teaching was infectious. I have never lifted brush to canvas myself, but it was the lessons that I learned from listening to him speak as he painted that were his gift to me.

One of those gifts was the joy of the “happy accident”. I found a clip of one of the times he used that phrase on youtube and it made me smile, once again. It is a short clip, really just of that quote, but it was exactly as I remember him speaking as he taught. You can click on the link if you want to see for yourself.

When I take photographs, I set up my subject, find my camera angle and then start playing around with Windlight settings. This is the same process I go through whether I am shooting myself, a landscape or a client. I may end up with 20 or more shots of the same image under different lighting conditions.

I do this for several reasons. What I see in my viewer doesn’t always translate to the still photograph. The shadows that look so wonderful in Second Life may end up looking like ugly blotches in the final picture. I also like to have different versions so I can play around in processing and a photo that may not be the best view in SL may end up giving me more freedom to experiment when working in Photoshop or PicMonkey. Plus, I like variety…depending on my mood, I might prefer a cooler or warmer tone when it is time to select a final version.

But mainly, I am looking for those happy accidents – when something pops out at me when I am reviewing my raw shots that I might have missed while shooting. And that is how I chose this photo.

I didn’t see the reflection in the sails while I was shooting. I was concentrating more on the lighting on my avatar and in the wider shot. But when I scrolled to this picture in review, I literally gasped. It didn’t have the dramatic lighting of some of the others, but when I saw the silhouette on the sails, the decision was easy. This was the happy accident that I love and so rarely find.

I processed this photo, but I didn’t touch that sail. How you see it is how I did when I first viewed the picture. I think I know what Windlight setting I was using (it is one of two of Jackson Redstar’s) but I doubt I could reproduce this.

And you know what? I’m OK with that. A happy accident should be appreciated for that moment that makes you smile, gives you wonder and takes your breath away.

Pretty stuff I’m wearing:

Dress: coldLogic dress – reynolds.may by coldLogic
Shoes: _CandyDoll_ Newell Heels for Slink High Feet by rebeca Dembo
Necklace: Cae :: Promise :: Necklace by Caelan Hancroft
Earrings: Cae :: Promise :: Earrings by Caelan Hancroft
Ring: Cae :: Promise :: Ring by Caelan Hancroft
Hair: Hair: Analog Dog – AD – yeah – dark reds by Queue Marlowe
Skin: [PXL] Creations – [PXL] JADE SK Please Me Lips MEB C2 by Hart Larsson
Eye Makeup: [PXL] Creations – [PXL] JADE SK Smokey Eyes by Hart Larsson
Hands: Slink Mesh Hands (av) Casual by Siddean Munro
Feet: Slink Mesh Feet (Av) High by Siddean Munro
Hand & Feet appliers:[PXL] Creations – [ PXL ] Slink Hand & Feet Appliers SK by Hart Larsson
Eyes: Amacci Gaze Eyes – Ocean Blue by Carina Larsen
Lashes: Mon Cheri *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash by Freya Oliveri

Pose: *PosESioN* Secret 10 by Dahriel (available at Kustom9)

Hooooo’s Ready For The Collage?

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1 Collage Feb_016 TD

It’s the 23rd and that means that The Collage is open again for the next two weeks! You may recall that I went a little crazy over this event and especially my new favourite shabby chic store, Thaino Designs at the last round. This month, Thaihiti Baroque, the designer of Thaino Designs so very kindly offered me her items to blog. I admit I SQUEEEEEEEE’d! a bit. (OK, a LOT!)

Everything available is in the photo above. The main theme is owls and of course, shabby chic florals and colours. I really can’t decide which is my favourite item. Thankfully, I don’t have to 😉

I actually left a lot of these items set up in the back garden at my show room. It makes it a very inviting spot to just sit back and relax, or even take some pictures. Anyone is welcome to do so – I’ll even give you VIP ride there!

I’m going to do a little slide show with some closer views of many of the items. But please, don’t let that stop you from heading over to The Collage to see them in person.

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Hoooo’s gonna tell me which is their favourite?

Pretty stuff I’m showing off:

*From Thaino Designs by Thaihiti Baroque (available at The Collage beginning Feb. 23)

Old shabby floral caravan (20 LI)
Garden ladder plant stand with plants (5 LI)
Garden owl seat shabby pink (2 LI)
Garden owl seat shabby green (2 LI)
Garden floral wood table (1 LI)
Garden teapot the owls (2 LI)
Garden teapot dusky pink (2 LI)
Garden teapot white floral (2 LI)
Garden teapot floral purple (2 LI)
Garden flowers in watering can (4 LI)
Thaino garden windmill (4 LI)
Garden owls coffee table (mesh) (2 LI)
Garden teapot purple (2 LI)
Garden teapot pink (2 LI)
Thaino candles in tea cup (3 LI)
Garden colourful candles in a tray (3 LI)
Thaino garden candles in drawer (3 LI)
Garden patch blue (5 LI)
Garden love heart box of flowers (5 LI)
garden floral box of flowers (5 LI)
Garden owl tea set on tray (5 LI)
Garden patch red (5 LI)
Thaino garden washing line with clothes (6 LI)
Garden pink trellis and plants (5 LI)
Garden blue trellis with plants (5 LI)

Trees and plants from HPMD* by Sasaya Kayo

Going To School At Tableau

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1 Tableau 2

I really need to just plan a visit to Tableau to shoot photographs. It is one of the few places where the shiny of the setting can distract me from the shiny of the shopping.

On my last excursion to Tableau, as you may recall, I went shopping for shorts at Tres Blah. I honestly thought I bought the black ones, but apparently I didn’t. So back I went to get them. Since I was so smitten by the landscape the last time I thought I would check out the other stores on this trip. I actually went into a few shops but then I walked around a corner and saw the scene in the photo above.

That was it. I was done shopping.

I have been playing around with clouds brushes in Photoshop lately. The clouds in the photos for my blog in my last three posts (where clouds are present) have either been enhanced or created completely using this process. The Windlight setting I chose for this shot actually had a cloudless sky. So these are a new meteorological phenomenon: Peepulus clouds. It has been fun learning this, although it has been entirely trial and error (emphasis on the error!).

Then, because I liked the contrast in the photo, I decided to make a black & white version.

1 Tableau BW

I am also still learning to get the contrast right with black & white photographs to show them off in the best light (pun intended). But what I love most is just the process of learning, and Tableau is a fabulous place to go to school.