A Rural Drive-By

In my rural world, a drive-by means something entirely different... it's basically a very peaceful, sometimes early-morning, rural excursion wherein I scout for suitable dirt road photographs.

Yesterday morning yielded a few notable subjects.  Here's one sample from over 200....

After: I expanded on the hazy look and added a vignette.

Before (SOOC):  the sun had popped behind a few clouds, and

there was a hazy look to the sky due to many tractors

in the area kicking up the dust.

Don't forget to enter the October country giveaway this month by responding via email when you receive notice of a new blog post:  Simply put in the subject line, Enter me in your October country giveaway!

If you haven't checked it out yet, read yesterday's post for all the juicy details and to view the photos of the beautiful rustic and earthy bracelet that Kayla from The Eclectic Element has made for this giveaway!

On a Photographic Bent

I've been absent for the last week due to a number of reasons.  Trying to get caught up around the house is only one reason.

Another reason: One of the things I've wanted to do for a LONG time is work with my photos in Photoshop Elements.  I have always had problems with my brand-spanking-new version 6 for the Mac not working right - it would crash whenever I tried to open a photo file.  This even after numerous phone calls with Adobe tech support.

Since my Mac's hard drive crashed a year and a half ago and had to be replaced, I got to thinking earlier this week -- hmmmm, wonder if I reload PS Elements 6, will it work now that there's a "new" hard drive?  Maybe it was something related to my old hard drive.

Lo and behold, yes, it worked!  For about 3 files.... then the old problem started to resurface - crashing when I tried to open a file.

I did some additional internet research and wondered -- should I scrap my PS Elements 4 that was still on my computer?  There was no "uninstall" feature that far back.  The advice I kept finding was to just trash the application folder for PS Elements 4.

So I did.

And now my version 6 works.  Really.  

Do you know how exciting that is for me??

There is absolutely NOTHING more frustrating than not being able to use brand new software you've just purchased for your computer.  For several years.

Now that it works I've decided to upgrade to version 9 (I know, how funny is that?!), which is for Macs and PCs alike.  Finally, Adobe has combined the two platforms into one version.  Wasn't that incredibly smart of them?! (yes, that's sarcasm - they should have done that a long time ago!)

Two of my flower photos with added textures-

what do you think??

My ultimate goal is to finally

open my own Etsy store. 

It's close to becoming a reality.

How many of you are familiar with Etsy?  

Have you ever bought anything from a crafter on Etsy?

I've been browsing through the stores of fellow photographers on Etsy lately.  Let me tell you -- there are some awesome,  inspirational photographers there!

Take a peek at my profile on Etsy and see who I've favorited so far.  Wait until you see the gorgeous note cards and prints by several photographers who inspire me.

And here's a hint:  My October country giveaway is going to feature an item from a fellow blogger who just happens to have an Etsy store.  She makes something gorgeous, that you will love to have.  It's a secret -- shhhh!

And no, it's not related to photography!  :-)

Stay tuned....

Introducing my redbubble Website

So you're thinking...what is a redbubble???

Well, it's another website designed to allow artists to showcase and sell their creations. How is redbubble different from other creative websites that allow artists to sell their works? It's a community of artists who comment freely on each other's work and institute "groups" that fellow artists can follow or join.  These groups often offer tutorials on various subjects...there are forums to join...and many challenges to participate in.

The seed for redbubble was formed in 2006 by three creative souls in Australia who had a strong desire to bring print-on-demand to their country.  Think the Aussie version of Cafepress or Zazzle here in the States.  After too much thought, they realized they wanted way more than just another print-on-demand website, and so their final mission reads like this: 

We stand:

• For artists.
• For the work they create.
• For the audiences they  inspire.
• For the buyers they move.
  

We honour them, their work and their passions.

The creative endeavour should be shared joyously with others.

All should feel free to join in the show.

I must admit that I signed up for redbubble last year but didn't get serious about it until I recently sold 4 mounted prints of my Country Outhouse. Let me tell you, there is nothing like a sizable sale to get one absolutely motivated!! I am uploading more of my photography to the redbubble website and I'm also trying to join groups that are relevant and interesting to me.  I'm amazed at the diverse and beautiful offerings on redbubble... the artists are spread far and wide across the globe!

In the meantime, if you have a few minutes, check out my RedBubble website. It's currently a work in progress, but I'd love any feedback from my dear readers, good or bad.

Best "Quick Advice" Photography Book

If you have a dSLR camera and you have yet to use any of the settings beyond "auto" shoot, you owe it to yourself to read this quick digital photo tip and hint book - get it from the library or buy it from Amazon. I bought it and I've found The Digital Photography Book to be my most valuable quick reference of all my photography books. It is simple and to the point, and isn't full of techno mumbo-jumbo that's hard to understand. The author, Scott Kelby, is a well-known author of many computer books as well as Editor-in-Chief of Nikon Software User magazine. He has a rather tongue-in-cheek, humorous writing style which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Sample inside pages - very easy reading format

Chapters included:
Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos
Shooting Flowers Like a Pro
Shooting Weddings Like a Pro
Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro
Shooting Sports Like a Pro
Shooting People Like a Pro
Avoiding Problems Like a Pro
Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro
Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro
How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff

The last chapter, Photo Recipes to Help You Get the Shot, gives a common scenario on each page and then tells you how to capture the shot, step-by-step.

Scott's book is just as informative for those with point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Do give it a look-see. I think you'll find this book will help you to improve your basic photography skills.

Also in my photography library:
The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman
Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

Nikon D60 Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch

Digital Photography MacWorld SuperGuide
(This book was specifically helpful to me for post-processing since I have an iMac computer.)

Most of these books have been helpful, and I'm sure I will go back to them time after time. But the first one I mention, The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, is my go-to reference. As you may have noticed in the photos, I have flagged some of the pages for quick reference.

Without further ado, I'm going to read some of my photography books this afternoon and see if I can improve my skills even more!

The Coolest Gift Ever!

My son and daughter-in-law took one of my photos and had it enlarged (24" x 16") onto canvas for my mother's day gift.... is this too cool or what?! I haven't fully decided on its permanent home yet. I think it will go in the living room, but that's one room I still have to redo -- take the border off the wall, repaint, etc. Perhaps by autumn I will get that room redone and then hang this canvas in a special place.

If you're interested in a personal gift such as this, you can have a canvas made at CanvasOnDemand or Zazzle (where I have my photography store). It's truly the perfect gift for the photographer, or a mom, a dad, a sister or brother, a son or daughter (graduation!)... and the list goes on and on.

THANKS JOSH & KRISTIN!!!

What's New in Kansas?

Well, we've made it through January (finally). I swear it's got to be the most depressing month of the year. I don't know why, it just is. We've been quite lucky and have only been snowed upon maybe twice? And just a dusting at that. Got up to 70 degrees yesterday. BUT IT'S WINDY. You really can't do much of anything outside when the wind is gusting between 20 and 30 mph. No, I'm not kidding. Mind you, I am not complaining, just stating the facts as they are. I know I have much to be thankful for here in Kansas, the largest thankee being that I don't live in Ohio any longer and I haven't had to put up with the most horrible winter they've had in years!

At least the sun is out in full force today (winds gusting 24 to 33 mph). I firmly believe just the presence of the sun everyday makes life infinitely happier. We're at 51 today, still pretty darn good for February 1.

We just watched the funniest Super Bowl commercials; Tom taped it earlier this week. I feel the need to share what I felt was the most hysterical commercial - the Tide talking stain. Copy the link below to your browser - you'll laugh. You need it, it's probably Monday and you're at work... a good time to waste some time. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmD7joJNE0c

Aside from our wind (I know, Ohio friends and family are quite jealous and would gladly trade their single-digit cold and snow and ice for WIND).... not much a-shakin' lately. I've been pretty busy with my photography and making new products on Zazzle. Here's a few items I rather like...

Country Time Out Magnet by WheatgrassDesigns
Design a custom printed magnet On Zazzle.com

Dance in the Sun Note Card by WheatgrassDesigns

My Photography Products on Zazzle

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I'm working on my Zazzle product gallery again. Basically, I can create cards, postage, and almost anything else you can think of using my photography, and you can buy them at Zazzle! For example, here's my photo below:


and here's the same photo as a greeting card, below. If you like what you see, check out my other products on Zazzle. Some of the greeting cards have matching postage. I will be creating smaller note card versions of my greeting cards later this week, so they can be used for simple thank you cards, or thinking of you cards. I'll be adding lots more to my Zazzle gallery in the weeks to come!

Country Dog & Cat Note Card by WheatgrassDesigns