Photography (another non-cover post) WARNING LOTS OF PICS!
I’m not sure why I feel the need to add “another non-cover post” to my title. LOL Seems like all my posts are about covers lately. Used to be, all my posts were about photography or art. So once in a while I need to throw something non-cover related out there.
Most of my time now days is spent on doing cover art, but not all of it. I felt the need to get away from Photoshop a bit, and get in touch with my camera again, so I took a local photography workshop called “Critiquing Your Photography” instructed by Will Fields. If you’re in the area, and have an interest in photography, I highly recommend taking one of his classes. Will offers a variety of photography classes/workshops both here in Grand Rapids, Mi and in St. Louis. Varying from a 1hr Private Instruction classes, to Beginning Photography, to In Studio Lighting, to Nature Photography, to Critiquing your Photography, to weekend Photography Tours.
I had a great time, learned a lot, made a few friends, shared a bit of Photoshop knowledge, and took a bunch of pictures over the 4 week course.
Now I’m gonna share some of my pics!
I did do a post previously on the first assignment, which was called “A Non-cover Post” (go figure!) Though technically I wasn’t doing those pics FOR the assignment, I had it in mind, was sort of a practice/prelude. I had planned on doing something else, but life happened and I wound up using those shots anyways. The assignment was to pick a famous photography, and try and recreate their work/style. For those of you who don’t want to go back and read that post, just want to see pics, here are a couple from that. (no PS)
And more pics taken during the time frame of the workshop:
A Photowalk we did downtown (only cropping done)
Clouds:
An old school house one of my classmates and I found, working on shutter speed.
More shutter priority work, we were to capture motion, decided to go downtown at night, overlooking the highway.
(played with the color a bit in PS on this one)
Then I got a bit preoccupied by the way the light reflected off the Grand River, and ignored the whole motion thing:
I also tried having the kids play with flashlights at night:
And since I’m sharing pics, here are a few, not connected to the class, but a couple of us joined the Grand Rapids Flickr Group on their monthly Photowalk.
In case you missed the link above, this is Will Fields Photography website, and his Photography Workshops website.
Facebook Timeline Covers
All of you rolling your eyes, refusing change (like I was) suck it up and get with the program! Facebook’s new timelines are here, but are you ready?
Honestly, I never gave the timeline covers any thought. I just kept clicking the “not now” button. Then earlier this week, I had an author contact me asking if I knew where she could find an image she might be able to use for her facebook cover. I had already done her eBook cover, so I had all the files. Putting something together for her wasn’t a big deal. Then after that, I did my own. And from all that, I have decided to offer facebook cover images as part of my services.
For the time being, I will offer a Facebook timeline cover image FREE with the purchase of a eBook/book cover. That image could take parts of your book covers imagery, to promote that specific book, like this one, created with the image from my pre-made cover “The Lost Girl”:
Or a basic image containing the book(s) as an actual book and your info, like you see here:
Or just a snazzy design with your author information. It’s up to you!
If you don’t need a book cover designed right now, but do want to update your facebook timeline cover image, for a limited time I will be offering that service for $10 per image! Send me an e-mail at kklawiter@gmail.com.
And just in case you are curious, this is what I am currently using for my facebook fan page cover image:
“I’m Expressing My Creativity”
Everyone expresses their creativity in their own ways. Sometimes it can be taken too far, but where do you draw the line?
The other day I was working on the computer while my 4-year-old daughter was sitting, back against my arm, watching cartoons. Well I thought she was watching the cartoons. When I got up to get something, she turned into the couch like she was hiding something. When I looked, she had a marker in her hand and was drawing all over herself. I mean EVERYWHERE! I asked her what she was doing, and she said she wanted to be a pretty picture. I couldn’t keep a straight face, it was just too adorable. So instead of punishing her, I told her if anyone asks, to tell them she is expressing her creativity. Then of course, I had to take pictures!
She just looks so proud of herself, doesn’t she?
A couple days before this little expression of creativity, she was playing in her room very quietly. Suddenly, she comes out to the living room to tell daddy she has his pencil. Instantly I knew she drew on something. I asked what she colored on, and she looks at me all innocent like and says “On paper only, I only draw on paper.” Of course I didn’t believe her and asked her if she was coloring in her books again (which she recently got in trouble for). Then she says yes, but it was a coloring book. I told her to go and get it for me so I can see. She runs down the hallway, and I hear her opening up the closet where I keep the coloring books, then she runs back with one. She opens it up to a page that was colored and says “See, I colored in my coloring book.”
First of all, I never heard her get one out and put it back. Second, she said she colored with daddy’s pencil, and the coloring book was colored with crayons. I let it go, assuming she colored in one of the books on her shelf that she had already colored in. I really didn’t feel like yelling and punishing her at the time. I know, I know, you should never let a 4-year-old get away with something because they’ll just push it further.
Later that night, when I went to tuck her into bed, I found what she really colored on. One of her walls, in her recently painted bedroom, is now sporting a mural of people holding hands, and flowers. It was just too cute to punish. Man I can be a softy sometimes.
Here are a couple pictures. Her walls are Pepto Bismal Pink (not my choice) and the flash left a glare, so I had to make them black and white so you could see the drawings.
Honestly, I really don’t let the kids get away with drawing on things they aren’t supposed to, but come on? How could you resist these? She’s just expressing her creativity! My little artist in the making…..
I can’t cut a mat!
If you recall, I mentioned before that I recently ordered a bunch of prints to get ready for some shows/competitions.
I have been trying to get everything put together. Frames, backing, mats, etc. The first thing I am entering is Festival of the Arts here in Grand Rapids, Mi. Entries are due this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This is my very first juried competition, and I’m SO nervous! I don’t really care about winning anything, I just want to get accepted. I have four pieces picked out to enter. Although, I am still questioning one of them. I’ve got my frames and everything I need to put them together, but I can’t seem to cut that mats! I really only have one I need to do. It is a double mat for a 20×30 image, matted to a 24×36 frame. I went out last week and purchased the mat board and a hand held Logan Mat Cutter 2000. I can’t cut a straight line if my life depened on it. So my first try on the first mat was awful! Just cutting the mat board to the 24×36 square turned out bad. I was trying to do it, on the floor, with a 24 in framing square for a straight edge. HA! The inside cut ended up slightly crooked and jagged because I had to stop, move the ruler, and start again. Or the stupid mat cutter would slide under the ruler. Not good. So the top mat ended up being pretty much useless. The bottom mat wasn’t too bad after getting the hang of it a little better, but I over shot (yes, even with the little line guide) the corners, and it’s really obvious looking at the front. So there went the second mat.
I went back to the store Saturday and bought 2 new mat boards. My husband asked me to wait for him before I try cutting them again. Well today we got around to attempting it again. LOL He had just as many problems as I did, only opposite issues. I couldn’t cut the straight line, even with a ruler to guide, but he could even without one. (by the way, he pulled out a longer ruler, moved the mats up onto a table and used clamps to hold it in place, ‘duh! I should have thought of that in the first place!) My cuts were crooked, but they were smooth. His kept getting frayed. I should have just paid someone else to do it!
I was able to get the second bottom mat, and so far I don’t see any obvious flaws. I really don’t want to go back to the store and buy a 3rd top mat. So my choices are to either figure out a way to fix one of the 2 that got messed up, figure out some creative way to cover up the mess ups, or go without the top mat. I really don’t want to go without it, but that’s looking like my best option. We were discussing, purposesly fraying or ‘roughing up’ one of the ones we screwed up, to give it an aged look since the image was done as an aged image. But I am not sure how to go about doing that, and keeping it looking nice. Any suggestions?
Anyone out there know how to fix/prevent the frayed edge problem?
My Latest Photography Series – Nautical
I spent a day out on a boat in Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City, Mi, intending on scuba diving. Of course I brought my camera. This is not my typical work, but I have been pretty desperate for something to photograph!
Enjoy the veiw of the bay through my eyes….
All of my work can be puchased as premium art cards, and most are available as matted prints, laminated prints, mounted prints, canvas prints, framed prints, and posters. All in varying sizes. To see more work and/or purchase click here. (or click on a particular image)
Example Card:
Don’t forget to visit The Gift of Art, where all proceeds go to the National Cancer Institue, to help fund cancer research.
