New Pictures

Here are a few new and old pictures I had in my collection. I love adding filters to pictures to give them a different context. The amusement park pictures, and the bowl of strawberries I have a dreamy kind of rosy-blue filter to give them a more soft, romantic look. The last three I felt looked best in black and white to really define the edges of nature and it give it a different look.

        

Life through Instagram photostrips

Instagram

So my blackberry died, and I had to get a new phone. I of course went with the obvious choice and got an iPhone 4s. I've been told that one of the coolest feature of the iPhone is the app instagram.

I havent had the chance to really play around with it, but here is my first picture.

Forgot about Moon Zebra.

Hey, I forgot one!! Ha, and yes in continues with my moon/animal theme. Hope you enjoy.

First photoshop experience -- almost a nightmare

Today was rather exciting. For the first time ever I began to use photoshop. Now I will not call myself an expert because photoshop is incredibly confusing, and I feel like it could take months to figure out the endless possibilities it is known for. However, I was able to figure enough of it out to design three pictures.

This being the first of my creations. There are four separate images in this one picture. I figured out how to use layers and change opacity to give my images the effect that they are blending into together.

This is my second image, and my favourite. I used three separate images, and played around with opacity and texture. 

This is my last one of the day. As you can see there is a lot more detailing in it. Textures, dots, opacity, text, and various different images. However, for a beginner like myself this took pretty much half my day. I imagine as i become more familiar with photoshop. For the animals I had to individually go around them with a cropper and get each like the best I could. That is what probably took the most time.

Hope you enjoy. :)

Society6

If you strolled the Urban Outfitters website many a time like myself, and have checked out their printshop on the website you notice you will be redirected to a great website called Society6. Society6 is an online art shop where artists of all kinds can post their work for free which then allows prospective buyers to purchase online. The Society6 does all the work. You upload, select your price (it even calculates your profit after they do the dirty work) and then the team frames, packages, and ships your work to the buyer. 


If you are an artist I highly recommend this website because it invites you into a warm community where others can comment and "promote" your work. If you haven't had a chance to check it out go to the website...


http://www.society6.com


or check out my work at...


http://www.society6.com/uniquelymeg


If you see anything you like please purchase and help support budding artists like myself.

New Pictures

Well here are some of the new pictures I have been taking. All just a little random but they are some of my favourites in the past little while.

Well here are two that sum up my obsession with bikes. All bikes, any bikes. They are just a beautiful thing to take a picture of. 

This is one of my favourite pictures. It was taken while I was out with a friend shopping for art supplies at Opus on Granville island. The way that the store is organized was simple and beautiful and I had to take a ton of pictures while I was inside.

Here is a picture of our beloved Science World with BC Place in the background. Taken at sunset near False Creek on what I consider to be one of the nicest days we have had to help push us into Spring, this in my opinion is just one of the most beautiful shots. I really love how the reflection comes of the water.

This shot of a railway taken in Kerrisdale is definitely my favourite. I enjoy the tiny yellow dandelions that protrude front the side and give the picture an additional pop of colour.

Lastly, my dragon shot. I love that I was able to use a telephoto lens for this picture and get it nice and close with the background a perfect white. 

So this is what I have been up to lately, and there will be plenty more to come now that I find myself with a  bit of free time. Any comments would be appreciated.

-Megan

Hello darkness my old friend.

Hello, and yes it has been awhile since I have posted anything to my blog and my photo challenge remains incomplete. I however, have still been taking pictures and have even participated in a class or two to expand my knowledge with photography. Who knew that a 45$ Groupon would be more informative and helpful than a 300$ class at Emily Carr?


If there is one thing I have learnt is that practice makes perfect, and with that I have decided to pick up where I left off and finish the challenge and continue to share my learnings and pictures with you.

Finally, something...

Yes, so I know I have not posted anything in awhile. I would like to say it is because I have been so busy, but rather just laziness. I know the last thing I promised you was some diptychs. Here are some that I have been playing with in the last week. The first two I think you will be able to figure out quite quickly. The last two in my own way are a silent protest.

This week my class has been discussing memes, and photo fads. If you are not familiar with the term meme let me explain. A meme is a fast transmitting cultural idea or reference passed on from one person to another. Or in simpler terms an internet fad! Some great ones to check out are on http://www.knowyourmeme.com

So my assignment this week is to recreate a meme, or create my own. Some examples that my teacher asked us to recreate are planking, owling, stocking, or horse manning to name a few. I've spent some time on the website and this one titled 'Hipster Ariel' is my favourite. 

I also the photo fad sleeve face.

 So this week I will have a lot of fun trying to come up with one on my own.

Diptych, what?

Today was week two day two of my intro to digital photography class at Emily Carr. So far the class has proven to be helpful in some technical aspects of using my camera. I am currently able to shut of auto, switch to manual and now play with the ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings. It definitely is going to take some practice, but I do believe that I am starting to get the hang of it.


So in class today we were discussing what a diptych is. By definition a diptych is "a work consisting of two painted or carved panels that are hinged together". In class however we discussed images that were side by side, and watched two videos in a sequence that complemented and finished a story.


Example, video 1: sinful person going in water being baptized, video 2: repented person coming out of water after baptism. 


Do you get the drift? No I didn't really either at first. After looking at some pictures the idea finally began to sink in. I did take some pictures today of what a diptych might look like such as an elevator door closed, an elevator door opened. A water fountain, a water fountain dispersing water. On and off, cause and effect, conflicting ideas, etc.


However, I unfortunately left my SD card in the lab so my pictures I took are probably now with someone else. Thank goodness I have a spare SD at home. So since I cannot show you the pictures I took today I found a sample on the internet.

http://sachablackburne.blogspot.com/2010/04/diptych.html


So do you see what I mean? Interesting right? So this week I am going to be focusing on different types of diptychs and finding ideas for the ones I need to do for class.

Photography Challenge Days 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15

So I am finding it hard to maintain my blog (and photography challenge) between work and my somewhat social life. So I have decided to add time management to my list of goals. This essentially means I need to stop watching useless crap on television, aka my laptop and spend more time writing or reading books. 


Lately I have found it much harder dealing with my father's death. I find that it is slowly sinking in that I am never going to speak with him again, and I really miss him. I find that people are awkward around me when I mention anything to do with him, like I am so fragile I cannot handle talking about it. Yes, sometimes it is very hard to talk about and I will find myself tearing up or getting very emotional, but it doesn't mean I am going to break every time. Sometimes talking about him really, actually helps.


Anyways, I wanted to post my most recent pictures for my photography challenge because YES I am incredibly behind. None of these pictures I actually love, and yes I know that I am my own worst critic, but I know when I try and when I take good pictures. I promise the next ones will be much better after this.

Day 10: A Childhood Memory

So this is my childhood memory; balloons. Not any balloons though, no, no, no. Do you remember when as a kid you were invited to a birthday party, or at your own birthday party, a common occurrence were balloons tied to something at the end of the driveway. You would be in your mother's car and out of nowhere you would see them, these bright colourful balloons and you knew that the next 2-3 hours were going to be the best of your life.

Day 11: Something Blue

So what I need to explain about this picture is that it is something blue in a very natural moment. I had spent all day looking at blue graffiti, blue shop windows, blue everything and anything. When I was at home going through my pictures I noticed this one. Nothing special, I don't know why I took it, I think I liked the building, but then I saw it; blue! The sky is blue, the reflection on the windows is blue, the awning for the cafe is blue, the car is blue, and even the girl standing in front of me, is wearing blue. I unintentionally took my blue picture.

Day 12: Sunset

Day 12: Sunset

Day 12: Sunset

I couldn't pick one. Each of these shots, taken while the sun is setting, are each unique. A sunset can be very boring to shoot, but at different angles and different places you can take the same thing and make it completely different.

Day 13: Something Old

A tree? Yes a tree. No judgement because these are some of the oldest living things on this planet.

Day 14: Eyes

Very creepy clown eyes, staring at you as you either enter or leave Granville Island, but staring at you nonetheless. 

Day 15: Your Shoes

My shoes. I love these boots, worn with my huge grey gap socks. I could walk for hours in these guys and my feet will never get sore. As far as shoes go, these ones are true winners.

Ok, so I know I am still behind. Fortunately I am off early tomorrow and then have the next two days off. Yay! A well needed break for sure. I plan on catching up to the rest of the challenge between cleaning my room, doing laundry, going to class, and reading! I have decided to commit myself to a TV free weekend. Monday my friend is coming over so we can create vision boards, I will make him dinner, and then and only then, we will probably veg in front of the television for awhile.