Monochrome of the Day: Lights

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Monochrome of the Day:A Light Bulb Moment

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Cee’s Black & White Challenge: Circles and Curves

Cee always comes up with such interesting prompts for her challenges and from what I have seen next year should really be a fun year,

I found this gorgeous double ring light fitting as I was waiting for my son yesterday.  I so want it. I just love bling and what better way to show it as hanging from your ceiling.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Circles and Curves

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Look Up, Look Down: Week 20: Glass

Good morning from a grey muggy Hastings.  I don’t want to complain about our weather when I saw on the news last night of the storm Hercules hitting America, the temperatures hitting over 34 in Brisbane, Australia and the storms battering England.  I hope everyone is okay and safe.

Sooo yet another challenge.  OK. I do a lot of challenges but I do take a lot of photos.  Though not as many as before.  That is thanks to the challenges.  Question: Why do you take photos?  Another question: What do you do with them? Last question: What do you want to do with them?  So to answer my own questions.

1.I love the idea of capturing a moment in time.  When I am out anywhere I am so aware of my surroundings and subconsciously framing pictures even when I don’t have my camera.  Embarrassing for my children and husband when I do have the camera with me.

2. Until I had this blog they just clogged up my computer.

3. I did think about joining a physical camera club but didn’t like the idea of my photos being minutely scrutinised.  Also here in Hawke’s Bay they are purists and do not appreciate photo editing which I love.  It is the creative side that I really love and that is why I do these challenges.  They push my boundaries.

 I love looking at other artists’ works.  I do not care how they got to the final image ( apart from learning the techniques myself). Life is too short to worry about  all the small detail.  It is about enjoying and appreciating everyone else’s work for what it is – a work of art. That is the fun of the challenges.  Just to see other peoples works too and their interpretations.

I would love to hear your views on what you do with your photos.

Anyway this challenge is the Look Up, Look Down Challenge.  You can join in the challenge here,  This challenge is appropriate to what I do when out on my walks.  Looking up or Looking down, just eyeing up interesting shots.

Looking up is an old fashioned street lamp outside a school nearby.

Looking down is a shard of glass that I found on the ground.

They have been edited with FX Photostudio Pro.

Here is another great interpretation – http://sonelcorner.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/look-up-look-down-challenge-week-20/

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Let there be Light by the Daily Post

Good morning from another sunny Hastings.

This weeks challenge by The Daily Post is Let there be Light.  There have been some amazing photos for this so here is my contribution.  These photos were taken last winter when I headed out in the morning when it was still dark and all the street lights were still on..  There was also a slight mist around to give a halo affect to the lights which make them more interesting.

Finally these lights were in the window of a hairdressers shop.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Eerie

Good morning from another sunny Hastings day.

This weeks Weekly Photo Challenge topic is Eerie from The Daily Post  It was coincidence that I was thinking the same thing when I took these photos in Hastings CBD the other night.   It was the twilight zone really and so looking at these chandeliers through the window brought some interesting affects.  I have taken them at night so the just the lights show but taking them at this time of the day added another dimension.  I have edited these photos with the vintage filter on FX Photostudio Pro and added the same G &A frame as they were all taken around the same time.  The vintage filter let me keep some colour while adding a sepia affect as well.

Photography 101: Shooting in Black and White

Good morning from a cool Hastings morning.

This weeks challenge from     Photography 101: Shooting in Black and White    was a great one for me.  I love black and white, having done a lot of old fashion dark room printing, but the digital age now takes it so much further than I could have done in the dark room.

These photos were taken last night in the CBD of Hastings.  My daughter had to take a last series of shots for her portfolio for her final assessment at school.  So, of course, I went along for moral support, but also to take my own shots.  We had to be careful not to get in each other’s way.

I used Aperture to change to black and white or sepia and then went to FX Photostudio Pro to add the frames and other affects.  The first set of photos show the Art Deco lighting around the CBD.

I used the medium contrast conversion to give a sharper look, but not take too much of the detail away.  I pixilated this photo for the grainy affect.

For these chandeliers I inverted the image so that the background got lost and the focus went onto the lights themselves.

The train tracks run directly through the centre of the CBD, right bang smack in the middle of this water feature.  I used the vintage setting and a grunge frame to give an antique feel to it.

I had already converted to black and white, and then sepia tone to this image looking north.  Then I added another sepia tone to it to change the colour tone completely and then added the grunge frame to give this a more rural setting.  Not an urban setting as it is in real life.

For this one I went for the Noir blue conversion.  I wanted to give this a more surreal look about this sculpture.

There are some tall sculptures to the side of the main square with some really interesting nuts and bolts which make for some interesting photos.  I used the vintage filter for this one.

This photo had a vintage green filter applied to it which I think enhanced the texture of the iron on this link.

I love black and white, but also enjoy adding filters to make completely different photos.

Having fun with Photoshop filters and split toning

 

Good morning from a grey Hastings day.

Last night I had a lot of fun playing around on Photoshop with the filters and split toning. I have been overwhelmed by all the support from everyone –Sonel’s Corner , Amanda ♥ Unique So Chic, Lorik andladysighs.  I do appreciate all the feedback and it inspires me to take things further.

My post today has an Art Deco feel to it as that is what is around me.  What is so wonderful about Art Deco is the shapes and designs they used.  Items weren’t just to be functional such as these street lights, but they were to be enjoyed for their beauty and design elements.

 

These bike stands are a modern addition but I loved the way that they are actually bikes as well.

 

Even doors are decorative.

 

Lights figure significantly around Hastings.  Even adding an Art Deco feel to this modern building.

 

This ball is right in the centre of the CBD.  My daughter was telling me how she would use this image but I am afraid that my skills aren’t up to her level on Photoshop.  Plus she has PS6.  Totally different to what I have.

 

We also have a lot of houses predating the Art Deco period.  This just caught my eye as I walked past.

 

What I like about photo manipulation is that the backgrounds can be changed so as to change the focus onto the main subject in the front so that it is not so distracting.

 

I liked the texture of this rope but felt that there was too much contrast.  This is the end result.

 

I was fascinated by these crystals in a lighting shop.  I want to work on this a bit more just to see if I can make the shapes stronger.

 

Finally I couldn’t resist this green leaf.  It just screamed out for filters.

I couldn’t tell you what filters I used as I just went with what I liked.  That is what is so good about modern digital photography.  The possibilities are endless.  So have fun trying it out.  Just make sure you have some time to spare.

Cheers and have a nice day,

Raewyn