Monday, January 18, 2010

Frozen to the Post

If I've been a little less present on my blogs lately...and in my life, I daresay...the reason is due, at least in part, to the fact that I'm taking an online Photoshop course and it's occupying a good deal of my time at the computer.  After noodling around with images, and layers, and effects for a few hours this afternoon, this was the result. 

The main image was taken while on a walk with Pierre and my beau-parents near their home on l'isle d'Orléans in December.  The overlay of branches is from a tree in my own neck of the woods.  Then there's a whole bunch of other sh  stuff applied for good measure (ie. texture and depth).  It's fun, but time consuming, and I'm not sure how useful it will be to me. But it's good for an old bitch to learn new tricks, no?

The quote "Mon pays c'est l'hiver" is from a famous Quebec song by Gilles Vigneault wherein he sings happily and repeatedly about how his country isn't a country--it's winter.  Too true!

11 comments:

  1. An old bitch ! Ah, you had me guffawing and snorting with that one... oh boy, my big sis, the old bitch learning new tricks...

    Well I'm impressed... and the result is pretty cool here... I'd like to play around with images a bit more than I do, but haven't had the time of late to even think about it. And winter, winter is nice for a short while, but then I start wishing it was over, because in fact, truth be known, unless I'm out hiking in the mountains or something, where there is pristine snow, I hate the cold... There I said it. I'm an old summer hound, and some things will never change. I sometimes think I should move somewhere where it's warm all year. And only travel to a cold place if I really just can't stand it any more, but that would be once every twenty years or so...

    So where's the Saj, I need a tipple after shivering yet again looking at snowy photos... Brrrrr...

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  2. Good for you for mastering Photoshop...I took a course and passed but really never knew what I was doing...its true focus was digital drawing. Am looking forwards to more masterworks.

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  3. Over here one has to search in the fridge at least, to find a temperatue even close to winter.
    Very much impressed by the courage it takes to get involved with this progam.
    Wishing you all the best of success and a wonderful Tuesday as well.

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  4. It looks like a postcard! Wonderful, you must have laods of patience...I get a bit stroppy if I can't get things quickly and Photoshop is one of those things that I struggle with. Having seen your results I am inspired to try and get it right!! (BTW 'Old Bitch indeed!!)

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  5. BrOwen,
    I love it when I make you snort! You old snuffling, shuffling summer hound dog, sniffing out the warm corners of the comment box where you can flop down to dream of chasing wascally wabbits and wabid waccoons.

    Winter blahs, blues and blechts begone! Dream a little dream for me, will you? Winter's a bitch, it aint just me!

    As for Photoshopping around, your photos are too fine to muddle with. And it's a long and slippery slope to embark upon, full of dark mysteries and unexpected weather...rather like the Appalachian Trail, which I'm presently exploring with Bill Bryson each bedtime. Have you read his travel books? They're very amusing. Much like you.
    :-D

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  6. Hi Patricia,
    This isn't my first foray into the mysterious (not to say mystifying) world of Photoshop. I have a 6 week Introductory course under my belt, most of which I've forgotten after 2 years. This one is just a workshop, playing with layering images and textures,which is a lot like collaging. It's really time-consuming, and hard on the old eyeballs, but fun! No masterpieces yet...

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  7. Robert,
    How I would love to have to search in my fridge in order to find winter! Alas, it's everywhere I look when I gaze out the window. Though, really, not such a hard one this year, thus far.

    I took inspiration from one of your previous blog posts suggesting that it would be very beneficial to learn something new. I think that is one of the best ways to stay young, to remain open to learning new ways and ideas.

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  8. Saj,
    Patience? More like dogged perseverance (another canine reference--I'm really going to the dogs tonight, and not the races--there aren't any here, anyway!) What was I barking-er-saying?

    Oh yes, Photoshop is an amazing tool, and I've only begun to scratch the surface of what could be done with it and will never get to use most of the bells and whistles that it has. And really, why bother when one could be enjoying a Tuesday Tipple or a Saturday Slurp?

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  9. If you keep this up you will be head of the class... gorgeous work!!!

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  10. Hi Gwen,
    Thanks for the vote of confidence. I must admit that I'm pretty impressed with what various "classmates" have come up with. It's nice to find inspiration, and to give it. I'm not sure how "useful" this all is but I guess it's always a good thing to keep the little grey cells active.

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  11. This photo turned out great! I'm wondering the same thing--what will I do with any of this? But, agree completely that it's probably good to give the brain cells a workout! And Photoshop will certainly do that.

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