26
Why editing matters
Yes, I will do a life update soon. We got married, there’s several projects we’re working on, and heading down to the second reception in Blackfoot soon. I’m sure a mega-post is coming one of these days.
Today, though, I wanted to show off some of what I’m currently working on. Last week, I spent some time with the Stewart family, taking family photographs. I did the same thing about two years ago, and it was a blast. This year, we went somewhere entirely different, but had just as much fun. While I don’t do nearly as much photography as I would like most days, I always look forward to group pictures like this. Between shy toddlers, cranky toddlers who just wanted to play, and a camera battery that was on the verge of dying (long story) we managed to get some great photos.
I tend to troll lots of photography blogs, and there is a debate between many photographers about post-processing. Some frame it as a film vs. digital question, others frame it as a quality of work issue. I have met amazing photographers, like my uncle Tom, who manage to take amazing photographs right out of the camera, be it digital or film. There are times I wish I had that talent, but it’s not how it works for me.
Instead, I tend to put a lot of time and effort into post-processing. Sometimes it is as simple as correcting levels, other times the editing is more extensive. I have worried in the past about trying to get the perfect photo out of the camera, but I find I end up with a much better finished product when I am more willing to just snap a photo and worry about editing it later. This picture of the ever-cute Ivy is a great example — I wasn’t trying to compose the photograph or get the settings perfect. She was smiling, and I snapped a set of photos. There were actually 3 photos after this one of the exact same position, but she had been distracted by the rock she was sitting on.
There are about 100,000 things I think I could still do to make this photograph perfect. In the end, though, even 20 minutes spent on this photo made it several times better. I also am very very glad that in college I took a photography and film development class. I feel like I have a better understanding of the principles of how photos would have been edited. Either way, though, I think post-processing can really turn an OK photo into a great photo. There are photographers who can do without it, but I admit I fall firmly into the category that thinks, in the end, the finished photograph is what is important. For me, that means a little less time composing a photo and a little more time in Photoshop.
7
Card Weaving
I’m going to start this by saying it is entirely Jaspenelle’s fault. For Peter’s 28th birthday, Jaspenelle gave him a tablet weaving setup – and he got interested in the craft. Then I got interested, because at this point Peter was a cute guy that I liked and tablet weaving actually seemed pretty awesome. I talked him into making me my own loom. A little over two years later, and I still thread up and work on a card weaving / tablet weaving project every now and again. It’s not an everyday thing, because, frankly, threading it up can be a real pain because the cats want to be so darn helpful. Once it’s threaded up, though, it’s a great project for knitting night or entertaining myself on the bus.
My brother-in-law gave us a set of beautiful hand-made wooden cards to use. Peter has threaded up a project, and while they are a little more sticky to use, they’ll be great for re-creation items where we are going for “more authenticity”. Usually, we use a basic playing card that’s sliced to square and punched with four holes. I have yet to figure out a way to make them in bulk and get the edges smooth. Luckily, most of the time, we don’t have to re-make the cards very often. About once every three or four projects.
The basic idea of card weaving is that you can control each individual thread in a weaving pattern in eight different ways – four threads, each that can be turned forward or back. This means you can make lots and lots of awesome patterns, some of which vary front-to back, others that are the same. Either way, the straps are very thick, strong, and flexible. Is anyone interested in a tutorial?
In either case, here’s a few of the projects both Peter and I have done.
As usual, plenty more photos on the Flickr set.
12
Experiments in Growing : Aquabeads
For a while, Pete and I have been playing with the possibility of growing some things in a soil-less medium. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing better then getting dirt under your nails and digging into the ground. For some plants, though, there are benefits to growing without soil (at least to start them, if not entirely). Feeding my one-to-two pound a week salad addiction is one of the most obvious uses. By growing without soil, we can control the salad growing much more easily – and have a lot more fun with the growing containers!
After getting to play with some AquaGems that my sister-in-law got as a freebie with an Ebay purchase, we decided to give them a try. We actually found them at JoAnn’s, and surprisingly the company is out of Rigby, very close to where I grew up. A tiny little 10 gram packet will hydrate up to a quart of water. They claim to be colorfast, entirely biodegradable, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. So – we picked up a packet of black and a packet of green to give them a try.
Two quarts of water in a container later, and in went the totally dehydrated gems.
Five hours later, we added catnip seeds (we’re trying catnip because it grows very quickly and is relatively forgiving. Plus, our cats will love us) to this:
I’ll do my best to keep you all updated on how this experiment goes.
14
We’re going to be movie stars!
Ok, so more like “supporting role starts” but hey, we can still be excited!
Our friends Ryan and Faythe have hatched a project called “Dick in the Dirt” and it’s a 70’s style women’s prison movie. No, it’s not a porno, though there is apparently going to be an extensively large and inappropriately (appropriately?) shaped roll of bologna that is going to be making an appearance.
Both Pete and I are going to be in the movie – I am the Head Guard of the women’s prison, and will be doing such sinister things as you would expect. Pete gets to be the Delivery Boy – “the only man the women in this prison see on a regular basis.”
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, 8am (which will feel like 7am) we’ll be heading out for the first big day of shooting. I’m so excited! I was always a community theater geek, but there just weren’t many parts other than “Giant Spider” for six-foot-four, plus-sized women. But now there is – and I get to ham it up. It’s Awesome! I even get to wear my platform boots.
Oh, and no, no Wedding Cans movie. Yet. And even if there was, I have a feeling they’d get actors to play us. If they do, this can be “that movie” that gets whispered about when we’re famous.