[fertilepress]

a couple of simple thoughts on color...

Marc Chagall wrote,

"All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites."

I found this quote especially engaging because it communicates, in very simple terms, two basic color relationship concepts...analogous (neighbors) and complementary (opposites).

                  

Above diagrams from All Web Design Resources.

One last thought from Joseph Albers, who literally wrote the book on color...

"If one says 'red' and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And one can be sure that these reds will be different."

later...

i think this is so cool!

Have you ever seen anything like this? It's rare when you find something totally original. I was blown away when I saw it for the first time yesterday.

Unlike many other music animations, the music drives the animation. Other animations animate figures or characters to the music, while the animations here are created first, then will follow and play what the music tells them to play. 'Solo cams' in the Animusic DVD shows how each instrument actually plays through a piece of music from the beginning to end.

While we're on the subject of interesting music...

Remember this plea from a couple of months ago for help identifying the music in the Mercedes-Benz commercial? Well, the good news is that I tracked down the source of the music. The bad news is that it's only a 60-second music clip created exclusively for the commercial. That means it's not available for download or purchase. Too bad. I really like that music.

later...

easy black and white conversion...really!

Okay, here's a tip I learned at Photoshop World a couple of weeks ago. It was part of a workshop taught by Scott Kelby...the grand poobah of all things Photoshop Down & Dirty. I couldn't wait to get home and try it for myself. Here's the tip along with my results. (The steps and screenshots below were captured in Photoshop CS3, but they work just as well for Photoshop Elements 6.0.)

Converting Color Photos to Black & White

• Open a color photo and make sure the Foreground and Background color boxes are set to black and white.

• Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. (It's at the top of the palette in PSE 6.) Select Gradient Map.

• The Gradient Map dialog will open. Check the Dither option to avoid banding. Then, click anywhere inside the gradient bar to open the Gradient Editor.

 

• Now you need to choose a shade of gray for the midtones in your photo. In the Gradient Editor, click once in the center just below the gradient bar to establish a color stop.

 

• It defaults to the black that was located at that stop in the gradient. Here's what your photo will look like at this point because Photoshop thinks you want to use this color for your midtones.

 

• All you need to do is adjust the color of the stop to a shade of gray to correct the midtones in your photo. To do that, double-click the color stop you added to open the Color Picker. Now, just choose an appropriate shade of gray. You can see the effects of different shades of gray as you choose them. Just watch the image.

 

• When you're satisfied, close all the dialogs by clicking OK in each one.

• If you want to adjust the image, just double-click the Gradient Map icon in the Layers palette.

And that's it! Here's my converted photo!

Cool, huh? Thanks, Scott, for sharing your tips!

later...

today's thought and other stuff...

Thought for the day...

One must desire to be free of desire to be free.
                             ~ Sister Louisa

Listening to now...

Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson

Discovered this amazing guitarist thanks to Guitar Hero III.

Next posts...pics from Donna Downey's Inspired Event last weekend. What a blast! Also, some tips I picked up at Photoshop World.

later...

what i learned at photoshop world!

I'm back from one of the most exhilirating, educational and inspiring conferences I've ever attended! Photoshop World was a blast.

In keeping with the title of this post, here are the top five things I learned at Photoshop World:

1. A few quick and easy techniques for selecting hair in photographs.
2. A better way to use (and also explain) that fear-inducing feature called Curves in Photoshop.
3. The fastest way to convert a color image to black and white without losing contrast.
4. How to create a realistic duct tape image.
5. A quick and easy way to create that reflection technique that's all the rage in advertising.

I'm sure these techniques and more will show up in my designs, classes and this blog in the near future. But the biggest lesson I learned wasn't a lesson but a reminder. Even after over 10 years of being a Photoshop user, there's always something new to learn about creative ways to use this amazing tool. And that's why I love it so much!

I think the best part of the conference, though, was catching up with old friends Lesa Snider-King, Ben Willmore and Terry White. Scott Kelby, who not only teaches but hosts the event, even had a few seconds to say hi! Yeah, I'm dropping names. But there's no shame in my game when it comes to these luminaries! Not only are they Photoshop wizards...they're really nice people, too! 

All-in-all, I'd have to say last week was a great week!

later...

photoshop world...wheeeee!

I'm learnin' from the masters this week at Photoshop World..."The World's Largest Photoshop Convention." Three days of Photoshop immersion. Am I a lucky girl or what?

There are so many classes and not enough time to take them all, of course. So you really have to pick and choose. (Today I took "How'd They Do That?" with Felix Nelson and "Get Smart with Photoshop" from Dave Cross.) But not to despair. I received a phone book sized workbook with the handouts for every single class, including screenshots. Now that's a great deal.

Plus, there's a very busy exhibitor area where you can purchase tons of Photoshop related products...books, DVDs, plugins, accessories!

Can you tell I'm having a blast?

later...

p.s. - Thanks to everyone who wrote to offer get well wishes. I really appreciate it. I'm not completely over the nasty bug, but definitely on the mend. Thanks!

sick and tired...

Or tired and sick is more like it. Kinda like which came first, the chicken or the egg.

I've got that bug that's been going around and it laid me out flat over the weekend. I'm up and about today, with a not too feminine cough as a remnant. But overall I'm on the mend.

Traveled to Cleveland last week to tape the PBS series Scrapbook Memories for the magazine. That's always fun. The people who produce this show are so easy to work with. And the two hosts, Julie and Beth, are absolute darlings. You forget the camera's rolling and it's just like chatting with two friends. A big THANKS to those two.

I did this last fall and the episodes I taped should be airing soon. My episodes are 1209 (Books) and 1212 (New Technology). Check here to find out if and when the show airs in your area!

sniffles...

uninspired...

That's how I'm feeling today. But...

"I resolve to break the barren soil of my fruitless brain."
                                              ~ Elizabeth Grymeston

later...

don't try this at home...

If you insist on trying this at home, this page tells you how to do it! (Be verrrrry careful, though.)

later...

i hate DST!

I feel particularly draggy this morning...and I'm blaming it on Daylight Saving Time. Blech! I detest DST.

"I object to being told that I am saving daylight when my reason tells me that I am doing nothing of the kind. I even object to the implication that I am wasting something valuable if I stay in bed after the sun has risen. As an admirer of moonlight I resent the bossy insistence of those who want to reduce my time for enjoying it. At the back of the Daylight Saving scheme I detect the bony, blue-fingered hand of Puritanism, eager to push people into bed earlier, and get them up earlier, to make them healthy, wealthy and wise in spite of themselves."                                                          ~ Robertson Davies, 1947

I feel you, Robertson!

on a happier note...

It is okay for me to have fun and enjoy myself and I do!
I willingly express the qualities I've been given to express.
I have patience and trust my creative energies already working.
I radiate love and shine my positive light on my life and on others.
And so it is!

~ ritaandsutton.com

later...

dymo-mite!

Who didn't love Dymo labelers?

There's a brief history of this mighty little device here. Enjoy!

later...

a proper cup of tea

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea."
                                         ~ Bernard-Paul

This page explains how to make a proper cup of tea.

enjoy...

help please?

I'm totally buggin' over the music in this commercial. I have posted on numerous sites trying to find out what or who it is.

You're my last hope, Obi Wan. Can you help?

later...

tag...i'm it!

My friend Angie left the following comment here on the blog:

"Hey Renee! I miss you. I am having Renee withdrawal so I have tagged you on my blog. I can't wait to read some random facts about you."

I miss you, too, Angie! Angie and I got to see each other twice in one month. Now that's a rare treat.

And then yesterday I was tagged again by LeAnne, a new friend in Australia (who was tagged by my Kent). So I guess it's time for me to join the game.

Aww-ight. First the rules...

Link to your tagger and post these 3 rules on your blog:

• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 7 facts...

1. I love words. I'm a freak for etymology and love knowing the source of unusual words and idiomatic terms. Ever wonder why truck drivers are called teamsters or why we measure the power of a car in horsepower?
2. No surprise, then, that I'm also a trivia buff. But you might be surprised to know that I once tried out for Jeopardy! It's REALLY hard to get on that show. The test they give you is about 10 times harder than the questions they ask on the show. They do that purposely. They figure if you can pass that test, you'll do great in the pressure cooker environment on the show. And yes, Alex can pass the test. I didn't.
3. I've always wanted to be an artist. I never told anyone. I was always considered "smart" and encouraged to pursue academics. But the worm eventually turns and here I am. Go figure.
4. My all-time favorite movie is Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. (I didn't say best movie or most inspirational move. Just favorite movie.) It always makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times I watch it. "Have a Romy & Michele day!"
5. I used to commute from Greenwich, CT to New York City every day. One evening on the way home my train hit a teenager who was standing on the tracks. The people in the car with me were complaining because they were delayed while the train waited for the coroner. All I could think of was that some mother was about to receive the call all mothers dread. I knew then it was time for our family to leave the city I still love dearly.
6. My great-great-grandparents were born slaves. When I was a small child my great-grandmother would tell me the stories they told her about "slavery time." I cannot remember any of them. I wish I could.
7. I'm a tea-holic. I don't drink coffee very often, but I have tea every morning. My favorites are Ginger Peach and Earl Grey. And speaking of trivia, did you know that the same couple founded both the original Banana Republic and The Republic of Tea companies? I have a collection of catalogs from Banana Republic before they were bought by The Gap. They're amazingly cool, right?

Who I'm tagging:

1. Sara
2. Aby
3. Keisha
4. Tiffany
5. Lu
6. Pattie
7. Lori

I'm done.

later...

my sentiments exactly!

I hear this lament a lot: "I'm just not creative."

Hogwash! (Don't you just love that word?) We're all creative in our own way. It's what we, as human beings, do. We create.

"Creativity is in everyone; it just manifests itself differently with each person. My CPA, for example, is one of the most creative people I know. He's a true left-brain, right-brain blended thinker, but he'd never consider himself creative. The form his efforts take just don't register with anyone as creativity. Amazingly, creative things happen around us every day and escape in forms we don't recognize."
          -Ron Miriello

later...