Lost Aussie on the loose

"Converse"ly - Altered Sneaker Speaking

Recently I came across an image on Deviant Art of a Converse sneaker mired on the beach... it sparked off a light bulb moment as I had happened to snap pix of my #2 Son's Converse sneakers when we were setting up the lighting for the model shoot a few weeks ago in Perth.
I had fun with the inspiration image and came up with my own take ....

Given my current penchant for using my own photos and eschewing the use of stock imagery to create my digital work, here are the pix I used to concoct "The Pelican Collector"

I used the 3D modelling tools in CS6 Extended to transform one of the sneakers into the shape and persepective that I wanted.  I also took pix of some extra sneaker laces to create the fall out ones from eyelets at the top of the shoe, as apparently #2 son tucks his in!  They were judiciously altered using the warp and liquefy tool.
I made brushes from the waves to add authentic cloning to the boot to seat it in the water and a judicious amount of dodging and burning of all the layer to add depth and dimension.

Kind of fun..... I hope you like it....

To and From The Mouth of Babes

             Image from model shoot with son#2.

I'm still tucking away snippets in my head from my time away in Australia with my boys.  Delicious hours spent trolling around Perth with #2 son, cameras in hand, fashion nights out and model shoots...

Then there was the 21st birthday for #1 son.  A bang up party by all accounts.

On the night I declined to make a speech but in hindsight, rather wished I had.

Here's what I would have said if I did...

I'd like to have thanked him for being a good son, perhaps not necessarily a perfect one, as he has been prey to a good many instances of "teenage behaviour".... but on the whole nothing that required a police record or me having to hold my head in shame! Ha ha!

I'd liked to have offered him kuddos for surviving "other parent" behaviour that has been less than nice, and for being the greater man to forgive. For knowing how and when to forgive is a BIG thing.

I'd have said that I love the fact that at 21 he still calls me "Mum" and is happy to "talk" to me, at any and all times of the day...... that he calls me when he is happy, when he is sad and when he has nothing better to do...and especially when he is excited and vamped about stuff....

That we talk about life, politics, music, movies and much more.....

That my iTunes account almost mirrors his and we dig the same music....

I'd have also said that he (and his brother) have been the greatest teachers for and to me.  Teaching me patience, humility and empowering me with that self-less love that only some parents get lucky enough to enjoy.  And that I feel very lucky and very proud!

I didnt't give a speech at his party because I was sure I would embarass myself (or him) by crying.

Now, I just get to do it in the privacy of my own space .......

xoxooxlove you Jamesy!

 

Published In....

It's been a long time since I've submitted magazine fare as I'd rather gotten past publications that take your artwork for free and do little more than compensate you with a gratis issue.  (Though I will admit that the times that Cloth Paper Scissors used my material they did pay a fee.)

I received a notice the other week that Somerset Digital Studio had decided to use a piece of artwork that I had submitted in 2010.  I'd actually forgotten that I had sent them stuff and had to work hard to find the parent file to send them for print.

Despite one's lofty moral standings, it's hard to say no to seeing your artwork published in the gallery of an international magazine!!  In this case ego wins, big time, especially since it has it's own full page on 112!!

Digital Doodles

Time out from box unpacking.  The computer, hard drives and tablet are all installed and ready to go.  Perhaps I'll just leave the rest... for whenever....

Digital Stitchings

The Rush of Tide
© Marie Otero 2013

A composite of about 12 different photographs and textures (all my own).  Long gone are the days when I'd compose with stock images from Deviant Art, freebie Flickr etc.

I like the notion that there is beach from Long Island, pillars from Washington DC, waterfalls from a Hyatt Hotel in Connecticuit, texture scraps from Venice and a dude from California, all pieces of me and my camera.

I'm also liking the newly revamped Light Render tool in CS6 which they all but did away with in CS5.  It's nice to have it back in all it's 16 bit functionality!

Wistful Thinking

It's nearly 12 months since I hopped on a jet plane and enjoyed my first proper photography/travel workshop in Venice.

I fell royally in love when I was there, not only with the City and it's people, but with my camera too and I'd like to think that leaps and bounds have been made in my photo taking abilities since that awe inspiring visit was made.

This is the SOOC image that I used for the photoshopped version above.

If you've been a student in my Paint Sketch Play class you should have a good idea of how I arrived at the final image.

Lots of Art History and Mixer brushing. 
Layers of texture and sketch. 
Judicious amounts of Gradient Mapping and Selective Color Adjustments, topped off with some Smudge, Blur, Blend and Vignette layers. 
And of course a good crop to find the part of the image that worked best.

Carnivale is almost upon us again.

I'm thinking, wishing, dreaming of being there again.  Sipping little cups of hot chocolate, dining in the cafes beside the Grand Canal, walking the promenade and the Piazza and feasting on the eye candy with my camera....

And Then There Was Seven...

Our merry band of two sons and two girlfriends have been added to by way of another "mum"  from Australia joining the band to become a semi-permanent member of our Christmas gaggle! Tripping around NYC today we could have made for a grand photo-walk group, and probably did.

We started our day by heading down to Union Square Christmas Markets where I snapped some images and moments that caught my eye.....

and then one or two that were a little more "usual"

and then some that I just had to "wreck" in Photoshop.....starting with a Pop-Up-Shop window decoration...

and ending with....

A grand day out by all accounts and a few nice snaps to add to the collection! :-)

Stealing Photoshp Moments While I May....

These days are busy, filled with (visiting) family expeditions and exponential cooking and cleaning that comes with the added bodies in the house.

Tomorrow #1 son arrives from his "European Tour" - along with his girlfriend, and our numbers will swell to six.  Quite a departure from 2 humans and 3 cats which is our usual score.

Not too many moments to "do my own thing".... however there's a Member's Gallery Show at the Art League next week for which I had to prepare and frame some work so I have spent the evening locked away in the Studio getting that sorted out and since everyone else was busy doing their own thing, I took the opportunity to "play" a little.....

Ergo this  "Fractured Thought" piece...

....rather apropos at the moment....

From Black and White, to Color and Beyond

I futzed around in Photoshop tonight, working on a few images.  Did a B&W version of this one,  and then browsed through my model shoot images and consigned a good few more to the trash bin but liked the way this pose turned out...

This girl has such stellar features and great expressions on her face.  I'm thinking I might need to hunt her down and hire her for a proper shoot without the madding crowd!!

Then finally a little creative tinkering....

.... perhaps a little social comment on the mind numbing (or blurring) effects of social networking ... ah who knows, but it was fun to "play"..... with the 'blend if' fx and the pixelate and halftone filters. 

Looking for that kind of bad video, not quite downloaded sort of low res' effect.....

The Tale of An Ugly Photo

My Grandmother always used to say... "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear"!  And in general I've found that to be hearty counsel which has stood me in good stead over the years. (Particularly when it comes to cheap shoes and men! ahem...)

I find often though that the same solid counsel does not necessarily apply to photographs, things that capture your eye, be it for shape or form and then you look at the picture after downloading it and go Ugh.... and Ugh again....and wonder what the dickens you can do with it.....

So here's a Sow's ear photo that I took recently in Germany.  I knew I like the lines, detail and figured it had to be good for something..... and this is where it went....

.....straight out of the camera

then some cropping, added texture, ridiculous over sharpening, a duplicated layer inverted layer blend modes applied....

then I had the bright idea to turn it into a circle.... some square selections, copied, pasted and masked to get the effect that I had in mind...reminiscent of a fabulous round stained glass window....

 

and finally I took it all one step further and had a bit of fun making a few Kaleidescopes.....

And aren't I glad that I didn't consign that puppy to the Trash bin!!!! :-)

Here's hoping your week goes well.....and that the next storm looming is nothing more than a Teacup full.