Fix It Friday #35

ORIGINAL





This week's picture was way too perfect to start off with, so I was challenged to come up with different ways to edit it rather than "fix" it. I have been having a lot of fun making up presets in Lightroom. Mostly I create presets to give a unique color cast to an image, like purple or gold. With this picture, I sharpened and brightened the eyes in Photoshop. The rest is simple playing with the colors. I am showing several variations here. To see other edits, click here.

Halloween 2009--Happy and Sad

After three and four years home with us, the girls are really getting into the swing of Halloween. It is so much fun for Kindergarteners and First Graders. Chloe and Pearl are still in the princess phase, so I told them it was time to move up to the "queen" level. Pearl decided to be the Queen of Hearts and after a couple hours of re-sizing her costume, she looked quite majestic. Chloe was dressed as the Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra. I thought it would be unique and original and that I would have fun with the make-up. Well, as it turned out, we ran into two other Cleopatra's at the park and Halloween parade and I am not as great a make-up artist as I thought I was. However, I was able to "fix" Chloe's running and smeared eyeliner in Photoshop. Take a look at the lovely picture below where she is crossing her eyes. Actually, out of character, Chloe was NOT in the mood to have her picture taken. What's the fun in all this dress-up and make-up if Mom can't get a picture to remember it by? At least Pearl was willing to pose for me and I had a lot of great shots of her.

On a very sad note, we learned when we arrived home from trick-or-treating, that our friend Catherine lost her husband Jimmy to the H1N1 flu. We had been anxiously reading updates whenever Catherine had time to post on Facebook and we were constantly thinking about what they must be going through. Catherine and Jimmy are adoptive parents like us. They adopted their little girl from China at the same time we adopted Chloe. As anxious parents waiting for referrals, we joined a support group called the "Sweet Peas" and Catherine and Jimmy were part of that group. Now it is with a heavy heart that we keep Catherine and her family in our thoughts as we wish them peace and comfort in their time of grief.







UPDATE: After the parade, we left the park and carnival early to go trick-or-treating. We just found out that Chloe won 1st prize and Pearl won 3rd prize for their Halloween costumes! I am so sorry they missed it.

Fixit Friday #34

BEFORE


AFTER



This week's lovely photo is a beautiful fairy. When I saw her, I knew I wanted to take a turn at editing this photo. She is sooo sweet.

First, I imported the picture into Lightroom. I rotated the image, which consequently, gave it a significant crop. I stopped the rotation when the crop got as tight as I was willing to go. Last week I made a preset I call Boys Town, it is basically some playing around with saturation and tones giving a golden-brown cast. I used that as a base and tweaked it a bit to give her a soft peachy look.

Then I opened the edited picture into Photoshop where I brightened and sharpened the eyes. I tried to blend out the bruises by using the clone tool at 50% and I cloned out a distracting branch from the background at 100%. Due to the small size, it was getting a bit pixely/grainy, so I used a noise-reduction program (Topaz Denoise). That made the picture a little too smooth, so I finished it off by placing a Florabella texture (nostalgia, soft light, 44% opacity) over it. It's still overly smooth, but in this case I like it.

To see the other edits, click here.

Happy Scarecrow Day

In case you hadn't heard, today is Scarecrow Day. Well, at least it is at Pearl's school. Chloe has a little cold, so we kept her out of school today.

I am not sure what the significance of this all is, but it meant Dad had to run to Target to buy Pearl some boy's clothes that she probaby won't ever wear again. The kids put on a special performance today for the parents (that were able to come at 8:30 in the morning) singing songs and dressing up. I managed to escape from work for a brief time to sneak a peak on the show. It sure is wonderful to have my home and work within 1 mile of the girls' school.

I took a few cute shots of Pearl before school. When we stepped outside and looked up, the sky was full of vultures riding the currents in the air. It is quite a sight to see over 60 giant birds circling your home. The picture below only shows about a third of them. I guess this means it isn't Scare-vulture day.

The Third Birthday Party in Four Weeks

The girls have been busy lately going to birthday parties. This time it was finally for someone their own age. One of Chloe's classmates, "E", finally turned 5 and her mom planned a Fancy Nancy Tea party for the girls. It was quite a treat and would have been perfect if not for the hot weather........again. The girls could dress up however they wanted, so Chloe chose an aqua ballerina dance outfit and Pearl wore her Belle princess dress.

On Sunday, Dad took Pearl to the local zoo for a special Halloween event. Chloe woke up sick and Mom stayed home with her. We played together and watched Animal Planet. I even snuck in a little editing time on the computer. That is why we have no pictures from Sunday.

You can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

Grandpa's Birthday and a Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Sunday morning brought the annual family gathering to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. We met up at a favorite local Mexican restaurant and had a fun festive time with the usual games and players. There is something comforting in repeating a regular family tradition. It was very dark in the restaurant and I don't have a nice flash for my camera, so these pictures aren't among my best. I had to Photoshop a lot of the shiny flash off of people's faces, glasses, lips and teeth. Thank goodness for "denoise" software.

After brunch, we headed to the hills to visit a farm where the girls could pet some animals and then pick out pumpkins. It was HOT!!!! AGAIN!!! Not only was it hot, but it was also crowded and there were long lines......3 things I usually try to avoid at all costs. I think this is the hottest October I can ever remember. I guess we will bear almost anything to build fond memories for our girls. I think it was a big success and they were quite pleased with their pumpkins.
Berkeley and her mother Jane

The whole crew, mostly.

Grandpa admires his cake.

Cousin Cassie flashes a smile.

Later at the pumpkin patch.

Apples Apples Apples & Mushrooms

Today was another low-key Saturday with the family. Last night we all went to see the movie "Where the Wild Things Are". The girls really loved it. I was bored through most of it and I really hate it when the camera bounces around too much during the action scenes. It makes me sick. I have had to walk out of movies ("Hannah and Her Sisters") for just that reason. When we put on home videos, I can only watch a few minutes before the nausea sets in.

We took the girls into town today to play at the park. We were trying to find an adoption gathering, but we lost the flyer and when we drove by the park, we didn't see anyone we recognized. I guess we must have gotten either the date or time incorrect.

Later in the afternoon, Chloe and I went out into the back yard to take some pictures. I expected to see all of the apples rotting on the ground. We have lived in our home for almost 7 years and have never used the apples from our trees. To my surprise, there were still quite a few decent fruit clinging to the trees, so we picked them. I let Chloe play around a bit and I just aimed the camera. I was able to collect enough apples to make an apple pie and two batches of apple muffins............yum!


Chloe picks an apple.


Chloe finds a vulture feather to add to her collection.


Chloe finds a make-shift table for her treasures. It needs a little dusting off.


Chloe studies her finds. She's not sure if the twig will make the final cut.

After setting down the feather and pine cone, Chloe shows her apple.

Chloe makes the final still life arrangement.


Chloe's final creation.


On the way back into the house, we spotted these large flat mushrooms in the yard.


Here's what they look like at ground view.


More mushrooms from the front yard


I think this bunch looks like a fairy village.

Blogger Brain Block & a Birthday

For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me to blog the past few days. I guess I was sidetracked with thoughts of processing the hundreds of photos I took last weekend. I was so glad to get through them all that I forgot to set a few aside for the blog. The weather was another distraction. We were expecting a real big rain storm and all we ended up with was a severe dust storm that wreaked havoc in our yard, filling our pool full of pine needles and our roof with large tree limbs. It wasn't even cold enough to light a fire in the fireplace.

On another note, I was asked by an acquaintance to do a family photo shoot and for some reason, I couldn't turn them down. What was I thinking? I cannot take family portraits!! They haven't even seen my work. I told them there would be no charge, as I will be doing it for the experience. They still plan on offering something and if they do, I will apply it towards one of our sponsorships for a foster family for a Chinese orphan at Grace and Hope. If you are interested in helping a child in need of a foster family, head on over and click on "How to Help".

While I am loving photography, I have no interest in making this a profession. I do just fine as a full-time engineer. I have had my fill of frustrating photo attempts this week that serve as a reminder that I have so much to learn. Last weekend brought us another birthday party and I agreed to capture every moment. This time the party was for the lovely miss Lily. She turned two years old.

A clown lady came and painted faces and made balloon animals.


The clown lady poses with the birthday girl Lily

Miranda shows her little sister how to swing at the pinata.
But Lily prefers to kiss the pinata.
Pearl is eager to give the pinata a big whack!!!
Lily enjoys the candy from the pinata. She is wearing a pair of satin squeaky shoes that we picked up in China that Chloe never wore. I love the bottoms!
Lily flirts with cousin Nathan. I think she's trying to bum a ride.
A homeless guy strolls by the party. He is apparently collecting aprons. I guess there is another party across the street, according to the banner.
Big brother Addison takes one for the team. He allows the face-painting clown to paint a tatoo on his arm and then tries to convince us it says "Wow". It's just upside-down.
Lily really enjoys her cake.
Even the dog wants in on the action.
Quin shows us his colorful candy from the pinata.
Uncle Taylor holds his daughter Ellie, almost the same age as Lily.
Aunt Olivia plays with her daughter Morgan, also the same age as Lily.
Presents!
Lily opens the present from Chloe and Pearl. It's a talking Kai Lan doll.
Lily is in love with this doll

Lily loves Kai Lan so much that she kisses her and then begs to take her to bed later that night.

Fix-It Friday #31

Over at I ♥ Faces, is the newest photo editing challenge. I decided to give it another try. I really enjoy playing around with other people's photos and this little guy was especially handsome.

BEFORE


First I imported the picture into Lightroom and warmed up the white balance, darkened the blacks, saturated the blues, added a slight vignette, desaturated the oranges and then played with some split-tones. I added a bit of gold highlights and blued-up the shadows. Next, I imported it into CS4 where I cleaned up some food on his face and some scratches on his forehead. I dodged some shadows on his cheek a bit. I smoothed the image and then finished it off with a Florabella texture at 35% on soft light blending mode(cool Sugar & Spice). It may sound like a lot, but it only took a few short minutes.

AFTER


For other clever edits, head on over to I ♥ Faces

Portraits of Chloe

My excuse for taking pictures of Chloe today and not Pearl is that Pearl has been sick with a temperature for the past three days. This afternoon I took Chloe to Chinese class by myself. Dad is also sick and he stayed home with Pearl.

It was cold (did I just write "cold"?) outside just before sunset and I wanted to try a picture with one of the girls wearing one of my angora scarves. Chloe was eager to participate. I did try to take some serious pictures without the smiles, but they just don't compare. I used three different processes here, two are presets that I made myself in Lightroom, one I call "Purplelicious" and the other is "Autumn Day". The third is just a straightforward black and white conversion. I was totally amazed at how her eyes popped in each of these shots, but then again, I might be a little bit biased.

As I write this, we are all inside, sitting by the fire, and Chloe now has a fever. I guess both of the girls will not be going to school tomorrow.

A Trip to the Fair

Only three days later and the temperature has dropped 30 degrees. It's Wednesday night and we decided to make good use of this great weather by going to the local fair.


Pearl and Chloe get their faces painted.


Chloe gets a unicorn


cows


A grand champion rooster


The girls take a ride on a camel



Chloe jumps real high. Pearl got on this too, but barely managed to get just a few feet above the trampoline.


a colorful fun house


The view from the top of the ferris wheel. I actually got scared because I could feel the wheel tilt from side to side. Dad was scared too, but the girls seemed oblivious.


Here's another shot from the ferris wheel. I edited the picture at tiltshiftmaker.com to give it a fake miniature effect. What do you think?

It's Fall and It's HOT!

Chloe gives me this irrisistable smile just as she jumps in the inflatable waterslide pool

I hope this is the last time I write this, at least for this year. IT WAS HOT!!!

We had a nice weekend at home. Saturday was filled with running errands and shopping. Dad took Pearl to see that meatball movie. Chloe didn't want to go (huh?), so she stayed home with me.

The weather was hot Saturday, but Sunday really topped our fears expectations as the thermometer climbed to 107 degrees! Ouch! That's hot even for Bakersfield in September. My girls are quickly outgrowing their summer dresses and shorts and I really don't want to buy more until next Spring. Of course, Sunday was the day we had planned to attend an outdoor birthday party. At least it was in the morning. I think the temperature was only 104 during the party.

There was an inflatable waterslide pool and the kids just loved it. There was also a real fire engine with horns and sirens and a 100' ladder. For some reason, the boys seemed to enjoy this feature a little more than the girls. I blame the heat.

If it weren't for my addiction to photography, I might have considered this day a drudge rather than a positive. I had so much fun taking pictures and the birthday boy was so darn photogenic, it was hard to leave. But then, we had to head out a bit early to whisk the girls off to Chinese school. What did we do before kids?

Actually, I think it was a pretty good weekend. Now let's do something about the weather!


Cousin Quinny gives Nathan a big birthday hug!


Quinny enjoys a swim in the pool! At least somebody's keeping cool today.


This picture cracks me up. The girls were asked to leave the pool so they could await the arrival of the fire engine. I think the boys were a little more excited about this prospect.


It's here! Doesn't Addison have cool shades?


Nathan looks on with wonder as the giant ladder truck backs up into his driveway.


Nathan gets to try on the firefighter gear. Doesn't he look handsome?


Nathan and the other boys climb up into the cab. They repeatedly play with the horns and sirens and use the bullhorn to assault cars driving by, telling them to slow down.


Cousin Miranda tries on the gear as well.


Looks like somebody left something behind.


Nathan's mom climbs the ladder on the fire engine.


Even Nathan's baby sister Morgan enjoys the activity.


Happy third birthday Nathan!!

Fix It Friday #30

Today's challenge was definitely challenging. I tried to used Flickr, but couldn't get the right link, so I am trying it again here on my blog. Here is my edited version. I used Lightroom to lighten, crop and adjust colors. Then I opened it in Photoshop CS4 to lighten and sharpen the eyes. I added catchlights and used Topaz Denoise on extreme to remove the noise and grain. I increased the resolution and then finally, layered a french canvas texture to give it an aged look and to lighten the background.



Here is the original


Be sure to head on over to to see other entries.

Something Gained and Something Lost

First, SOMETHING GAINED...........can you tell why?

Second, SOMETHING LOST



Pearl had her first visit from the Tooth Fairy last night. I really try not to perpetuate stories about tooth fairies and Santa Claus, but this time, the girls wanted to play along. I remember how I did too when I was their age and I always wondered how Mom and Dad got under my pillow while I was sleeping. Well, now I can officially say I know how [wink wink].




And finally, of course, I couldn't let all these natural-looking pictures be posted without playing with one of them in Photoshop, tints, colors, textures and all! For this last shot, I played with the colors tinting the highlights purple and the shadows gold (or visa versa..I cannot recall). Then I added a Florabella texture called "Nostalgia" and finally, I used my favorite brushed copper texture from Boccacino.

Another Weekend Down

I have been wanting to take pictures of anything and everything despite the fact that I am still ill with some sort of respiratory condition (going on 6 weeks). I know this blog is supposed to be about Chloe and Pearl, but tonight I feel like posting some of my recent pictures, and the girls aren't in any of them!

Saturday afternoon we went over to our friend Carmen's house. She just gave birth to a baby girl 13 days ago. Her name is Morgan. I had never photographed an infant before, let alone a newborn, so I was eager to pop in and start shooting. If Carmen ever lets me come back, I will bring props the next time. It was so much fun.

The other pictures are just random photos from today. Enjoy!







Here are some apples from our tree!