Photo Editing Websites

Today I'd like to share a few of the editing websites I like to use in post-processing photographs. I have a super older version of photoshop that is currently not working on my computer, and a new version of photoshop that had a 30 day trial which ended a few days ago. I know, sad for me, right? But, there are free ways around things when you don't have the software! These are three websites I like to go for specific edits.

1. AutoStitch
This is an editing website I use to create panoramas, bokeh backgrounds, or shallow depth of field for my photographs (you can see more examples of photo stitches here). It doesn't give as much freedom as the photo stitch option in photoshop does, but if you take pictures carefully (id same exposure for each image) and try not to leave gaps, this website will do the trick.

2. Pixler
I love this website and I use it all the time. It's like my photoshop away from photoshop! It's great for simple edits such as editing lighting, image size, cropping, artsy fartsy effects, almost everything photoshop can do but with slightly less user control. I also use this website for work all the time for sizing photos. You can also do some graphic design things to create buttons and ads.

3. TiltShift Generator

Remember when tiltshift was all the rage? I have an example of photos I took when I first found out about tiltshifting which you can see here. I also did a tilt-shift of some compost. Yay compost!

Finding out about these websites was super helpful for me, so I hope they help you in your post-processing endeavors.

Flickr Favorites #33

This weeks Flickr inspiration is Stephen Beadles

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I like his very magical lighting and exciting photoshop experimentation. Photoshop is just one of those things I can't seem to get into... I feel like I'm falling behind the times and my poor old soul is confused. Maybe if I had it for more than 1 month trials I could get into photo editing a bit more.

If you are a fan of Flickr Favorites or would like to be featured here, please email me 4 links to your best/favorite photographs from your Flickr to letitberaw(at)gmail(dot)com.

Claire and Steven

I went to Arcata over Mother's day do go to my friends' graduation. It was a little bitter-sweet as graduations are... a sort of end of an era kind of thing.

In particular, one of my friends and his room mates where graduating and moving out of their house to far away places. It wasn't my good-bye, but I was still feeling pretty sad about it all. One of the roommates, Claire, asked me to take a picture of her and her partner because they're moving far apart (her - Alaska, him - California Bay Area). I'm glad there was a camera at my eyes the whole time because I was pretty teary-eyed.

My free trial of photoshop ran out so I need to find some other way to edit these. I used my Nikon Nikkormat (35mm) but the meter was running a little funky. I changed the battery but I think there is something wrong with the sensor. One day I'll get a hand-held light meter and all my problems will be solved!

Besides the lighting issue, I like these images. The colors are nice and the love between the two is very sincere. I'm glad I had a camera with me.

Film from the Eclipse

I was in San Jose for the partial solar eclipse last Sunday. I wish I had planned ahead do to do some photographing, but it didn't really come to my attention until the day of. If I had the time, I would have called a bunch of people together and taken their picture in the strange lighting of the evening. Instead, I ran outside with a box and a hole in it to see what I could of the eclipse and took pictures of Nick. I particularly like the image of the box on Nick's head.

Watching the eclipse via hole in box.


Sprinklers that reminded me of summer.

 
Bored now of astronomical nonsense.

Have any of you checked out the awesome pictures online people have taken of the eclipse? They're pretty nice. Next time we'll see one in my corner of the world is in 2017 :(

Flickr Favorites #32

This weeks Flickr inspiration is Sarah Ann Loreth

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I hope everyone has a very magical weekend!

Why I closed my Etsy Shop

I just got rid of it now three seconds ago... and here is why.

It was neglected
When I first opened it, I had a lot of items, spent a lot of time working on it and making items/prints for it, had great ideas on what to do, and worked on it every day. I was also unemployed when I first opened the shop. Now, I don't have enough time, don't care as much as I did, and am not pleased with the directions and items I had available. I didn't even look at it for one whole month.

I was not making a profit
At all. It wasn't a huge loss - I did enjoy doing it at the time so it was never work to me. I sold 3 items, that was nice, but it wasn't enough to keep the shop open. Maybe if I have more of a direction and ready designs I will reopen the shop.

I didn't have a plan
These kinds of things take time - I didn't exactly have a plan laid out and wasn't making enough of an effort to put myself out there or learn business practices.

It's not what I want to do right now
This is obvious point #1. I have to want to do it, and I don't. Having the shop was a good idea not too long ago and it gave me some hope during a crappy time in my life. But I started a new job, I'm looking for a place to live, want to do some traveling, I'm working on taking pictures of people - the shop doesn't fit in anywhere right now.

Design for a print in the shop that kinda fell through

So good-bye Etsy shop! Maybe some day in the future we will reunite and make good things!

Sick and Tired

But looking forward to the weekend! I'm so drowsy right now from this head cold... I sort of feel like I'm floating... in light of that, I though to share some cloud pictures I've taken over the years.

This is what I feel like.

Flickr Favorites #31

This weeks Flickr inspiration is Vicky Martienssen Slater

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If you are a fan of Flickr Favorites or would like to be featured here, please email me 4 links to your best/favorite photographs from your Flickr to letitberaw(at)gmail(dot)com.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

From my foggy walk to work

Kinda makes me wish I could go back to bed.

This week is busy, and it's not even near to being over for me! I'm heading up on a 6 hour drive to Arcata, CA tomorrow morning. I'll be taking some pictures on the way - with 35mm and instagram. Haven't been so far North in quite a while! It will be refreshing to see friends and wander around the small town and big mountains. 

Flickr Favorites # 30

This weeks Flickr inspiration: Charlie the Cheeky Monkey 

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Clicking any image will bring you directly to Charlie the Cheeky Monkey's Flickr photostream. That is a name I will never be sick of typing/saying. This photographer takes excellent pet photos that I just can't help but smile when I see them! Also, the last photo of the older gentleman in yellow with his matching dog... that just made my morning.

If you are a fan of Flickr Favorites or would like to be featured here, please email me 4 links to your best/favorite photographs from your Flickr to letitberaw(at)gmail(dot)com.


Have a great weekend!

Polaroid me and keeping calm

I haven't done this in a while, but I used to paint on polaroid pictures that I didn't find interesting. Really, the goal was to make them a little more colorful and well, to over-use the word, interesting. This one I made about 5 years ago. Nick and I were going on a photo adventure (before we were dating!) and he took this polaroid of me. I took it home and painted my rainbow alternate ego on it. It's also a play on the gemini twins (I'm a late May baby). 

So this image is a rerun goodie. I will be sharing new things this week, but that will be after tomorrow's interview. I'm getting really nervous, but I have been trying to practice as much as possible to keep myself calm (and to not projectile vomit on the hiring committee). 

Any tips or suggestions?