Kaleidoscopes- More Fun with your Images

Here is another fun Photoshop plugin!  Kaleidoscope 2.1   This is a FREE PS plugin!   Take any image into PS and convert is to 8 bit if it is 16 bit. Pull down the Filter menu and pick Mehdi-

Kaleidoscope and the fun begins.  There are endless combinations and even dice to try your luck!   

 

Just about any subject can make a good kaleidoscope.  I have found that the best  images to use are those that have some contrast and color.

 

Building images work well especially if there is some color but a relatively boring building image can make a very interesting kaleidoscope.  

 

So download this free plugin and give it a try!  I know you will have fun!

For more of my Kaleidoscopes, check out my website.

 

That's all for now!

Turn that canera on!

Lynn W.

Classic Cars- Another Great Photographic Subject

Classic car shows and sales are a great place to get great images of these American icons.   The trick to getting great car shots is simple!  Get down on your knee(s) & use a wide angle lens!   The big grills and bumpers look so much better when they are viewed from a level that is not normal eye level.  They are exaggerated and wider and give you the character that these old cars have.  You may have to get within 2-3 feet of the car. Shot straight on and at an angle to show the depth of the car along the side.  

I use my tripod with the legs not extended at all.  This is especially critical as I usually shoot 5 images at 5 shutter speeds to combine in Photomatix Pro for HDR.  HDR gives much more detail especially if you have to shot at times in the day when the light is pretty harsh.   I then use Focal Point 2 to blur out the distracting background.  You can use Topaz Adjust or Detail to bring out even more details.  Sometimes I combine the car image with another background (I learned this trick from Deb Sandridge) or texture in Photoshop.  This adds even more interest to the image.  

I have really enjoyed shooting cars since I learned to get down at that lower level!  I can't wait for the next car show/sale to come along!  Check out more of my car images on my website. 

That's all for this week.

Turn that camera on!

Lynn

Valentine's Day Flowers- Great Photo Subjects

Make good use of those flowers you received or gave for Valentine's Day and use them as your photographic subjects.  Good timing if you live in an area where the weather is not so great!

You can setup a vase with one or more of the flowers near a window with just a small amount of light coming through it.  A reflector is helpful to put light where you need it or to even block out too much light.  Another helpful prop is a backdrop made from black foamcore.

Use your tripod as there will be some relatively slow shutter speeds.   Move the camera around and move the flowers around to get various views.   

Use those flowers to get some great images!   Happy Valentine's Day!!

That's it for now.

Turn that camera on!

Lynn

Fractalius! A Plug-In That's Fun!

There are so many Plug-ins out there but some are just fun!  I heard about Fractalius from Artie Morris.   He showed some samples done by Denise Ippolito, as well as her tutorial.  I decided to give it a try and it was just too much! 

  It works great with birds & animals!

Some photos look better as Fractal abstracts than as a realistic photo!

 

It works great on subjects that are mostly lines, too.    This is an HDR shown on an earlier post.  I like it better like this!  

I am still experimenting as there are number of options & sliders in the plug-in.  There is one draw back to this plug-in.  It's only for Windows PC's.  

I have added a new gallery on my website, Special Effects, in which I have added some more images using Fractalius.  Try it and have Fun!  Photos don't always have to be realistic and in perfect focus!  That's art! 

That's all for now!

Turn that camera on!

Lynn