Comments on Photo Assignment #14 [Archive]

GaryK

January 22nd, 2006, 08:10 PM

Robyn

It's kind of a loose rule :D

Like I said, the intent is just to get us to use our cameras. We had one in the fall, and no photoshopping in that one, other than sort of image correction ..cropping, levels, type of stuff. This one we can photoshop till the cows come home... even after they come home, if you want :)

billz

January 22nd, 2006, 08:25 PM

Couldn't have said it better Gary.

Norm, by all means join in - and tell your friends! It's a lot more fun with a lot of entries.

Bill

bayhli

January 23rd, 2006, 12:55 AM

OMIG Robyn, I haven't even begun to figure out what I can do...

Very creative interpretation of the subject - smart thinking!

I really like the way you've positioned the cottage on the frame and to the left in the image; the yellow hue of the frame is very pretty and complimentary to the background. Nice soft feel to the whole thing.

I also like the reflection? of the cottage below it - how did you accomplish that, yourself or a filter/effects tool? I'd like to try it out.

Just lovely Robyn, and congrats on being first!

Robyn

January 23rd, 2006, 01:06 AM

Gee thank you Pat,

I'm absolutely flattered that you have asked ME how to do something..... that's a first - I'm very much a beginner.

With the reflection image I just flipped the layer over vertically and applied a distort > ocean ripple filter and also played around a bit with the blur tool. The background I made from the flowers next to the cottage, lowered the opacity and a couple of coloured backgrounds underneath, top one with lower opacity.

bayhli

January 23rd, 2006, 03:14 AM

Robyn I think I saw something along the way suggesting that there is something that does a reflection type effect in Elements. I'm sure someone will let us know if there is.

Robyn

January 24th, 2006, 02:24 AM

Tony,
What beautiful buildings. I love the way you have put the whole thing together - looks great!

Pat,
There a section on reflections in Scott Kelby's Down and Dirty Tricks book - I've got the book, but haven't got that far yet.

karen donnybrook

January 24th, 2006, 03:18 AM

Robyn, I would never have thought of using that kind of image - well done.

Tony, your creation of the town buildings is wonderful.

I have taken my photos this morning before it started raining but that is as far as I have got - perhaps tomorrow, I will get them finished ;)

Still have to finalise the work on my new signature because I am not really happy about it yet.

NMarti

January 24th, 2006, 09:07 AM

Robyn,
I love your image - very creative thinking and a great job on the reflection. I was considering using a birdhouse but haven't even made it out the door yet. Really nice job!

Tony,
That looks like a beautiful place to live! Your images are quite beautiful! It's a shame to waste the blue sky we manage to get this time of year but it is quite effective the way you did it. Very, very nice!

bayhli

January 24th, 2006, 01:22 PM

Tony, your image is wonderful and so well done! I particulary like the shading of your background photo - did you revise the shading of a sepia filter or apply the shading yourself?
The background image itself is awesome with respect to the perspective (not sure if that is the correct term - how it was shot).

Very very nice!

Robyn - thanks for the reflection lead; I have the book sitting here, not even opened yet!:rolleyes:

TonyW

January 24th, 2006, 06:03 PM

Robyn: Great reflection. I tried a similar method on a water image a while back based on something I read somewhere and couldn't get it to look right. Must try again.

My background was taken last summer at a local historic oil field/museum where I help out. The "perspective" was achieved by a very simple method. I took the picture sitting on the ground ;) . The sepia tone was an accident. I was using a hue saturation adjustment layer to tone down the colours for a background and clicked on colorize by mistake and liked what I got. Frame is from Jodi's Missing Styles of course.

In looking at it again I don't like the top of the clock tower where it is and might change it to something else and I also noticed the bits of tree sticking out of the top of the house that don't look right and should be erased next time I have the file open.

BTW the bottom building is the old railway station now public library. The round turrets at each end were the ladies and gents waiting rooms. Had to keep the sexes well apart in those days;)

Tony

karen donnybrook

January 25th, 2006, 01:10 AM

Nancy, the Clark Bridge looks great from that angle - it really makes the structure stand out; well done.

Robyn

January 25th, 2006, 04:58 AM

RobinS

Great image! The eye is led right through the entrance.

karen donnybrook

January 25th, 2006, 07:07 AM

RobinS, great composition of the whole photo - as Robyn says the eye is led right through the entrance.

NMarti

January 25th, 2006, 09:11 AM

Thanks Karen. It is quite spectacular at night when it is lighted, but the refuge closes at dark and you can't go down there to photograph it.:(

karen donnybrook

January 25th, 2006, 10:05 PM

Jim, obviously I have no idea whatsoever where your photo was taken :D

Norm, I like the B&W effect you have used on the Church building :)

TonyW

January 25th, 2006, 10:08 PM

Norm: Great picture. Love the angle you used. Inspired me to go out and try that. I have a bad habit of always thinking straight up and down but your image has got me thinking out of the box. :)

Tony

billz

January 25th, 2006, 11:35 PM

Eleanor -

Great job! What a cool building ... and your sign at the bottom looks great. Thanks for posting.

Bill

Pauline

January 25th, 2006, 11:39 PM

Eleanor that is one strange looking building! It looks like it should be in a cartoon. Pretty cool.

NMarti

January 25th, 2006, 11:43 PM

Eleanor
What a cool building - I was thinking cartoon too Pauline - you just typed it faster.;) You did a really good job Eleanor. Don't be afraid to post here - we all were new at this at one time. Just jump in and it gets easier and more fun with each post.

karen donnybrook

January 25th, 2006, 11:43 PM

Well done Eleanor. The whole idea of this challenge is to make us go out looking for a suitable place to photo and then use PSE to enhance it.

Robin S

January 26th, 2006, 01:01 AM

Robyn and Karen, glad you enjoyed my photo; Chaco Canyon is an awesome and inspiring spot. Robyn I liked your fantasy cottage, especially the pearly pink background and you really made the unbalanced composition work. Karen, that looks like great place for greek drama and the colors of the sandstone are beautiful. Elanor, I agree with the others, it looks like a building disigned by Pixar. What do they do in there, study irrational numbers?

spotodog

January 26th, 2006, 11:42 AM

Hi all,

Yeah, the building is definitely cartoon-like. The inside is amazing too - lots of strange corners and a lot of light ... I spelled the architect's name wrong - it's Frank Gehry - take a look at http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Frank_Gehry.html
or http://www.eecs.mit.edu/stata-link.html

Eleanor

Pauline

January 26th, 2006, 01:59 PM

Eleanor thanks for the link. That building really is amazing!! It still looks like it belongs in a cartoon though!!

karen donnybrook

January 26th, 2006, 04:38 PM

Brown dog, I like the subtley of your image - well done.

browndog

January 26th, 2006, 05:00 PM

Brown dog, I like the subtley of your image - well done.

Thanks :)

I was trying to make it look like a cold, bleak, Maine winter day on the coast. It isn't exactly where I want it but it is a start. :)

Edmund

January 26th, 2006, 08:19 PM

Well I did it again!! Didn't know there was any rules as say taking the picture this week. Well if it helps I scanned the photo this week from a slide I took last summer. close but no prize. I normally don't shoot too many pics in the winter months.

spotodog

January 27th, 2006, 10:29 AM

i thought this one was interesting - i didn't take it - a friend did - last year...the cartoon-like building that i photographed this week is in this picture - and to make it even more bizarre, these are elephants going from the 'zoo train' to the zoo - an annual event ...

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/382/elephants4zf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Norm F

January 27th, 2006, 10:39 AM

Eleanor,

I was going to save my Photo Assignment comments until the end, but your photos have really drawn me in. Fantastic subject. Great job!! I visited the "great buildings" website which you posted yesterday. This guy's work is really quite fascinating. Thanks for bringing something so original to the forum.

karen donnybrook

January 27th, 2006, 09:19 PM

Edmund, like the effect with the logs - is it a 'log cabin'?

Alice, Raffey sure gets around, doesn't he?

raffy

January 27th, 2006, 09:35 PM

Hi,Karen! Yup-he gets to go more places than I ever will!(Hmmm...subconcious at work?)

raffy

January 27th, 2006, 09:55 PM

That's a good picture-too bad it's another victim of our "far-seeing" (ha!) system.The same thing has happened here in Windsor-a wonderful hospital,newly updated,closed due to government stupidity.

karen donnybrook

January 27th, 2006, 10:07 PM

Pat, I like the effect, it really suits the old building. But you should not have told us that the hospital opened the year you were born (the date really shows up well) :rolleyes:

bayhli

January 27th, 2006, 10:31 PM

Hi Karen,

:D :D Yes, I thought about the age thing but figured I needed a reality check anyway! It can serve as a test as to how well our friends really look at these photos :)

Thanks Raffy... Sorry to hear you have experienced the Hospital thing as well...Ontario has been hit hard the past couple of years. Some of the closings make sense but overall I think it is an indication of our declining health care. Ah well, time marches on as Karen so astutely pointed out .....! OMIG - I'm going to need that health care pretty soon the way I'm pushing the years ahead! :eek:

bayhli

January 27th, 2006, 10:54 PM

Eleanor, that building is so wonderful! I'd love to get inside of it. I've never seen anything like it to be sure - makes you feel good just looking at it, I can't imagin what really being there does for you!

Your photo is excellent - love the perspective you featured it with. Just super!

bayhli

January 27th, 2006, 11:03 PM

Browndog,

Your image is lovely, comes across as very serene to me with the lighthouse very much the focus. Nicely done!

raffy

January 27th, 2006, 11:06 PM

Hi,bayhli-hey,I beat you by one year,and "old age" isn't so bad,as long as you don't lose your...lose your...your...mind!Aaaaaah!
BTW,where in NW Ont.do you live-anywhere near Wawa?

dpw9272

January 27th, 2006, 11:16 PM

i've read the rules and i just need to be clear about the submission deadlines... for example this weeks photo assignment was architecture and that would have to be submitted by when? i know it said the week of the assignment but i'm not sure when the assignment starts. im eager to join in especially since i have a new camera. i thought this would be an excellent way to get to know the camera a little better.

raffy

January 27th, 2006, 11:35 PM

Just took the complete tour of #14 so far-wowser,what great shots!

Robin-I love the little house and its "setting".

Tony-those shots of Petrolis are wonderful-which one is the Playhouse?

Karen-great composition with the different selections and treatments.

Nancy-the bridge is really set off well!Good stuff!

Robin S-that is a fine view of the ancient house at Chaco,and the text really fits in well!How old is the structure?

Jim-I'm guessing Louisiana,but it just doesn't look real-a great photo,tho'!

Norm-that's a beautiful church,and the black and white treatment really sets it off.How old is the cathedral?

Spotodog-those buildings are super-are they very old?they look like early 30's modernistic buildings (I'm not an expert,but I've seen similar ones in the recent Hercule Poirot mystery series.)

Brown Dog-I love the lighthouse,and the way you made it look so forlorn out in the wintery wastes.Cool!

Edmund

January 28th, 2006, 12:48 AM

Karen, The picture was taken in The Smokey Mountain National park in "Cades Cove" in Tennessee . It is an old restored settlers cabin from the late 1700's or early 1800's. If you have never visited the Smokey Mountains it is a worth while trip but a lonnnnnnnng waaaaaaaaaaay from your home town. The Smokies are a photographers paridise.

billz

January 28th, 2006, 02:15 AM

Hi dpw -

I post the weekly theme every Sunday ... posting deadline is the following Sunday (January 29 for the architecture photos), so you've still got plenty of time. Grab your camera and go!

Bill

karen donnybrook

January 28th, 2006, 06:34 AM

Thanks Edmund. No I don't think we will get to your neck of the woods in a hurry. We went to Canada/Alaska in 2005 and it was such a long haul from Perth to Vancouver particularly on the way back when the only stop was a couple of hours in Hong Kong airport!!

Bill, you can't really call that a 'house boat' can you - it is an ordinary house that is floating - amazing.

Norm F

January 28th, 2006, 10:47 AM

How old is the cathedral?

Thanks Raffy. It was built in 1912.

bayhli

January 28th, 2006, 04:49 PM

Hi Bill,

I'm fascinated with your picture of the houses on the river water - your picture is terrific as usual but it is the whole concept of living in a house on the water that I'm taken with. I've never heard of this before. Do people actually live in them or is it a display?

Can you elaborate on how this works? How do you get your plot of water; can you just "squat" your float and build a house on it wherever you please? There must be restrictions - what's it like to actually live on the water?

A house-boat here is more of a luxery water vessel - A Big Boat!

I don't suppose there is a web site that I could learn more about this - I'd really like to know more....

Thanks!

bayhli

January 28th, 2006, 04:56 PM

Hi Raffy,

We're more north and west of Wawa - about 10-12 hrs worth I think, but we do pass by there on the way to visit in the Barrie area; we're about 5 hrs west of Thunder Bay, a city you might recognize. We did take a run in there out of curiosity actually and it's a nice little town. Should have taken a picture of that huge statue of the duck? that attracts your attention - man it's a beauty!

... always enjoy your photos of Raffy!

raffy

January 28th, 2006, 05:07 PM

Wow-waaay north of Wawa!We used to have our pottery in a little shop in Wawa,but they closed years ago,I think due to general economic decline in the area.Too bad-it must be beautiful up there!What town are you actually in?Anywhere near Rainy River/Lake of the Woods (as per the old CBC weather reports)?
I just did a google on Wawa,and am sending you the link-if we could get a public domain photo of that goose-what fun it would be to PSE it!

http://www.wawa.cc/

billz

January 28th, 2006, 06:00 PM

Hi Pat -

There are actually several floating home communities here in Portland. We're fortunate to be located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers so there are lots of waterways. The floating homes, like all homes, range from the humble to the magnificent.

It was a struggle trying to get a good photo, because in most cases if you are on foot you are looking at the 'back' of the house. The more impressive 'front' faces the water.

They are fully hooked up to water, electricity, natural gas and cable for TV and broadband internet. You park your car in a parking lot on shore and are connected by floating walkways and a footbridge. People usually use wagons to carry groceries and other supplies in and trash out.

Here is a generic site ( http://www.floatinghomes.com/floatinghomes.htm#location )that will give you a bit more info.

If you google 'floating homes portland' you'll see some links to realtors that specialize in the market and get some more ideas of the lifestyle (and prices).

Looks like a nice way to live, but we've had 40 days and 40 nights of rain right now and the rivers are a bit angry. While it's very unlikely, it's not impossible to have homes suddenly change zip codes. Here are a couple more shots, one from last summer ... the last time we saw the sun. ;)

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1g84MXYwfy3TV3a5mT3xkcZqkspJ0

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1iPYTzRJwczD05Ej5qJrOHZ6EEPuxl

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1qCrdxDPUrpX6IHO6T5BRX6bFlin1

Bill

Pauline

January 28th, 2006, 06:33 PM

Eleanor my husband was watching "This Old House" tonight and I look up and there is your building!! There were visiting it and checking out the architeture!! It was so strange to see it on tv after just having seen it here!

spotodog

January 30th, 2006, 11:19 AM

hi,
that's funny that they would show the Stata Center (that's the name of the building) on This Old House! it really is quite an attraction - there are always a lot of tourists snapping pictures - I am there everyday (almost) because my gym is in the building!

on to the next challenge !