kitchen life / # 3586 ~ the easy way

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blank master page ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

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SO, WE COME TO THE LAST OF THE PHOTO BOOK MAKING SECRETS ENTRIES. Hopefully, someone got something out of it. And, as promised, a couple more tips / secrets for your edification....

POD photo book making software can be a pain in the butt to figure and use. However, there is a simple way to make it, well, simple to use. That is, ignore all of the "canned" layout templates and use only the full-bleed-image out to the edges of the page-layout template. Here's how it works for me ....

Once I decide on the size of the book, let's say in ths case 8x8", I create a blank Photoshop file of the same size, 8x8"@200dpi, 16 Bit-FYI (I find 200dpi/resolution to be well more than adequate for excellent printed resolution). Then I set Rulers and drag Snap-To guides-from the VIEW drop-down menu-to define the image size of my pictures on the blank file. Since all of my pictures are square and I want them to be the same size in the same place on each page, this file becomes my "master" page file for the photo book I am making.

Once the master page file is set up, I drag all of the image files for the photo book-using the shift+option keys on the keyboard (MAC) in order to center the image files on the master page file-into the master page file. Each file becomes a separate layer in the master page file. Since all of my image files are square and lets say, in this case, made with my iPhone, the files will all be the same size. I then group all the layers together and-using the EDIT > TRANSFORM tool-size the image layers to fit within my snap-to guides.

I save the file. At this point, I have a master page file with all the pictures for the photo book on separate layers, all the same size and all in the same place on the page. It is now a simple process to create how ever many new blank page files-same size and resolution-needed for each picture page in the photo book and drag and drop-using shift+option keys-each picture layer into a blank page file in order to create uniform, individual picture page files for the photo book.

I save the files as Photoshop files (.PSD) just in case I might want to re-work / adjust an image file. Eventually the files will be copied and saved as JPEG files for upload to the POD source I use to make most of my photo books.

The advantage to creating page files in this manner is that, by selecting the full-bleed page layout in POD book making software, it is a simple matter of just drag-and-drop placement of my files on to pages in just about any POD book making software. It doesn't get any easier than this.

There are 2 other advantages to creating ful-bleed page files in Photoshop .... 1.) you can place as many pictures as you want, at any size you want, in any place you want, on a page. It is all up to you, not up to the software on a POD site. 2.) you can place as much type as you want on a page, any place you want, any typeface you want, any size you want and any color you want. This is especially useful for cover design. Just use the TYPE tool in Photoshop.

So, it would seem that we have come full-cicle back to Photoshop where this how-to make a photo book began. There may be other image editing software out there that have the same or similar capabilities but I have been a Photoshop user since 1991 so this old dog don't want to have to learn any new tricks.

kitchen life / around the house / # 3573-75 ~ trying to keep it simple addendum

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late afternoon light ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

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A FOlLOW UP TO THE PREVIOUS ENTRY, re: TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Hintsight being 20/20, it occurred to me that, while I wrote about using the Photoshop CURVES for image file adjustments, there was precious little detailed info about how to use the tool. The reason for that was simple inasmuch as I was trying to keep it simple. That reason plus the fact that I had no desire to get into the how-to stuff which can get fairly complex and/or, lazy wise, way too time consuming to write.

So, making amends wise, here's a link to the Adobe CURVES how-to page.

FYI, the best way to learn how to use the CURVES tool is to use it. To be safe, make a duplicate image file and just start screwing around with the tool. It really isn't rocket science, athough it might seem to be at first glance. And remember, in addition to global adjustments (the entire image), you make selections of any area, large or small, of the image and make adjustments to just that selection area. In either case, you can see on screen what your screwing around does to an image and , if you don't like it, you can just undo it.

around the house / kitchen life / coronavirus snapshot # 3564-66 ~ trying not to lose it

neighbor helping neighbors ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

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I AM MOST DEFINITELY IN THE MOOD FOR A RANT. However, I can not latch onto a topic, picture making wise, to get all worked up about.

Sure, sure ... the picture making "perfectionists", gearheads and Academic Lunatic Fringe are all up to their usual monkeyshines and gobbledygook but, right now, I don't have the energy to get all worked up about it. And, if I'm honest about it, that is because almost all of my anger and frustration-thus my reason for a rant-is latched onto: 1st and foremost - the utter and complete ineptitude / malevolent incompetence of the orange-faced narcissist and his party of death, and, 2nd - the conspiracy-addled, re: the pandemic, contingent of the public.

However, I don't want to venture down that rabbit hole cuz this is a photography blog. And, to be frank, I am also trying not to get preoccupied by that anger and frustration and bide my time 'til Novemeber when, hopefully ....

In the meantime, I am just trying to be safe, aka: semi-isolation, the mask thing and social distancing. Activities that I am rather certain will be in my future for an extended period of time.

However, that written, staying safe where I live-a huge region (bigger than some states) of northern New York State along the Canadian border-is easier than most other regions / states. That is due to the facts that in this region, the numbers are very good...

...currently, there are only 349 confirmed cases of the virus and only 6 reported deaths. And, after testing in our region for the virus antibody, only 1.2% of those tested, tested positive for the antibody which means that the number of confirmed virus cases is a reasonably accurate number.

Although, those numbers could change for the worse when NYS starts to reopen and the tourists start to come back. I might have to avoid the sidewalks of Lake Placid but, if you can't social distance in the wilderness, I don't know where you can. So, I am looking forward to packing up our solo canoes and heading out on a wilderness water-way to set up camp, far from the maddening crowds, for a few days.

kitchen life / kitchen sink / # 3561-63 ~ I made a picture with a "real" camera

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MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, CABIN FEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR my use of a "real" camera to make a picture. Or maybe, just maybe, it was a sub-concious impluse to just do something to shake up my stay-at-home semi-rut. In any case, it just happened and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. 'Nuff written

civilized ku # 3556 + an answer to a question in a picture ~ the gift that keeps on giving

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Lartigue-like Abarth ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

YESTERDAY'S ENTRY GENERATED 2 COMMENTS which are presented here....

One comment was a question from Markus Spring:

"Just curious, Mark: How did you achieve that Lartigue hint in the look of your Abarth?"

my response: Easy enough. I could write that the Abarth just looks fast even while sitting still but .... it's the result of optical distortion from the use of the new ultra wide lens on the iPhone 11 PRO.

The other comment is from THOMAS RINK which I will let stand on its own - no response needed:

A related story from me, if I may share it: I took up photography in 1982, as a teenager. My way of working were photo walks, taking pictures of whatever I found interesting. Within walking distance from my parent's home was a place which I believe was an abandoned orchard, overgrown with blackberries, nettles and elderberry shrubs. I visited this place repeatedly, sometimes got pictures that I liked, but more often not.

In 1987, I had to quit photography. I studied biology, started a family and found work as a software developer, so there wasn't much free time left. It wasn't before 2010 that I was able to afford a digital camera, and start photography again.

Anyway, in September 2019 by chance I came across that very same orchard again on one of my photo walks. It looked like it did back in 1985! I took some pictures and almost immediately saw the potential. Since then I visited this place at least once a week, even during the lockdown. When comparing the pictures I got recently with those from 35 years earlier, they look strikingly similar in terms of subject matter and composition. However, I'm able to get satisfying pictures more consistently (not in technical terms - I mean aesthetically satisfying). So, while my 'vision' remained essentially the same, it seems to have become more 'focused' or 'refined'.

The important finding for me is that I discovered something like an 'invariance' within myself. - And I consider this as a gift. I believe that some kind of 'resilience' against the influence of others (to take 'pleasing/meaningful pictures') is crucial.

civilized ku # 3552-53 ~ seeing what's out there

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A QUESTION WAS ASKED REGARDING MY DAILY MORNING viewing rota of photo blogs / sites. Simple to answer: I go to Markus Spring's Hot from the Sphere page on which there is a list of blogs / sites links he follows.

The page is updated on an automatic (assumption) basis - whenever a blog / site has a new entry, that site's link appears at the top of the page. Updating happens many times a day and night. It's a good source, for me, inasmuch as Markus' interests match up to mine reasonably well. An added bonus to starting with his links page is that some of those links lead to sites that, in turn, have links to other sites.

That written, if you're just looking for pictures, Instagram is the way to go for me. My feed, or whatever it might be called, is almost exclusively comprised of people I follow who are dedicated picture makers. There is a lot of good stuff on Instagram and it is mostly just pictures with very few words. At least that is so for the ones I follow.

civilized ku # 3547 + misc ~ and the beat goes on

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A COUPLE THINGS TO NOTE:

1. Some pictures are disappearing from the Coronavography site. Don't know why. Most that have disappeared did not have captions so I don't know how to replace them. All files have been uploaded to blogger which is suppose to insure that they don't disappear. Anyone out there know what's happening / have a solution?
2. For the iPhoner / smartphoner picture makers - there's an interesting series of life during wartime pictures, made with a cell phone, on LENSCRATCH. The picture maker did a pretty decent job of converting the pictures to BW. I wonder what Mike Johnston might think.
3. I was "nominated" to do a music / album thing - pick albums which influenced my music interests. Such an undertaking is, IMo and in my particular case, kinda specious inasmuch as my music interests are very diverse and could not possibility be represented by a relative handful of artists / albums.

That written, if I were to make a tree of my music interests, many of the branches would probably flow from the depicted albums / artists ( amongst many others).

civilized ku # 3546 ~ things come, things go / it's all about catching them in the act

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WHILE WRITING YESTERDAY'S ENTRY, I WAS DELIGHTEDwhen the phrase/nomenclature TOPOGRAPHY OF THINGS rolled off of my yellow penny pencil. It felt as if I had coined an original word group. But, alas, upon googling the phrase, I did discover that a few other creative minds had, if not created, used the phrase. For instance, you can buy a Topography of Things duvet for your bed.

Be that as it may, I still like the phrase and intend to use it as the title of a new body of work. Initially that body of work will be comprised of existing pictures culled from picture library but I must write that the phrase has given me a kick in the butt to begin picturing outside of the box .... metaphorically writing, the box being my kitchen. Not that I have not done so in the past, it's just that I want to consciously expand my range.

FYI, the act of culling through my picture library for topography of things pictures will require that I define what constitutes a "thing". At first blush, it seems that definition of a thing should be, an inanimate object. However, that definition is not, at this time, an operative directive. Gotta think about it.