Home Improvement

It's been over a month since my last post, sorry for that, but I have been a busy fellow lately (with lots of help). Our home has been undergoing an "extreme makeover". New flooring, windows, some paint and an air exchanger with HEPA filtration. All this is to make our home much healthier for the whole family. It took much research to find suitable materials due to my multiple chemical sensitivities, but it was worth it, I have had very few issues with most of the improvements so far. The carpets simply had to go, they were so old they caused me no problems in terms of off-gassing but were becoming a big problem with my wife and son who have asthma and allergies. We have gotten a lot done, but there is much more work to go.

This weekend we finally got the living room put back together and we are very pleased with the new look. Through all of this the orchid Nannette received on her 40th birthday last summer has been blooming. I have been wanting to photograph it since she got it but I never really got inspired until tonight when it was placed into it's new environment and the time seemed right to capture it's beauty. Perhaps it's a symbol of our home blossoming into a healthy, happy, habitat.


Orchid Blooms

Tip: Camera Raw setting subsets

I have a 'knockout' tip posted on my buddy Rob's blog using Camera raw subsets. Check it out here :
http://photoshop2.blogspot.com/2006/02/save-settings-subset-in-camera-raw.html also check out some of the other great stuff he has there.

Nifty add-on, reveal in Bridge

Check out this link from the Bridge Developers Blog to download a file (Win and Mac versions) that add a new "Reveal in Bridge" command to Windows Explorer's or Apple Finder's contextual menu. Nifty!
http://blogs.adobe.com/bridge/2006/01/reveal_in_bridg.html

Tip, Customize keyboard shortcuts

Is there a tool or function in Photoshop that you use frequently but doesnt have a keyboard shortcut or one that is hard to remember? In CS and CS2 there is a keyboard shortcut manager. Look under Edit/Keyboard Shortcuts ... you can add, change or remove shortcuts for Application Menus, Palette Menus and Tools.

For instance, the shortcut for Image/Adjustments/Curves is CTRL+M, you can reassign that shortcut to Layer/Adjustment Layer/Curves, so now the shortcut will give you a curve adjustment layer instead. A great timesaver.

If you are not already using adjustment layers for things like Curves, Levels, or Hue/Saturation, I recommend you do. An adjustment layer is non-destructive and you can double-click the adjustment layer and re-adjust your settings, also the opacity settings can be used to fade the affect. The other nice thing about the adjustment layer is that it automatically gives you a layer mask which you can paint in burning and dodging without permanently altering the image. The adjustment layer can be dragged and dropped onto another image requiring the same or similar adjustment. Another great timesaver!

Photo D.I.Y.

Here is a site that has a number of Do-it-yourself projects for photographers ranging from homemade flash diffusers, film scanners and a macro lens from a pringles can. http://www.photocritic.org/ great projects for the Hi-tech redneck.

I'm stumped

Here are a couple of images taken this past weekend at an orchard near my friend Rob's home in Fredericton.


applestump I


applestump II

Familial Ground

The other night, I was in Fredericton for an opening and artist talk at Gallery Connexion of "Familial Ground" by photographer Rafael Goldchain. It is a series of self portraits portraying the artist as his relatives, as he says: "detailed reenactments of ancestral figures, and can be understood as acts of naming linked to mourning and remembrance."

Familial Ground


The work can be viewed here http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/goldchain/index.html

or "live" at Gallery Connexion until March 10th http://www.galleryconnexion.ca
if in Frederciton, it's worth checking out.

Retreat in Mahonne Bay

Margot Metcalfe, Silver Frith & I are leading a week long photographic retreat in Mahonne Bay, Nova Scotia, Sept 17-22nd entitled; Perspective & Perception.

Explore your creative 'self' through the lens of a camera in this week long PHOTOGRAPHIC RETREAT. Celebrating life through fine art photography offers us two possibilities. The first is to connect with our creative 'self' in making the image; the second is to explore analytically the created image for the potential that it contains.

More information can be found here:
http://www.mahonnearts.com/metcalfe_photography.html


autumn suite I

The Coolest keyboard I've ever seen!

I never thought I would put a keyboard very high on my wish list, but this thing looks amazing! It's called the Optimus keyboard and it uses OLED technology to make every key a stand-alone display. It can be set up in many different configurations & languages. It also allows application specific key displays including photoshop shortcut keys, and game command keys. The website points to news on Feb 1st.

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe announced today a public beta of new digital photography workflow application. Though still in the beta stage, this is a very promising program and it is avilable for free download http://labs.macromedia.com/technologies/lightroom/ during the beta process, currently available for mac only. The windows version coming soon.

NAPP The National Association of Photoshop Professionals has setup this resource for lightroom, check it out at http://www.photoshopuser.com/lightroom/index.html

other resources include:
http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/ Blog of John Nack, Senior Product Manager, Adobe Photoshop

http://photoshopnews.com/2006/01/09/announcing-adobe-lightroom/ Photoshopnews.com

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/software/lightroom1.shtml Micheal Reichmann's first look primer.

http://labs.macromedia.com/technologies/lightroom/video/ Lightroom Beta 1 Overview Video

Tatamagouche Experience

This was my second year as a facilitator along with Margot and Frith. We were part of another fantastic group and it was a privilege to be a part of it. The more events I get involved with, the more I want to get involved with.

In 2006 we are offering 2 events at Tatamagouche, a 4 day retreat Feb 1-5 th,

Still. Life. A Photographic Retreat

http://www.tatacentre.ca/still_life.htm

and the the fall weekend event October 20 - 22,

Photography for the Artist in Us

http://www.tatacentre.ca/photography_for_the_artist_in_us.htm


the Tatamagouche trio

Hallelujah Chorus

Driving Isabelle & her friend home from a church activity and after I just finished a spiritual guidance session, The girls start singing Hallllllllllllllllelujah! Hallllllllllllllllelujah!Hallelujah!Hallelujah!Hallelujah!...It went from a Handel-like Hallelujah chorus to more of a Leonard Cohen-ish Hallelujah,Hallelujah,Halleluuuuuuuuuuuja....

Seemed like a suitable ending to an enlighting evening.


Stone Church