My Fried Food

My Fried Food
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

Shrimp Basket

Shrimp Basket
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

What an outing. The Shrimp Basket in Perdido Key Fla. Every thing is FRIED. Not a bad place but then again not a place to go if you are watching your health. The gumbo is not bad a little watered down but with some of those carb crackers (enough to soak up the water) it is not bad. The beer is cold, but no chilled mugs for it to go in. You have to rough it and drink it straight out of the bottle. The service is good and the place is always crowed. They do have misters outside if you are stuck waiting for a table. My advice is if you are waiting just move along to another little place to get a bite and try back when it is not so busy. All in all we have eaten there at least 4 times in the 6 month period that we have been there. There is all you can eat fried shrimp on Tuesday and Thursday. They use a smaller basket on those days so just order the popcorn shrimp. Lets face it there is not much of a selection when it come to eateries here in Perdido Key.

Beer-surprise

I have selected this plain photo of a beer bottle that I shot while out eating at the "Shrimp Basket" in Perdido Key Fl.  Since I love beer I thought well lets see what I can do with just the bottle.  I put the rust filter on that I had talked about in the previous blog to age the photo.  I liked the heavy look but the photo it self being not too good started to be less and less of the focal point.  I still wanted the heavy rust since this was not a shot of a place or person  and it was not important to be able to see the image clearly I thought what more could I do to pep it up a notch.  I went to my Illustrator CS2 and started to fool around with some clipping mask (did that on the bottle).  Since I loved the background I made sure that I added that back in so that the bottle was on a different layer and I could lay what ever my harts desired between the bottle and the background.  I then did a couple of strokes with the paint brush choosing a swatch from the beach pallet and then used the twister tool to give the effect of swirls and then reduced the additions anywhere from 30 to 45% and there you have it.  You could do this with anything.  It will add some more interest in even portrait photos that may have some dead space in them.  Perhaps give new life to photos that may have been rendered bad just due to bad placement.  Remember as always that these little additions should only help make the object more pleasing and should not be a focal point.  Your eye should flow easily over your completed image.  And always have fun.  Art is supposed to be fun.  Don't put too much on trying to be perfect it is those imperfections that may your artwork unique.  

Beer-surprise
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

Chic Old

I love old things and because I do, I look for them everywhere.  But unfortunately, so many of them cost so much!  Today however, there is a resurgence of things that look old but really arn't!  Who cares as long as  you can now have the look but not the cost.  That is if you don't count the cost of the materials to make them look old.  Seems like there is a buck to be made at every turn and I am usually the one that pays the buck.

 But I am here to tell you that just about anyone can distress things.  Take a look at the photo that I have started to work on, and and you will see a process that you could take on and perhaps make some of your new photos look old.  

I got this idea while living in Ireland some years ago.  A man who I will never meet bought a home in England and was renovating it.  He said that he spent the first night in his newly found find even though the place was gutted and there was a dead dog in the basement.  Yes what some of us won't do for the history and the feel of the place.  Well to make a long story short he went out and bought old paintings and filed the place.  He desired to have it restored to the Victorian spender that it once was and so he sought out the things that reminded him of that time era. He did not care about the history or some paper trail that proved he acquired an origional.. who ever,  he just wanted the feel.  He even said that he did not even know his ansestors so he made up  stories to go with the paintings.  Wow.   I am after  the feel too.  I don't care if the things that I choose have been photographed in the year 2008 or in 1808 just so they have a particular look and when you walk in the room you feel that time slip.  Slippage is a major selling point. 

Now I work in Photoshop CS2 as some of you may know (all two of you) and you just take your favorite photo and do a selective color (taking most of the color out but leaving the ones that you favor in) In this case I left yellows and oranges and reds but desaturated the greens and blues. That gives it a feel of time silppage.  I then went to my handy filter package, I got from Alien Skin and used the rust (heavy) on a separate layer.  Then I slowly erased the rust leaving just a bit to give that dirty and old look of perhaps a mirror or a painting that has been less cared for, possibly left up in the attic for 100's of years. Then another filter to distress the edges. (you won't want to do that in all your endeavors I used it just to show an old photo). Make sure you don't make the distressing the main focus in your art the photo should be the focus at all times.  Just remember why you love those old photos.  The interest that the flaws bring out. Enjoy and remember there is more than one way to distress your photos and this is just one way.  Above all be creative .  Have Fun! 

Brunch at the Beach Walk

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Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

This was poss. the best tasting tuna that I have ever had. The temp. was perfect the seasoning was perfect and it has a ginger sauce. Need I say perfect. Just thought that I would capture the moment and share the view of a great meal.
Food can be so creatively displayed that a shot of it can also turn into a work or art. (not that this photo is ) But you see were this is going. Think of things to photograph that are outside the box out side of the normal kids or grand kids, mountain or beach shots. Close ups can even add a whole new aspect. Suddenly there is more texture and interest. So the next time you go out to dine take the camera and snap a couple of shots at the wine or food or.....hey what happen to my desert.

Selective color

Georges First ride
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

Selective color can give your photo that statement that will elevate it from the ordinary to the extra-ordinary. I just selected the element that I wanted to highlight and then desaturated the rest of the image. Suddenly you can see that this photo means something in regards to the child left in color and your right his first ride.

Bull-Dog-English

Bull-Dog-English
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

What a sweet Dog. If you have not had a chance to kiss this little mug then you just simply must do so. Every fat roll and every snort says I love you.

George Fishing

George Fishing
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

Don't sell your not so good photos short. I had this photo stuck in my stash and just could not bring myself to post it only due to that in my mind it just was not up to my standard. It was too dark... it was a contrived face (on my grandsons part) and on an on and on. But I did post it because of his contrived face. He looked so much like a little Rascal (Alfalfa (spelling) that I just had to see what kind of feed back I got. Well I got great feed back. It made folks smile and isn't that what photography is all about conveying a feeling or thought? So I think that I will still hold to the old is it positioned right is the lighting correct etc. but most of all I will never over look the basic thing......... does it make you smile or convey some feeling. LOL

The fruit of our lives.

P7040118
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

I don't know what came to mind when shooting these subjects other than it just looked good. I like things that are in order and are the same grouped together. This was just a great night. Far better then my eating experience last night that consisted of fish fried in some substance that resembled something other then batter. As we drug ourselves back to the car and my daughter of all of 14 said ..." My tummy does not feel good , well this is what happens when my meal is less than 50$". We had a good laugh. So today I chose to put up the photos that I took several days ago. It was a nice memory of our eating experience.

Champain with Blue berries

Champain with Blue berries
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

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P4030026
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

This is one of my favs. This was taken on the bay side of Perdido key one sunny afternoon. He was just bouncing along when the shutter clicked and there he was suspended in air. Walking on sunshine.

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P4230019
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

My son had a wonderful time playing in the water spouts at the Commons. It was a wonderful sunny day.

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P7060066
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

So happy when I get hits and comments. This photo was taken in the evening with the sun going down. I love the way the leaves appear dark and frame in the subject mater.

Black and White

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Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

One of my favorite things is black and white photography. To me it opens up so much interest without having the distraction of color. The interest is solely on the subject. The intricate patterns in everyday subjects. Depth suddenly comes shouting out. It does not work with everything but when it does WOW!

P7060049

P7060049
Originally uploaded by Jeweledfrogcreations

P7060047

P7060047
Originally uploaded by theknittingfrog

Family at the beach