Texturize Me

(Kim Klassen Create Edges Texture)

This past weekend, when I should have been vacuuming and dusting, I was busy doing fun things instead.  We took little Misty Belle out to a local boardwalk and her favorite pet store to get some treats.  We wanted to make sure she is getting continued socialization, which isn't easy to do during the cold winter months!  There were a few other brave souls roaming the boardwalk who ooh'd and ahh'd over her and we even saw another darling puppy, a boxer and I thought of Di, The Blue Ridge Gal and her sweet boy Rowdy.

(Kim Klassen Coffee Tea or Me Texture)

On Saturday I opened an email from Kim Klassen that had links to 2 free textures.  Mr. Tide had taken the dogs out very early on Saturday morning, so when I showed him the new textures he said he had taken some pictures at sunrise if I wanted to try and add a texture to them.  Of course, when given the choice between cleaning or playing around in Photoshop, y'all know which one will win every time!!!

(Florabella Worn Linen Texture Warm)

Here's another one of Mr. Tide's sunrise photos overlooking our icy creek.  I applied a Florabella action called Worn Linen, which gives the photo a nice canvas texture. 

It seems that everyone has been in a bit of a texture mode these days in blogland.  If you pop over to the beautiful blog Dear Lillie, you'll see some gorgeous shots using textures, not to mention a slipcovered ottoman that I covet!!!

 (Old Paper Lizzie_Anne)

Kate was also feeling the texture love this weekend and created some beautiful photos of her own, using free textures she found on Flickr.  I did a bit of hunting around on Flickr too, and found this gorgeous Old Paper Texture for free and applied it to my pear photo.

 (Postcard 3 Sophie G*)

I love the beautiful french script from Sophie G*'s Postcard 3 texture which I found thanks to Kate.  And the best part is most of these lovely textures are available for free and with limited restrictions on personal or commercial use.  You should always check the terms of use when creating things using someone else's textures though, as there can be restrictions on how you can use them or if you can use them on things you intend to sell, such as prints or note cards.

(Kat W. Vintage Lace)

Some of you have asked what a texture is, and in actuality the answer is really quite simple, they are jpeg photos.  These jpeg photos can then be applied as a layer to your existing photo giving it a whole new look and feel.  They can be created through the use of photo editing programs from scratch or you can simply create one by taking a photograph or scanning something like a piece of fabric or an old postcard and turning it into a jpeg.  The possibilities are really limitless when it comes to creating textures, the sky's the limit!

I decided to play around with creating some of my own, because once you create the jpeg you can then apply it to your photos and play around with the lighting, color burn, etc. to make it just the way you want it.  In the photo above I scanned an old lace handkerchief that belonged to my grandmother and created two different textures using the same photo, one with a very cool color cast, and one with warmer tones.  You can download them both for free and use them however you want by clicking HERE.

 (Kat W. Vintage Lace Cool and Kim Klassen Random Inspiration)

You can also apply more than one texture to a photo in order to create something really special if you want.  Above I used my Vintage Lace Cool Texture with Kim Klassen's Random Inspiration's Texture, in order to create an almost watercolor like effect.  I love this one!

(Kat W. Vintage Lace and Sophie G* Postcard 2)

On this last photo I again used the Vintage Lace Texture I created along with the same beautiful Postcard 2 texture that Kate had used on her photo, which you can see by clicking here.

I love that people create and share their textures, whether they are free or for a small fee, because they really do change the whole look and feel of any photograph.  I also hope that some of you will try downloading  these various textures and play around with this yourself to create whatever your heart desires!

One last thing.  Over the weekend I received  Stylish Blogger Award from the very talented Cathy at Stitchfork Designs.  If you've never popped by her blog, be sure to stop by because Cathy does beautiful monogram and embroidery work!!!

With this award I'm supposed to tell you 7 things about myself and then pass it along to 10 other bloggers I admire, but you all know there are WAY more than 10 bloggers I admire.  So if you want to play along, please consider this an open invitation to do so...I'm sending this award out to all of you talented bloggers out there in blogland!  All you have to do is create a post telling us 7 things about yourself.  Of course if you're one of those organized people who can narrow it down to 10 other bloggers, be sure to create links to their blogs and then let them know you've sent them the award.

So here are 7 Things you may, or may not know about me.

1.  I often blog or write stories while in my PJs or sweats...it helps get the creative juices flowing!

2.  I was voted class clown by my high school's graduating class.

3.  I was a political science major in college and planned to go to law school after graduation.  During my summers I worked for lawyers and realized that the really successful attorneys had nice homes, boats, and cars, but were rarely ever home to enjoy those things or their families.

4.  Even though I studied politics in college, I hate discussing politics with anyone other than my immediate family.

5.  Throughout my life I've had more male friends than female.  I could talk cars, I played sports, and I hung out mostly with guys...and still do.

6.  If I could have a superhero talent it would be the ability to fly...wouldn't that be so cool?

7.  If I won the lottery I would give to various charities, I would pay off my house, put some in a trust for my children, and use the rest to travel all over the world.   I would not use it to build a big huge house or buy an expensive car.

Happy Monday my friends!

Humble Pie and Other Goings On

The very talented Kate from Chronicles of a Country Girl often enters her beautiful photos into the photo assignments challenges on Pioneer Woman's site.  Kate was even a finalist in a recent contest with her gorgeous cardinal photo, a well deserved accolade when you consider the hundreds of thousands of people who enter each of these photo assignments!  It really is quite intimidating and awe inspiring when you see some of the photos which get submitted each time.

I finally got brave enough to put one of my photos out there, the pear picture above, since this round's assignment is all about Food.  You can click here to see some of the finalists so far.  You might think that photographing food would be a piece of cake...sorry, pun intended, but it's actually quite hard.  Shooting in sunlight is a must, not getting too close, yet close enough to your food is important, and motion is also a good thing for food shots, like pouring something, etc.

Of course I did shoot my pear in bright sunlight, probably too bright actually, but hey it was my first attempt with these assignments and after seeing the competition I was served a big 'ole slice of humble pie...perfectly lit, expertly composed, and mouthwateringly beautiful of course.  There is some serious talent out there people, and just scrolling through all of those photos is enough to make a person want to pack away their Kodachrome and pull the covers over your lens.  But I won't do that, instead I'll study the winning photos and take heed of all their subtle tricks which take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and turn it into a masterpiece.  Hmm, I seem to be talking a lot about food in posts lately don't I?!

 (photo with Random Inspirations Texture)

Feeling slightly deflated and very much inadequate after viewing some of the photos in the contest, I did pick my chin up long enough to visit a few photo streams on Flickr of those whose photos I envied.  I came across one person's stream, which I have since forgotten their name because that's how many photos I looked at, and she had the most beautiful textures on many of her photos.  I'm talking drop dead, stop you in your tracks gorgeous textures.  Words gracefully blended with flowers, they had me at hello!  So I decided to crack open my photo archives from last spring and buy myself some textures, you know as a way of making myself feel better.

The textures I used on each of these photos are all from the very talented Kim Klassen.   Although the textures I used weren't free, they were all very reasonably priced I felt, and if you sign up to be on Kim's email list she often sends out freebies for folks like you and me to try.

I purchased a total of 10 textures, for $20.50 which I thought was fair, and after applying them to some of my flower photos from last spring I was convinced that if I ever decide to sell art prints or create note cards, these will be my "go to" textures!

The two pictures above both feature Kim's Layers Texture, I adjusted the lighting, the color burn, and erased a bit of the texture in the top cherry blossom picture so you can see that the same texture can be applied in a variety of ways to create very different looks.

On the photo above I used Kim's All My Lovin' texture, I love the mix of type written words, script, and music found in this texture. 

I also purchased a set of textures called The Vintage Collection.  I combined several textures from this set to create the photo above.  I love how some of the textures in this set give a subtle lace like quality to the photo and subject matter.

This last photo is my very favorite out of the group I created.  I used the All My Lovin' Texture once again and I simply adore the juxtaposition of the sweet sentiments with the delicate cherry blossom buds.  I actually think something like this would be so pretty for non-traditional wedding invitations or even bridal shower invites!

I want to thank Kim, who up until today I'd never really known much about, and had never used any of her textures.  She truly is a gifted artist and a very giving person.  We exchanged a few emails this afternoon and she was more than helpful in answering all of my questions regarding the compatibility of her textures for Photoshop Elements, which they are, HOORAY for me!  She also offers some great videos on her site to teach you how to use her textures and to help you take better photos!  She jokingly told me that this texture thing can become quite addictive, and I have to say that with these textures and others I'm planning to purchase from her, I may be in need of a 12 step program very soon!

You might have noticed that my watermark has changed too, I'm now using the name Kat W. Photography, not just Low Tide High Style.  I've decided that it's time to take off my training wheels and get serious about this photography stuff, so we'll see where it takes me, but for now I'm enjoying the ride, and I have you all to thank for constantly giving me support and encouragement...thank you!

I want to say thank you to those of you who have been brave enough to send me your house photos, if you missed it, read this post, and there is no time limit for submitting pictures, so keep them coming!  I wish we could feature single rooms, but right now we're looking for whole houses.

And also, there is still plenty of time to enter my latest Giveaway, click HERE to find out how to enter.

I hope you each have a wonderful weekend!

House Call

Recently I was asked by my dear friend Fifi O'Neill to scout and photograph some homes for a few of the wonderful Italian publications she is now working with.   She will even be spearheading her own magazine, and as we all know from her past endeavors in the publishing world, it's sure to be a huge success!

So that brings me to my next subject.  If you happen to live in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, or any of the surrounding states and have a house you think should be featured in a magazine, I'm all ears.  But first I have to be all eyes and see some photos.

They don't have to be professional quality photos, just nice clear shots taken from each corner of the room.  Try and stay away from sending me lovely vignette shots, because if your rooms have good bones, we can create vignettes, but it's hard to go the other way if you know what I mean.

Being in a magazine doesn't require you to have a home where each and every room is perfect, usually we focus on master bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms, with a few exterior shots thrown in for good measure.  Of course, if you have a wonderful child's room, or a great screened in porch, or sunroom, those are an added bonus!

Now, not all houses can make the cut when it comes to being in a magazine.  Often it's not that a home wasn't pretty enough, or stylish enough, it can sometimes come down to something as simple at it having the wrong paint color.  As much as I'd like to believe I live in a nicely decorated home, I clearly know that my home isn't up to snuff when it comes to being in a magazine spread.  Maybe one day it will be, but not at the moment, it's just not unique enough.

So if you drool over magazines and can honestly say that you think your home could be in one, here's what I need you to do.

1.  Send me photos, no larger than 5 x 8 and medium to low resolution so that the files aren't huge.

2.  Exterior and interior shots, remember to take wide shots from every corner of a room.  Don't fret if every corner isn't perfect, but you get the idea, I need to be able to see the WHOLE room, not just tight, close up shots of your dining room table!

3.  If you live outside of the areas I've mentioned, send photos anyway, there are other photographers and writers out there that might be able to shoot your home besides me.  Be sure to tell me in your email where you home is located, as in city and state.  That will help me to decide if you are within reasonable driving distance of where I live, or to better pass your info along to someone else!

4.  You don't have to "stage" your house, but do take a moment to really look at what you are photographing.  It's hard to see what a room actually looks like if there are piles of paper, kids toys, and people in the shots!

5.  DON'T get discouraged in you don't hear back right away, it takes time to review the pictures, and like I said, not every home will make the grade, but it's not a personal affront if you don't get selected.  Refer to the list at the bottom of the post for exactly what types of homes I'm looking for at the moment.

6.  Don't try and make your home look perfect...that's the job of the stylist and photographer, we understand that real people aren't living perfect lives every day!  And in this instance size doesn't matter, a bigger house isn't always a better house.

7.  Please be sure to leave me an email address or phone number where I can get in touch with you should your home be picked, or to let you know if it's not.

8.  Be brave and send the pictures.  Some of my very favorite homes that I've covered in the past 13 years have been people who have said to me when I contacted them..."Oh my house isn't anything special!"  When someone says that, I generally know it will be a winner!

9.  This doesn't have to be your home, if you have a neighbor, friend or relative that you think should be included, feel free to get their permission and submit their home!

10.  Be sure you want to have someone come into your home and photograph it.  Remember it will probably be an all day event with furniture rearranging going on and someone pulling things from your closets and cupboards in order to make a perfect shot!  You have to be able to go with the flow during a shoot, (because there is a lot of hard work and chaos that goes along with a shoot), or it simply won't work and the photos will be lifeless!  Everyone I've ever worked with who has had their home shot, found it to be a very rewarding, but also tiring experience!

11.  Lastly, here's what I'm looking for: 

a.  Romantic homes that aren't over the top, too frilly, frou frou, or with everything but the dog covered in wallpaper!

b.  Country farmhouses - clean, simple farmhouse style

c.  Small, unique cottages - think English Cottage or summer cottage

d.  Bungalows

e.  Waterfront homes, big and small 

f.  Log homes, from over the top to cabin chic

g.  Victorians - But again, nothing too chi chi fou fou!

h.  French Country - But think French Country farmhouse, not what Target or Home Goods says is French Country

Sorry, I'm not looking for sleek and modern at the moment, but don't think that new construction is out, because if you've taken a typical tract home and turned it in to something wonderful, I would love to see it!

So, there you have it my friends, if you've always thought your home oughta be in pictures, here's your chance!  I look forward to seeing what you guys have to offer!

If you have any questions you can email me at kgwhouse@gmail.com

A Recipe for Good Design

If decorating were like baking a cake, there would be a recipe to follow, something simple that would result in something delicious!

Just like with the cake analogy, there are a million different flavors of cake, some which are favorites, and others which cater to a more exotic palette.  So in a way there are tried and true recipes for decorating, and there really is no right or wrong, the ingredients can vary and the outcome will sometimes flop, but you can start over, amend the recipe, and try again.

If I were writing a decorating cookbook of sorts, I would be sure that each recipe included 3 key ingredients, Color, Light, and Texture.  For me, these are like sugar, flour, and butter...essential to creating that prize winning cake, or to creating good design.

I am not a master chef at decorating, but I do know what I like.  Like the photo above of my trusty bucket bench.  This bench has traveled with me from house to house and in its lifetime it's been several colors, including a deep green.  Today, it's painted Benjamin Moore's Simply White, but next month it may find a new color, who knows.  It holds a small collection of crocks, and if you look closely, you'll see something dark sticking up from the crock in the back right.  I use these crocks to hold our dog's leashes, they keep things close at hand but out of sight...well sort of since you can see them in the photo!  

The clock was an inherited gift from Mr. Tide's grandparents, we still need to take it to a repair shop to get it back into working order.  I love the deep dark brown of the wood, the wavy glass which reflects the light pouring in from the backyard, and beautiful intricate carving...color, light, and texture!

For me, color comes in many forms.  White on white, or tone on tone interiors are all the rage right now as evidenced by the numerous books and magazine articles featuring interiors with monochromatic color schemes.  When done well, with lots of varying shades of white and plenty of texture, I swoon right along with the masses, but I know that for me, it would never work.

For me, having an all white house would be like eating angel food cake for dessert every night.  Not that I don't love a good angel food cake with its soft center and slightly crispy browned crust, but I need more color in my life than that.  On the other hand, I'm not a red velvet cake person either, with deep rich hues and plenty of saturated colors.  I think if I was any cake it would be a lemon chiffon, or maybe a spice cake with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream...something light but colorful, or something with a kick of flavor from a mix of ingredients.

With design, I think it's fair to say that you can appreciate and even enjoy different flavors, but in order to find your own sense of style you need to figure out which tastes appeal to you and then learn to hone those flavors into something that satisfies your needs.

If Paula Deen or Martha Stewart told you to only like cupcakes would you believe them?!  The same can be true for magazines and books.  Just because something is in vogue at the moment and it's not to your liking doesn't mean you have to re-do your entire house to suit someone else's taste buds.

I think we all struggle with this, I know I do.  And believe me, when you work in a business that is focused on what's hot at the moment, it's easy to get caught up and swept away with the latest design trends, often feeling somewhat inadequate if your 2 layer yellow cake somehow doesn't measure up to the perfect chocolate truffle souffle being featured on the pages of your favorite magazine.

Instead of letting it overwhelm you when you feel like your home someone doesn't make the grade, stop and take a moment to look at all the ingredients found in the rooms and homes you see featured.  Maybe you love the pinch of salt, like the all white walls and white slipcovered furnishings they've used, but your blood pressure can't handle it, so take what you can use, maybe the white walls, but leave the rest.

Find your own secret ingredient, using things you already own, and mix up the recipe to create something new in your home without having to start from scratch with a whole new recipe, baking dishes, and oven!

Good design chefs come in all shapes and sizes, and they offer up all sorts of variations on those tried and true recipes.  My Color, Light, and Texture recipe isn't a one size fits all, it's just a recipe that has worked for me over the years.  Becoming a great decorator and creating a home you love isn't always about having the perfect, most expensive ingredients, it's really about taking the things you already have and whipping them in to something special that says something about you and the way you live!

And speaking of homes, my heart goes out to the people in Australia who are dealing with horrible flooding!  Our dear friend A-M is suffering firsthand the effects of this terrible natural disaster.  Please take a moment and stop by her blog (HERE) and send her, and all the others like her and her boys, a big virtual hug!  My thoughts are with all those who have lost so much!

The Faster I Go, The Behinder I Get and A Giveaway

I can scarcely believe it's been almost a week since my last post...time flies when you're feeling ill...actually it just kind of drags on when you realize how many things are piling up as you huddle in bed!  My title is a quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and it perfectly describes my life at the moment!  You all were so sweet to leave me wonderful comments about my blog anniversary, and send me well wishes as I muddled through the virus I had, and when I was feeling better and finally sat down to try and return emails and answer comments, I realized how very far behind I am on absolutely everything right now!

So instead of becoming overwhelmed, I'm doing what I said I should do, I'm moving forward and tackling what I can and letting go of the rest.  Which reminds me of another great quote from wise Mr. Carroll... "Alice generally gave herself good advice (though she very seldom followed it)."  This time I'm following my own good advice which was Tip #5 from my recent post on blogging!  See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

I truly did appreciate each and every comment and email and if I could clone myself I would reply personally to every single one of them, but a stack of work emails and deadlines has me busier than a one armed paper hanger right now.

If you could see the Christmas tree still standing in my family room (sans ornaments at least), the holiday decor stacked on my dining room table waiting to be put away, the dust Velociraptors (oh they've grown way past cute bunnies) that litter my floors, and the empty pantry that cries Mother Hubbard's Cupboard each time I open it, you'd understand!

I did however manage to make it out of my house yesterday and today.  Last night I took homemade chili over to my friend Ms. M, and we had dinner with her.  She is doing great and because she's housebound and reliant on the help she has hired, she was thrilled to have a little extra company and one of her favorite meals.  Then today I met a realtor at my parent's house.  We are so very close to getting it on the market, and we hope to finish up the final details before the end of the month!

On my way home tonight, I decided to pop into a few of my favorite stores since I feel like I've been out of the loop for so long now.  I know I should have headed to the grocery store, but it was 4:30 and that meant that everyone and their brother was shopping after work and in preparation of the ice storm we might be getting so I decided we could subsist on what's in the freezer for a few more days...English muffins aren't just for breakfast right?!

I first stopped at Cecil's Country Store, but they had wisely closed down early since it was starting to sleet.  So I drove to another favorite, Lola Belle Co. in Leonardtown and picked up a few things to use as a giveaway.  It's my way of saying thank you for understanding, being supportive, and well, for just being you!

By the time I reached the store the temperature had dropped significantly and the roads were starting to get slippery so I immediately gravitated toward anything that reminded me of spring or summer.  You can tell by my photos that I was craving a little pop of color in everything I purchased, probably because it's been so bleak and colorless outside.

After milling about in the store, I got a phone call from Mr. Tide telling me that I should really head home since he almost fell on our back patio.  So I gathered up my treasures and then jumped in my car to head home before the roads got really bad.

So here is my spring/summer wishes giveaway.  A little mercury glass birdie in pale green to remind you that springtime and birds chirping are just around the corner.  A Village Candle called Summer Breeze, because I could use one right about now!  A bright floral hand towel that ironically is made by Dena Fishbein, whose house I wrote about in Romantic Country Magazine, and I didn't even notice that until I got home...such a small world!  Some lavender bath salts from PRE de Provence, because lavender is soothing no matter what the season.  And last but not least, a bracelet made from shells to remind you that beach weather will be upon those of us in the northern hemisphere before we know it!

This little group of goodies is my way of sending a little springtime and sunshine your way along with a great big hug of thanks!

In order to enter, and because I know you all are just as crazy busy as I am, all you need to do is leave me a comment telling me whatever you like.  Yup, you can say "hi" or maybe tell me what the weather is like in your neck of the woods today, it's up to you!

The Giveaway is open to everyone, and will end on Tuesday, January 18th, at Midnight PST.

Sick As A...

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments about my 1 year blog anniversary, reading them has been better than a big bowl of chicken noodle soup!

And speaking of chicken noodle soup, I could use a whole vat of the stuff!  Both my son and I have come down with some sort of nasty virus, the kind you get after spreading yourself too thin during the holiday season.  The kind that sneaks up on you and makes you say things like "I feel sick as a dog," and makes you wish you owned a big red water bottle with its very own sweater!

Thankfully, these guys are not sick as dogs.  And also thankfully, Mr. Tide has been around to help out by doing EVERYTHING around here, including answering my work emails...I have to admit, he does make a pretty cute secretary!

For now I'll be snuggling up with these guys under warm blankets, drinking copious amounts of tea, and wondering how people can subsist on daytime television??!!!  Maybe tomorrow I'll feel good enough to fire up my laptop and catch up on what's been going on in the world...maybe.  For now I'm headed back to bed.

I hope all is well in your world, and that you stay healthy!

Things I Know - It's a Short List

(photo above taken by Mr. Tide and processed into an HDR image by yours truly)

One year ago today I decided to do something I swore I would never do...I started a blog.  Now don't misunderstand, I had nothing against blogs, as a matter of fact, I was kind of addicted to a few, but ME write a blog?!

Mr. Tide had been bugging me for a long time to start a blog, but I had declined at every turn.  You see, I kind of have the attention span of a gnat...it's not pretty, my friends.  You can ask my real life friends about my knitting phase, my painting phase, and I once stayed up all night to make a cross-stitch wedding sampler before I got married because I knew that when the sun rose I would not have the slightest interest in doing needlework for a very long time. 

I also write for a living, so the idea of writing more stuff just sounded like more work frankly.  But after being the last people on the planet to watch Julie and Julia (I know, I know, it's been the inspiration for about a bazillion other bloggers) I thought...hmm maybe I can do this.

I thought, maybe it will give me some freedom from what I do for work and I'll be able to write about any old thing that pops into this feeble brain of mine.  So on January 4th, 2010, I put fingernails to keyboard and created my first post.  I had no clue if it would ever be read, or if I would ever do another post, so the fact that I'm still standing a year and 317 posts later is nothing short of a miracle!

And along the way people actually followed me and read my rantings and cheered me along...who knew?!  I have been amazed, inspired, encouraged, and embraced over this last year in a way I never expected and even if I shut this blog down tomorrow (and remember there have been times when I thought I would need to) I will forever be grateful for everything and for all of you!  The friendships and bonds I've made lift me up each and every day, so Thank You!!!

I've always considered myself a Jack of All Trades and Master of NONE.  And blogging has been no different in that regard, but I have learned a few things along the way that I'd like to impart.  Don't get a pen and paper folks, these aren't juicy words of wisdom, but more like rambling reflections on this past year...plastic pearls of wisdom you might say.

1.  Be true to yourself!  The blogging experts (whoever they are?) say to pick a genre and stick to it.  That's great if you are a stick to it kind of person, but I am clearly not.  Always remember that what you have to say is important, even if it's only important to you.  You started a blog for a reason, and much like life, it's a journey filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises along the way.  If something strikes your fancy you should blog about it...it is YOUR blog afterall.

2.  Don't count your followers before they've hatched!  I can't stress this one enough.  People will follow, and people will un-follow, it's the nature of the beast.  You'll never know why someone does or doesn't follow you, or why someone UN-follows you, but don't take it personally, it's not worth wasting your time trying to figure out what you did or didn't do.  Truth be told, it probably had nothing to do with you at all, and if it did, well you can't control it anyway so let it go my friends!

3.  Who wants to be a Millionaire?!  Ok, this is probably the biggest lesson I've learned over the last year.  The odds of you striking it rich through your blog, unless you are promoting your own business via your blog, are rather slim.  I'm not saying you shouldn't go after sponsors or monetize your blog, but creating a design/lifestyle blog as a way to strike it rich is kind of like buying a lottery ticket...it could happen!  All of my sponsors are there because they offered me giveaway items and in return I offered them sponsorships.

4.  Helping Hand!  There are bloggers out there who will give you the shirt off their backs, they'll answer any question you have and really try and help you out...but...there are also some who will play I've got a secret and won't be so giving of their time or advice.  Donna from Funky Junk Interiors is one of the good ones folks!  When I first started blogging, there wasn't a stupid email question I could ask that that sweet woman wouldn't answer and I'm still here today thanks to her kindness...and that of many others too great in number to mention!  She also has lots of tips on her blog to help new bloggers out with FAQs.

5.  Guilt be a Lady Tonight!  Cut yourselves some slack, you can't be all things to all people.  You can't respond to every comment and email, or visit every blog every day...unless you can do it in your sleep.  Do the best you can and then walk away.  Blogging was never meant to take over your life, it is meant to enhance it.

6.  Negative Nellies!  Beware the Negative Nellies in the world, they are everywhere.  Sometimes they are a family member, a friend, or even a co-worker, so be careful who you share that blog address with until you really know how supportive they will be.  I'm not saying to hide something from your spouse or best friend, but if you know someone who will try and bring you down, you may want to wait awhile before you share your "baby" with them.  People love to give advice...the problem is they usually don't tell you what is good for you, they tell you what would be good for them.

 7.  Tell me you Love Me!  Comments are a funny thing.  You might write a post that you think will light up the internet only to get a handful of comments on it.  Why?!  I have no clue, and neither will you.  It could be that your post struck a nerve with the reader and it was something they just couldn't comment on, or maybe they got a phone call just when they were about to comment, and poof they forgot to come back and leave you a kind message.  So don't sweat the small stuff, even the Negative Nellies who might leave you an unkind word from time to time...you can't worry about everything, trust me.  I like to say that if my husband, my children and my dogs all love me, then that's all that really matters!

8.  Meet and Greet!  If you've had the opportunity to connect with someone via this crazy thing called blogging and you have the chance to safely meet, go for it!  Once you've confirmed that the person on the other side of your computer screen isn't an axe murderer, you might just find you've made a friend for life!

9.  Time in a Bottle!  Don't post just to post.  If you aren't motivated for a day, a week, or even a month don't feel like you HAVE to post.  When I first started blogging I thought that if I didn't post all day, everyday I would lose readers.  You might, but refer to tip #5 and take a break.

10.  Good Times!  Remember each day to have fun with your blog.  When you're feeling overwhelmed and you want to throw in the towel, step back and look back to your first blog post.  That post was so full of excitement, promise and enthusiasm and sometimes we need to look back in order to move forward.

Look, I'm no expert on anything, I just know that if I hadn't taken that leap of faith a year ago, I would have missed out on so much...on all of you!  Creativity is good for the soul and you all bolster my soul continually.

Thank you for everything my friends!  I had hoped to host a special giveaway today, something that would embody all that you have given me over this past year, but I haven't quite found that special something yet.  Stay tuned, I'll find it eventually and you all will be the first to know when I do!

XOXO ~Kat~

Stepping Outside The Box

Today I read THIS post over on Laura's Blog, White Spray Paint, where she was singing my photography praises and wondering why she can't get the results she wants with some of her own shots.  This got me thinking about photography, and pictures in general.

On New Year's day, I decided to finally try out my new studio lighting equipment (It's White Lightning recommended by my good friend Gary!) that I got for my birthday in early December.  I had really wanted this lighting equipment, yet there was a part of me that was terrified to try it for the first time.  I wanted to try my hand at portraiture, but taking photos of people is much different than shooting inanimate objects that you can pose and have stay still for long periods of time.

And let's face it, dogs don't count, because for the most part dogs, and pets in general are pretty darned cute so it's hard to miss when shooting puppies!

My daughter volunteered to be my test subject for my lighting trial run, and Mr. Tide helped me set everything up since he has more technical knowledge about photography.

Each set of shots has 2 of the exact same shots, but they have very different post production techniques applied to them.  When I did the first round of each photo, I was pretty happy with how they turned out, but I just thought they were missing that "finished" look that some photographers seem to be able to capture and create.

I really wanted that look too, and thanks to a few emails from Kate, of  Chronicles of a Country Girl, I found my magic bullet so to speak!  She suggested I use a TRA re-touching action, not because my daughter needs wrinkle removal or major changes, but because it gives you the polished professional look that I was longing for from my photos of people.  I wanted my photos to not be fake representations of the person I'm shooting, but I wanted them to speak to me, to draw people in, and well, sometimes that means a little re-touching!

Unfortunately TRA's re-touching actions only work with full on Photoshop and all I have is Photoshop Elements 9 (which I highly recommend by the way!).  So off I went to do a Google search to find a re-touching action to work with the program I had.

I found just what I was looking for at MCP Actions' website in the form of a package deal called Amazing Faces Photoshop Actions, which is also compatible with Elements!!!  It's not free, it's on sale for $79.98 at the moment, but for someone like me who hopes to do some portrait photography in the near future I thought it would pay for itself fairly quickly.  After seeing the results, I'm convinced that it will not only pay for itself but that it will give me the oomph I've been lacking in my photos of people.  Now please understand that I'm not affiliated with or get compensated in any way, shape, or form by MCP Actions, I just like their stuff!

This photo is a great example of what I've been able to do with free actions up to this point.  I used free actions from Pioneer Woman to turn this photo into a black and white photo that has an edge burn.  I really like how this turned out...but...I really wanted to take my pictures to the next level, like the pros do.

And the photo below will show you what I mean...

Now, I know it's hard to compare apples to apples when the first photo is done in black and white and this one is in color but bear with me on this.

With this photo I used several actions from the MCP set I purchased.

1.  I used Eye Doctor to whiten the whites of my daughter's eyes, to highlight the white "touch lights"...those little white flash dots that draw you in to the eye.  And I darkened her pupils and lashes just slightly.  I actually didn't change her eye color, those other little tricks did everything I needed to highlight her beautiful eyes without making her look different or fake.

2.  I used the Dentist action, but instead of whitening her teeth I used an action called clean the teeth and polish the teeth which don't change the color really, but make them sparkle more...don't ask me how they do it, but it works!  Of course I did all of this with a very light hand so to speak, another tip from Kate, so that I didn't end up with someone who doesn't resemble my daughter.  It's her, just slightly more dramatic as you can see compared to the earlier shot.

3.  The last thing I did was to use an action called Magic Skin to even out her skin tone, and then Powder the Nose to help smooth out her skin, notice the smoother chin.  Both of these were used sparingly as well but what a difference these little things can make for how a photo turns out!

4.  For the final touch I cropped the second photo which brings the focus in on my daughter's face.

This one is un-retouched with Sepia tone added.  I often used Sepia or Black and White to help hide slight imperfections in a photo.  Although these look cool, it often distracts from the subject, I think, which is why I was thrilled with the other photos where I used MCP  re-touching Actions.

Re-touching can be mis-used to slim people, change eye color, etc. but all I wanted to do was to have photos that were real representations of my subject, just with a little minor tweaking and MCP has allowed me to do that now!!!

So this brings me back to Laura's post today.  Sometimes it's not just the camera, (although I love my Canon Rebel XTi) that makes a good photograph.  Sometimes you just need that little helping hand that you can only get from post production of your photos that takes a good photo and makes it a more memorable one!

Play around with this stuff, have fun, and try whatever you want to change your photos and make them what you want them to be.  It's one of the great gifts of digital photography, and I'm just thrilled that I live in a time when I can take full advantage of it!  There is no RIGHT way to take a picture, just take them, play around with the results, and learn as you go!