June 19, 2011 Queen Anne's Lace This and dandelions are the bane of gardeners, I know, but they are pretty! This shot was inspired by a fellow daily photog who had a beautiful picture of a white flower against wood. I just loved the contrasting textures in that and was inspired to create my own version of it.

Just snapshots of daily life, a photo diary or sorts, things that strike my fancy, experiments, etc., taken more like when I can than daily. Please also visit my 'real' galleries by clicking on 'Galleries' above!

And don't forget to visit my Art in Photography zazzle store at http://www.zazzle.com/artinphotography?rf=238874973767831732 for tons of my unique photo products! Cool stuff and great gifts!

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Kara Stewart > June 16, 2011

Fruit Pizza

I tried a fruit pizza recipe for the first time yesterday - yummy! Sugar cookie crust, cream cheese (low fat) and Cool Whip (no sugar) topping, then layer the fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries and kiwi as you can see), then glaze (oj, cornstarch, water, etc.). Really, really nice summer dessert! Thanks, Julia! :)

Kara Stewart > July 15, 2011

I thought I had posted this of my son's graduation already, but apparently not! This is from about a month ago. It is my daughter and my son at son's graduation dinner.

Thanks for all your comments on my 2 photos yesterday! And Art Hill - I absolutely agree with what you said about the chair photo http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1383455294_GpVXfDJ If it had space in front of it by facing it the other way, that would have been much better! Thank you for taking the time to give me your thoughts on that!

Kara Stewart > July 14, 2011

OK, I know this is my 2nd post today, but this was just so cute I couldn't stand to wait! This is my sister's Boston Terrier, and isn't she a sweetie? Makes me want to smile!

UPDATE: EDITOR'S PICK, betterphoto.com, July 2011, Animals

Kara Stewart > July 14, 2011

Relax

I'm ba-ack!! My thought for today is sometimes it is in the learning. The composition in this image is somehow off. It gives me that slightly uncomfortable, something is not quite right feeling. I usually do better at composition.

However, that being said, the reason I really like this image is that I played with several different post processing methods, tried things I had not tried before and I like the final version of the post processing that I chose! Sometimes it is all in the learning.

For this version, I made minor light adjustments to the original. Then using Corel's Painter Photo Essentials, I tried several different painting styles, settling on Classical Oil Painting. After painting, I uncovered some areas of the image down to the original photo - the fence top left, the Black Eyed Susan blossoms, the sun dial and the slate floor and a few portions of the chair. I then adjusted the color since the oil painting left it rather purple tinged and I wanted to bring back the warm golden wood tones of the chair against the greenery. I then took it into Photoshop CS5 and applied the posterization filter and ended up tweaking that slightly.

Although I had used each of these processes before and tweaked them to my taste, I had never 'double applied' processes before - the painting and then the filter.

I like the result better than either process alone - each one added something to the other that my eye liked.

Sometimes the pleasure is not in the end result but in the learning!

Kara Stewart > July 4, 2011

Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

Some July 4th fun for today! I used a Topaz Adjust filter (psychedelic) on this.

Seems the results of yesterday's crop question (http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1365941420_7gp9Phq ) are that the vertical (portrait) crop may be the better one, since the landscape (horizontal) one doesn't follow the rule of thirds. And maybe that is what was bugging me about the horizontal one - that the main flower is smack dab in the middle of the image (bleh).

I really appreciate your thoughtful input, comments and suggestions! That helps me A LOT to grow and think about my images, so *big hugs* to all of you for that!

Hope you are having a great 4th and enjoying the day. I could go for a cupcake myself. :)

UPDATE:
EDITOR'S PICK, betterphoto.com, July 2011, Digital Darkroom

Kara Stewart > 7/3/11

Need your help with crop, please! This was SOOC from the end of May at Duke Gardens. SOOC with the exception of the crop, that is.

Please take a look here: http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1365941156_fz7RW8k and let me know which crop you think gives more impact. There are elements I like of each, and somehow I'm not quite satisfied with either - that antsy 'not quite' feeling, you know?

Which has more impact? What do you think? Or can you come up with a better crop?

Love all your comments and thoughts and greatly appreciate them!

Kara Stewart > July 1, 2011

This little guy was at Duke Gardens at the end of May and didn't mind posing for me.

Kara Stewart > 6/26/11

Brightleaf, Topaz Adjust filter, HDR Sketch

This was taken about a month ago at Brightleaf in Durham, NC which is an area of old tobacco warehouses that have been refurbished into shops and restaurants. Cool little place to go!

I haven't done much street photography, so thought I'd play with this one. In the version above, I applied a Topaz Adjust filter (HDR Sketch) to the 'straight' shot (located here: http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1354988487_5s383zC )

In the version you see on this page, I decided to do a 'mock' HDR processed version. I say 'mock' because I didn't do it in camera via bracketing, etc. I did tone down the saturation in it, but I did intend for it to be obviously HDR, not subtle. I might actually like a bit more contrast or depth in this HDR version.

Which one do you like better? I'm thinking it's like apples and oranges. But I think I like the 'straight' version better. Your thoughts?

Kara Stewart > 6/26/11

Brightleaf

This was taken about a month ago at Brightleaf in Durham, NC which is an area of old tobacco warehouses that have been refurbished into shops and restaurants. Cool little place to go!

I haven't done much street photography, so thought I'd play with this one. In this version, I just made some minor tweaks to levels, contrast.

In the other version found here: http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1354988581_dV5XFVm I decided to do a 'mock' HDR processed version. I say 'mock' because I didn't do it in camera via bracketing, etc. It is a Topaz Adjust filter (HDR sketch) applied to the 'straight' version of the image, above. I did tone down the saturation in it, but I did intend for it to be obviously HDR, not subtle.

Which one do you like better? I'm thinking it's like apples and oranges. But I think I like the 'straight' version better. Your thoughts?

Kara Stewart > June 19, 2011

Queen Anne's Lace

This and dandelions are the bane of gardeners, I know, but they are pretty! This shot was inspired by a fellow daily photog who had a beautiful picture of a white flower against wood. I just loved the contrasting textures in that and was inspired to create my own version of it.

Kara Stewart > 6/18/11

Mom, Dad, Me and Samson taken by my son last weekend when my parents were down visiting. :)

Thanks for your input on the color vs. bw Hibachi shots! I think I have decided I like the bw one better, but I bumped up the contrast and adjusted the levels a hair and here is the 'finished' one (are we ever 'finished'?) http://www.kdstewart.net/Art-Plus/Black-and-White/16067202_4tTJV#1342982459_BJpg8sP

Kara Stewart > 6/16/11

Hibachi meal! This was part of our graduation celebration from this past weekend when son graduated high school. We went out to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse where my daughter works and the food was amazing, the service wonderful!

This is part of our appetizer being prepared - onions and shrimp.

I did a color version here and a grayscale version - http://www.kdstewart.net/Whats-New/2011/15273048_JZ5Zm#1340772815_wqQ6265 I can't decide which I like better. What are your thoughts, oh talented and wise smuggie daily photogs?

Kara Stewart > 6/14/11

Another in the graduation series from this weekend. Son's graduation was this past Saturday, 6/11/11. This is one of my favorite pictures from it, although I took over 200 and am working my way through them! Something about is eyes on this - if you look in larger sizes maybe you will see it? Or maybe it's because I'm his mom? At any rate, his expression on this close up just touches me. Time flies.

June 19, 2011

Queen Anne's Lace

This and dandelions are the bane of gardeners, I know, but they are pretty! This shot was inspired by a fellow daily photog who had a beautiful picture of a white flower against wood. I just loved the contrasting textures in that and was inspired to create my own version of it.