A Haven for Vee

Friday, March 21, 2014

Copying Lynda


Now the photo above is something I might typically do. There's a whole lot going on. The camera probably is confused; I'm confused; you might be confused as well. By way of explanation, I am growing ivy in an assortment of vases and old bottles. I'm cheap frugal. That and I need to see some green.

I usually try not to crop my photos preferring to fill the frame. I resize them, but keep the proportions without cropping. If I do crop (rare), I try to get them back to the same ratios as they would have been from the camera, though resized.


Here I am trying to blatantly copy my friend Lynda who does crop. Lynda is a wonderful photographer whose work I have long admired and  have purchased. If you knew how cheap frugal I am, you'd appreciate what that means —— I really love her work.

  
And again with the copying or trying to... Thing is, you can try it for yourself because Lynda has provided wonderful explanations on the post titled Random Bits and How I Edit My Photos. Once there you will also find a link to a former post explaining her photography. Lynda blogs at Simple Things. Go see!

 
Here's another thing I might typically do: take a picture of the grand, fresh in from sledding, and leave him out of it. Ai yi yi!

A happy day to you...
 

37 comments:

  1. Good morning Vee. I love your vignette atop the cabinet with the greens added. The bright green bottle is perfect! I visited Lynda and enjoyed seeing her beautiful photography. She does a wonderful job of editing. Where do you do your editing? If I crop I use Picasa but sometimes the photo is more blurred. I don't have any other editing programs like Photoshop or Lightroom. When the cropping fails I add a smudge or fog edit around the edges to 'hide' things. But, mostly I try to get closeups so as to avoid the extra stuff. Maybe that's why most of my photos are of outdoor scenes. I'm lazy when it comes to figuring out editing and stuff. Ha! lazy, lazy, lazy I am. :)

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    1. I use Photoscape ( a simple program is available for Mac users and a more complex one for PC users), which is a free download where I crop and use the various edits available. I am using it far more than my free version of Photoshop or the online editing programs like PicMonkey. It's just easier and handier.You will note that "blurring" with Lynda is often the goal. She usually only allows one part of her photo to be in focus. I like both crisp and clear AND romantical and out of focus. It just depends on my mood.

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  2. Interesting conversation started today. I'm a cropper as I don't like a lot of noise in the background, but then that probably comes from writing about, and illustrating flowers. I use iPhoto on my Mac for editing and it does everything I want.
    Half a grandson is better than none!

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  3. I love the ivy! What a great idea to get some green into your space. It looks so pretty. I will check out Lynda's blog, I need all the help I can get. I'll also check out photoscape since I do almost all my blogging etc, on a Macbook Pro.

    I hope it's sunny today, Vee. We have sunshine again but its windy, though that's needed to dry out our mud pit of a backyard and pasture!

    Enjoy those grands! They are so cute!

    Deanna

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  4. What I don't know about photography, editing, cropping, etc., etc., would fill an entire encyclopedia. All I know is your pictures always look fantastic to me. I do WANT to know all these things. Maybe it's time I made the effort. Enjoy your day Vee! Oh and I agree with Judith...any part of a grandson is better than none!

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  5. Ha Ha, and I thought you were keeping half of the grandson hidden for privacy reasons.
    Very interesting topic here this morning. Your cropped photo is lovely. The green with the little pop of floral in the background looks so fresh and clear. I'd better head over to see if I can learn something from Lynda. I don't usually read photo tips because they often seem to be geared toward the fancy cameras. I'm still a point and shoot gal.

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  6. Vee, your pictures always great. Love the Ivy, although I am allergic to it, lol. Blessings

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  7. I vacillate between the cropping and non-cropping too...although actually I think it's the choosing of proportions that I am indecisive about. If you crop, but then change the proportions, you have a photo that is not able to be printed in a standard size. Although I rarely print any photos other than ones that were taken for such a purpose. I am talking in circles, so I'll stop.

    I do love your cropped photos of the ivy! But I also love the half-a-grandson photo, and I'll bet you do too!

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  8. How long does it take to root Ivy? I have a couple of plants and one needs some trimming. I do crop some photos, but not many.

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  9. Thanks for the tips, Vee. I will visit Lynda for more information. xo

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  10. Oh that last picture is so me....My son always tells the story of me video taping his soccar games. I got the whole thing except when he made the winning goal in the championship game. Oi vey!!

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  11. I love the second pic. I am a fan of ivy too. I shall check out your friend's website, thanks.

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  12. Your pictures are always lovely Vee - cropped or not! I will have to check out Lynda's site for more info on this. Better still - I keep saying I should take a photography course......

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  13. Fun post, Vee. Crop crop crop!

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  14. Half a grand is better than none. Isn't cheap and frugal the same thing? :D

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  15. I'm cracking up at Debbie's comment. I like all the perspectives. Looks like you survived the first day of snow play. I really like your lovely plank walls...

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  16. I always love your photography. Your photos make me want to do better.

    He looks cold in that picture.

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    1. He was. We were all really chilled coming in from sledding today because, even though the thermometer read nearly 50,° the wind is fierce.

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  17. To crop or not to crop. That is the question. Sometimes I like a fuller view with lots going on. I like seeing the clock in the background, the oil lamp, the wooden ceiling of your home. (I have voyeuristic tendencies with houses.) Each successive crop reveals something different. The second is a wonderful contrast of air and light and glass on one side balanced by the weight of the painting and frame on the other. And the third - that lovely green, both of the ivy and the bottle. They are all great photos, Vee.
    Photos like the half a grandson tell a story. Children are always on the move. Energy. Health. It's good.
    Have a wonderful day. Stay out of that bitter wind.

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  18. Hi Vee!

    Love your photos - you always take wonderful pictures! I liked Lynda's blog - very interesting ideas! I usually always crop my photos, but there are times, when there needs to be the full picture, just to get the point across. I love the picture of your cute little grand, with just one eye looking at the camera, kind of captures something cool!

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  19. Vee, a stop by your place always brightens my day! Beautiful, and thank-you.

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  20. I always love your photos. You must be doing a few things right. Now I will be checking out Lynda's blog -- like I needed another to blog to lose time on!! Happy Spring -- enjoying sunshine today, you?

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  21. I love the crop, Vee! It puts the emphasis on the ivy, which is probably where you wanted it to be. Thanks for your sweet words (I'm blushing!) and for sharing the link to my blog! Oh, and the photo of your grand? Do you ever wonder why I don't post pics of people? They move! I'll photograph flowers forever but my photos of people? Disaster. Seriously. I can't take a portrait to save my life. :)

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  22. It is remarkable how a crop can change your point of view. I love the second one, and your photographs are wonderful.
    Karen

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  23. I don't usually do anything to my photos. I just see something I think would make a nice picture and click away.

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  24. Hi Vee, Thanks for the link to her blog. I know nothing about photography. I do tend to take very close up pics of my subject - maybe that is from growing up with a visually impaired mom. I love your ivy starts. We are beginning to see more trees blooming; I'm anxious to see GREEN!
    I wish you two a nice weekend.

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  25. I crop of my fat arms or rolls around the middle..haha....Actually I do crop some of my pictures but that's be cause I'm not a photographer. I have proven you can be a blogger and only know how to point and shoot! I spend more time on my narrative than my pictures, I think. But, I adore visiting blogs that have wonderful pictures and someone who is one with their camera. I glad there is enough room for all of us in blogland.
    I do love your ivy and do the same thing with ivy, creeping charlie and succulents.

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  26. Oh Vee.. you are always inspiring.. and funny! Thank you for the chuckle and the beauty and.. now I'll check out Lynda. Maybe I want to copy her too.

    Blessings, Debbie

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  27. Vee, I really like all of your pics but the cropped one is my fave. I also really like the wood paneled walls. Seeing your ivy starts in the vases reminded me of when I was a little girl...my mom started sweet potato vines in shallow dishes and they would grow up the walls and around window sills and such. Have you ever grown a plant from a sweet potato? The vines are really very pretty. As far as the cropping issue goes, I am a frequent cropper, depending on what's in the background. I love the bokeh or blurry background look so that also depends on how much I crop. I use Picasa for most of my editing but also use Picmonkey and occasionally Photoscape. Have a great weekend!

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  28. I'm a cropper and it irritates my hubby. Took a peek at Linda's page and love it.

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  29. I do crop my photos, Vee, thanks for the link. Enjoy your time with the grand boys.

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  30. I'm crazy about ivy and yes, I love to crop things out of pictures, especially me!

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  31. The ivy is so pretty. What a great way to bring the green into your home. I have to say cropping photos is one of my favorite things to do. It's actuality "relaxing" for me and I love to see how it can transform a photo. It's just one of my quirky things.

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  32. I meant to say in my earlier comment, one of the things I love about your blog is the real life photos that go along with your stories. Love love love coming here, it's comforting and homey.

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  33. I love that ivy...English Ivy is my favorite...

    I am trying so hard to do a micro photo for that next camera challenge...not having all that great of luck, I am thinking...not good enuf to jump right in with all you good photographers...I'm working on it, tho.....

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