Monday, July 7, 2008

Could someone please explain...

...the reason for this strange behavior? (Yes, I'll admit it. I am a Duran Duran fan, and that's a line from their song "Skin Trade." I think they have plenty of genuinely good, fun stuff, and "Rio" remains one of my all-time favorite albums. Anyhoo!)

Recently, Will posted an excellent entry on Magic Smoke about editing photos on the web. I was checking out Picnik, since it's one I'd heard of, and playing around with a sample photo. I thought it was really cool, and lots of fun to play with. Then it struck me...I'VE got photo editing software! (I got some cheapo software, Photo Explosion. Works for me!) Does it include this kind of stuff? Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, it sure do! I've just used it for resizing and cropping pictures, but there are all kinds of neat effects you can apply, including borders, artistic effects, etc. So why the heck haven't I played with this before?! I'll mess around with it some more, but I was very pleased with my water color effect on a picture I took of a windflower. Here are before and after shots, and you know, you could print out some really neat shots like this on high quality paper, and end up with something quite nice. Perhaps even frame-able.

Before....

...and After.

Kinda cool, huh? I wish I could paint like that, but I can't, so I'll just digitally enhance photos and pretend. I really do like the muted effect of this, the way it sort of pops out of the background. I might have to put a digital frame around it...good grief, something else to occupy my time!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cool effect! It would probably look cool with bird pics too. Speaking of which, I'll have to show you my new Thayer birding software when you're here.
xo & hugs
PS: Totally cool sighting of the Indigo Bunting!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, no buttering allowed :o)

When I get my new camera (most likely next week), I will need to load the software.

Anonymous said...

OK, now I am forced to get a digital camera!  This is too cool and you have the flare!  Looking forward to the next pic.
Karen

Anonymous said...

I love Duran Duran!! They were my favorite badn when i was younger. I had a thing for Simon Lebon lol....hugs, Christine

Anonymous said...

I just attended a workshop where the instructor used Photoshop Elements to create just what you created!  You can use the sketch option, and it looks like you sketched the picture.  She puts her pics on blank notecards and sells them!!  Very cool what you can do...
xoxo ~Myra

Anonymous said...

You did good on that flower....i have wanted PSP for yrs but still do not have it. I bet you'd be good at it.
HUGS

Anonymous said...

I love it.  It really looks like a painting!
Lori

Anonymous said...

LOL 'butter your butt and call you a biscuit' LOL...........I must remember that one ;)  Love what you've done with the photo x

Jenny

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