I ♥ Faces - FIF #22 - Southern Belle

Original

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Edit One

Framed Edit One

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Edit two

Framed Edit 2

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Edit three

Framed edit 3

This weeks Fix-it was beautiful and really didn't require much I felt. I started out by fixing the exposure (local contrast 50, brightness +7, Shadows +7, exposure +10, Contrast +10), then unsharpmask at about radius 6, strength 6. This was a lot of unsharp but for once I wasn't worried about adding 'grit' to the photo, as I actually felt that would add to it :D I was aiming for an 'old' look! I then rotated to make her skirt 'swish' to the left and cropped to a 5x7 to put her into the rule of thirds :D

Then I just played with the 'effects' and these are combinations of sepia, faded b&w, faded lomo, vignette in them all, cinemascope (edit one) and maybe a twiddle here and there with others, I can't remember!!

I'm pleased. I think I acheived my aim. I can't decided which is my favourite...maybe I'll leave that to you :D

And when you've left your comment don't forget to go and check out all the other editions of this weeks fix-it over at I ♥ Faces.

You Capture - Friends

These two really are the best of friends. There is 10 years and 25 days between them, but they adore each other. NJ will go to JA if he needs a hug and JAH, well he is just the best big brother! They shared a room til' we moved house and it was not uncommon for NJ to creep into bed with JA of a night/morning. They don't share anymore, but the bond remains :D

I have other pictures of friends (my two entries on the I ♥ Faces friends week were two of my best, so just take a look at those if you are nosey ;) ), but this was only taken yesterday, so it is 'fresh' and it is also sooc except for a touch of cropping.

Now, join in the fun and take a look-see what other beautiful friends folks have :D

Gate

The gate above holds a story related to where we live. It is called 'The Lady Gate' and gives access to The Moss. It is told around here of a mythical lady who lives on the moss and this is the gate by which she supposedly enters and leaves! I was trying to find a link to her story, but to no avail :(

There are many gates in my world - above are those I walked through or past today :D

Below is one I captured a while back in The Lakes.

Matthew 7: 13-14 (NIV)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

KEY

To provide access, or control, or insight. Find key in your space.

Insight Key:-
"HE" is the LIGHT and the KEY.
Revelation 1:18 NLT
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
John 12:46 NIV r
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.




There is something about our keys that says something of who we are...So, who am I then?
Watch this space - if I can get it there maybe another very special key later...

Polychromatic

Describing many colours. Show us something polychromatic in your space!
You can't get much more polychromatic than the surface of a bubble - I LOVE bubbles!! :D







Or a box of beads :-

I ♥ Faces - Week 29 - At The Beach

This is a tough one for me this week. We don't get to the beach very often as we don't live very near and the weather is seldom good enough to make the journey. THEN when we do go, my kids wear hats all day and spend their time digging in the sand, so it is really rare to get a picture of their faces!! I could dig around in the archives to years gone by and P&S pictures of a poor quality, but in the end I went with this one (to see the ones I didn't enter click HERE).

I just love the uniformity between them and the clarity of the reflections. It is a little over-exposed, but I like that too for this shot :D I love the golden sand and the solitude of the beach. I love that for this moment NJ (boy) wasn't wailing, as he had right up until then and did right after - he really did not like the feel of the sand and the way his feet sunk into it!!

Now, I'm sure there are going to be many amazing entries this week,

so go check them out over at I ♥ Faces

I ♥ Faces - At The Beach - THE REJECTS

And the rejects were these, but I still love them and consider them worthy of a space on my blog :D

I was working on silhouettes when I took this, but I was offline the week of that theme over at I ♥ Faces :(

And this is 'Grandad' - with his book, his hat and his trainers! My kids adore their Grandad ;)

TOOL

"An implement, usually used by hand to aid or assist with a designed task". Show us 'Tool' in your space.

YOU CAPTURE - BLACK & WHITE

Above 2 taken during a little drama performance with a group in our village.

My first 'group shot' - really pleased with this!

One stunning teenager at our church - who dresses amazingly well :D

My son rockin' down with his Daddy (playing piano the other side of the room). I love the B&W PJ's with the B&W guitar (which actually are all B&W) - so the whole shot worked well for conversion, esp as it was about 11pm (!!) and I had to use a flash - notice the blown eye still :( .

Baby Beautiful. This not the best edit I have of this shot (the best one is not B&W), but it is still lovely.

Getting serious with a water pistol!! I wish I'd had this shot when I ♥ Faces had their 'about the boys' week!

These are all shots I have taken recently. This week I am working to a dead-line trying to get some photos edited for some friend's who are leaving, the picture of the baby is one of those edits :D. I love working with B&W: I love the contrasts, I love the fact that it can disguise seriously blown out red-eye (as in the shot of the little boy with the puppet), I love the dramatic feel that it gives - I just LOVE it!! :-)

Please feel free to comment at will - I love to know what you all think - good, bad, advise - it's all welcome :D

And when you are done commenting, head on over to You Capture and see all the other stunning B&W shots people have posted this week - some are truely stunning!!