Photo Editing and Photography

Now that the weather is cooler and some days downright freezing cold, I'm focusing my attention on a few new hobby projects. I am so inept when it comes to technology and most instructions are way over my head, not only that, I am the type of person who has to learn these kinds of things hands on. In regards to technology, I sometimes feel like Rip Van Winkle, like I've been asleep for twenty years and woke up to a brand new world, where everything is so different, so complicated. Some of these things though are definitely worth taking the to time to learn.

As I've mentioned before, I love to go to Barnes and Noble to read, study, look at home and garden magazines and have a Starbucks drink. I went one day this week and the topic of interest for me was photo editing. I looked through several books on Photoshop Elements 5, which is my editing software, and I found a couple of books that I really liked. Sometimes, when something is totally new to me, like photography or photo editing, I have to read the same things over and over, sometimes worded in different ways, and slowly they start to make sense to me. I sometimes have to immerse myself in the topic for this to understanding to take place. Anyway, that is one reason for fewer blog post this week, I've been preoccupied with reading, studying and playing with PE5, I've also babysat most of the week and my spare time was limited.

One thing I finally learned how to do was create a collage and post it using PE5. This won't be my favorite method for posting most pictures, since the individual pictures can't be enlarged. Although it sure saves me time on blogger by only having to download, (or is that upload), one item, especially as in the case of the bird pictures that were taken from either inside the house or from a long distance away and weren't that great to begin with.

My new project now is to learn more about photo restoration. I picked up the book Photoshop Elements Restoration & Retouching Book by Matt Kloskowski, which has clear step-by-step instructions that I think I can follow. Last year as a Christmas present to my extended family, I scanned all of the old pictures of the family, (I've always been the holiday family photographer), and put them on a CD with music. It was very sweet and sad too, in fact the Butterfly Kisses song with the pictures of granddaughters as they were growing up was a tearjerker. Some of the pictures were old though and could have used some retouching. I also have all of my mom's pictures and my mother-in-law's and would love to restore those that are in bad shape and put them on a CD for the family members who might want a copy. This, I know will be a time consuming project and now is the perfect time to take it on.

I've also joined a local photography club and look forward to learning new things there too. The next class is on shooting photos in and with candle light.

Maybe I'll actually use my new craft room and do some scrapbooking or sewing this winter. I also have stacks of new religious and gardening books waiting to be read and other books I've already read that I'd love to review again. I do miss the warm sunshine and being outside this time of year, but I also enjoy cuddling up with a book on those cold gray days. Being from the south, I'm kind of like a bear and I hibernate in the winter, so I have my projects ready to begin, and my books and favorite quilt in my den just waiting for those cozy winter days.

I'm not sure how much blog posting I'll be able to do over the winter, I'm not sure I'll have anything to take pictures of or much to say. I'll be very interested to see what other garden bloggers do during the winter months. I guess that is one great benefit to those who enjoy writing, they are so creative and probably never run out of things to blog about. They, along with the southern gardeners, hopefully will keep us entertained, informed and connected through the winter months.