The CoffeeShop Blog, etc.

Just rediscovered an awesome photography blog that I haven't visited in a while.  It's called The CoffeeShop Blog.  The blogger has posted over 100 actions, presets, templates, storyboards, textures, etc. and they're all FREE!!  Good stuff, too.  This one is called Peachy Glow (doesn't include texture background.)  No other editing was done.  I think this is one I'll be using often :)

 Here's another version of the same picture that I edited for a textures tutorial video I was making recently (not using The CoffeeShop actions.)  It's posted on TeacherTube if you want to check it out.  Please forgive the horrible hissing noise in the background.  I have since gotten an actual microphone.

Typographic Portrait II

Here's the one I used to write the tutorial for my advanced class.  Added a little color blocking behind each text layer to help it stand out.  We're going to give this project a go before the art show, so hopefully some of them will end up in the show.  I'm excited!

Typographic Portrait

A test run at creating a typographic portrait. I've watched and read literally dozens of tutorials on this topic trying to find the one that looks the best.  This is the one I used here , and it's ok, but the guy making the video makes a bunch of mistakes and doesn't start his video over, which I don't understand.  After I got the gist of it it only took a couple minutes.  If I were to do it over I think I'd use a white background (mine was mostly dark), I'd burn the important features (like his mouth, which is almost unseen in its current grey tone), and maybe also fill in some of the blank spaces with tiny text.  I'm thinking I'll do this project with my advanced class this year.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon

Sequoia National Park was one of the first places we visited when we moved to California eight years ago.  It was Thanksgiving, and Dustin and I were feeling a little homesick, so, with no turkey dinner plans we headed north to see the big trees.  Armed with a 35mm SLR and an old point and shoot digital (which is now my son's camera) we hiked through the giant forests trying to capture images that could convey the immense size of these trees.  This year we finally got back up to Sequoia and were able to share it with our boys this time.  Here are some images from our trip.  *A couple of them were not taken by me, but helped tell the story of our trip, so they made the cut anyway.  I've also included a few pictures from my phone.*

 Our car by "The Guardsmen" - essentially the first sequoia trees you see.  Dustin hopped out of the car and ran ahead to get this shot as I drove through.

 I adore his freckles!

 My homage to Ansel Adams.  Moro Rock.

 Beetle Galleries in fallen tree

 Vertical Panorama of "The General Sherman" tree-- the largest living thing on the planet!

 "The Fallen Monarch" - fallen tree that you can walk all the way through.  It was used in the 1800s as a home and then a stable for 32 horses!

Not posed! :)