Some winter landscapes

[snapapple]

I've been going through my old stuff looking for landscapes to make a calendar. I found these from last winter. I had never worked them up. I cropped the one of the woods way down. The boys were so far in the distance that they were tiny specks, I hadn't thought the picture was worth anything. But, I like it now.

I put the deer into the second one. Can you tell? He had been in another picture of the back yard that was all cluttered. This one lacked a good focal point, so I combined the two and have the best of both.

We will be going back to Connecticut for Thanksgiving to visit our son. I hope to get some more good pictures while we're there.
http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/11243953-L.jpg


http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/11243952-L.jpg

[Nir]

Snappy,

Both very beautiful!

[Aaron Wilson]

Like your frames around your photo's... do you have them as a pre-set made frame? Is it easy to set up in ps8?

[ian408]

I like #2. Something very peaceful about it.

ian

[ginger_55]

Snappy, I do like the one with the deer in it, but I had trouble making out the deer. Could you lighten it just enough so I can tell what it is more easily.

It is such a nice tranquil shot. I really do like it. I am sure you will find more on your trip for Thanksgiving, though I never did find anything in DC.

ginger

[Peter]

Nice photos Snappy . . . good work with the deer :-) . . . looks like a postcard pic.

Peter

[snapapple]

Regarding the frames, I usually don't use them, but I'm putting them on for the calendar. I know there is a tutorial on them somewhere around here. May be in the Hall of Wisdom. It gives directions in Photoshop. I find it easier to us Jasc Paintshop Pro for mine. One click opens a window for the borders, then chose color and size. One more click to resize the canvas, color and size. One click to add a drop shadow opens the box for color and size. Last I make layers for the type and move each one around where I want it. It's quick once you've done it a couple of times. It's similar in photoshop, but I can't seem to do it as easily in Elements 2, which is what I use. Maybe someone here can direct you to the tutorial. :D

Ginger, I noticed that the deer was hard to see after I put the picture up here. I'm thinking that I should crop this a bit to bring him up closer. I like the sky though and hate to lose it. I tried it brighter when I was playing with curves and it blows out the sky. It actually was quite dark when we were out in that park. I took that shot of the trees just before we went home. The deer was actually brighter in his original setting, but I darkened him to blend in with this setting. He would look "pasted in" if he had light on him. So, it's a delema. I'll see what else I can come up with. :scratch

[Allen]

Regarding the frames, ...... I find it easier to us Jasc Paintshop Pro for mine. ...... :scratch When you achieve a frame you like. In PSP promote to a layer and cut out
the pic in the center to make that area transparent. You can now save it
as a picture frame. Do both landscape and portrait and diff sizes, i.e.
1024x768, 800x600 etc. Now just add the premade frame to any pic.
Add a title to the frame and your done. Very quick and saves alot of steps.
Al

[aero-nut]

snap,


I really like those landscapes. Makes me kind of glad I live in the desert. :)

[snapapple]

Snappy, I do like the one with the deer in it, but I had trouble making out the deer. Could you lighten it just enough so I can tell what it is more easily.

It is such a nice tranquil shot. I really do like it. I am sure you will find more on your trip for Thanksgiving, though I never did find anything in DC.

ginger Ok, I lightened this a little bit and cropped it. I hope this makes the deer a little easier to see. Unfortunately, now the tree is more centered, but I didn't want to crop into the middle of the tree on the left, so I cropped the right off and a little top and bottom. What do you think?

http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/11266054-L.jpg

[photocat]

[QUOTE=snapapple]Ok, I lightened this a little bit and cropped it. I hope this makes the deer a little easier to see. Unfortunately, now the tree is more centered, but I didn't want to crop into the middle of the tree on the left, so I cropped the right off and a little top and bottom. What do you think?

http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/11266054-L.jpg[/QUOTE

you see the deer better now, I had the slight impression that the deer is too big for the trees. Since I am not really used to seeing deer in the wild, I can be wrong.
Love how you put the animal in a new background. It must have been a labor of love with his antlers (???). I hope the word is antlers, I mean the sticks on his head...
The boys in the wood are fab. Must have been a nice walk.
I secretly think a photographer enjoys walks and scapes more, it is as if I see all things twice or 3 times, just because i look in frames.
Nice shots Snapapple

[Allen]

The re-edited version is beautiful. What a difference slight changes make. Great job.
Al

[ginger_55]

Nice, Snappy!:thumb


g

[snapapple]

I don't know what I was thinking. I cropped this again. Now the tree is not centered. This is a better composition. I'm not sure if I lightened it enough this time. When I put it up here is always the test.

http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/11269572-L.jpg

[Allen]

The balance is much better. Are you sure that's a deer, not an elk? Looks like as elk in velvet esp. with the light rear end.

[snapapple]

The balance is much better. Are you sure that's a deer, not an elk? Looks like as elk in velvet esp. with the light rear end. I don't think they have elk in Connecticut. I think it's a deer. It has a little white tail. The horns are bare, no velvet. It's not very big. I think elk are much bigger.

[snapapple]

I don't think they have elk in Connecticut. I think it's a deer. It has a little white tail. The horns are bare, no velvet. It's not very big. I think elk are much bigger.
Here's one of the babies in the back yard. (Well, actually two, there is another one up above the wall, hidden in the bushes. Can you see him?) We often see the doe and the babies, but rarely see the bucks.

http://snapapple.smugmug.com/photos/1855264-L.jpg