What I learned at the CS3 Power Tour:
Side note: I learned that it’s really difficult to write the next installment for this series when you don’t know where in the world you left your seminar workbook.
Sorry about that. Excuse me while I turn my house upside down looking for the workbook.
In the meantime, I thought I heard someone mention Alfred Hitchcock here. So here’s a shot I took last week. From my porch. Again.
And yes, those aren’t leaves.
Think maybe those birds took my workbook?
Nice!
How did you achieve that great b/w effect?
Roger
Hi Roger! Thanks for the compliment. The original photo was already, for the most part, practically black and white and contrast-y because I was shooting against the sun.
For this photo, I converted to lab color and tweaked the channels. I also adjusted shadows and highlights, and used the layer mode “hard light.” Then more curve adjustments and I bumped up the contrast even more. Last step was two passes of sharpening.
I’m still learning how to make good black and white conversions, so I’m extra happy when something comes out right. Whether or not I remember exactly how I did it. :)
Very creepy. The heavy contrast really enhances the creep-factor!
Okay…where is Tippy Herdon and Susan Plashette?
Beautiful..really beautiful
Ok, this one actually doesn’t creep me out – I find birds fascinating and I’m always curious about what’s going on when I see bunches of them together. As far as my dear sis goes, however, we may need to use MM’s word from last week – ornithophobia! Very cool shot.
If I were you, I’d consider moving. Those birds look dangerous. :-)
It was a really unusual sight. My mom was visiting that day, and she started calling for me to come out quickly! (And when mom says come quickly, I know it must be good.) Then we stood out there in the porch listening to this deafening sound of a thousand chirps all trying to outdo each other. I ran for my camera and took a few shots, and just as I set my camera down, I heard a different sound, like a deep and ominous “whoosh” that was like a cross between rolling thunder and a sonic boom. Almost instantly, the sky went dark with all these black birds suddenly flying to the next patch of treetops.
I’m telling you, I wouldn’t have wanted to be caught in the middle of their flight path. They’d have easily knocked me down and peppered me with beak and talon punctures. (Okay, they probably didn’t have talons, but I still could have gotten scratched.)
birds are creepy. they’ll peck your eyes out!
Cool picture though, ivory.
Anyone ever see Forget Paris? Forgettable movie except the scene where Debra Winger (Winger! The irony!) gets a pigeon stuck in her hair. Gaaaaah!