New Logo Brush

I had someone create my logo last month and I've been struggling with using it in Photo Shop.
The logo is in my fav colors and although I don't use it to often there are other layers to my logo (swirls).
My girl, Alinda, worked on it for a couple of hours and then she called me and both of us on the phone got it to work! We had so much fun stamping every thing we could pull up on photo shop.

Even though I did not take this picture of Alinda, my nephew did, I stamped it just to show that I can stamp my pictures - but true credit goes to Jose for this image. Great job Jose.

Alinda, a special shout out goes to you (Thanks girl) for your patience. You are truly gifted (did I mention that she is an amazing cook and a great hostess and she has a heart of gold). I wish you the best girl.

Academy of Model Aeronotics . . .

Dave's friend belongs to the AMA and he gave us an invitation to come watch and take pictures of these very expensive toys....
the information from their site:
(here)
Quote from the site:
"Activities Permitted3-D, Ducted Fan, Electric, Fixed Wing, Fuel/Gas, Giant Scale, Helicopters, Park Flyers, Pattern, Radio Control Field Information Covered Shelter, Fire Extinguisher, First Aid Kit, Grass Runway, Grass Pit Area, Wind Sock Poles, Frequency Board, Wind Sock, Gated Entrance, Handicap Accessible, Parking, Porta Pots, Privately Owned, Radio Impound Area, Safety Fences,
Spectator Area, Spectators Welcome Field Restrictions Model Identification, No Alcohol, No Hunting, No Pyrotechnics, No Turbines, Noise Limitation Field Hours ELECTRIC- SUNRISE TO SUNSET 7 DAYS A WEEK GAS/FUEL- 9:00 AM TO SUNSET 7 DAYS A WEEK"

Well that was not much of a description. I was expecting really small model planes that you can carry. These planes, although not large enough to hold the humans that own them, still require their own trailers, lots of training, lots of money, a steady hand and a brave heart. Most of the guys (yeah, mostly guys) I met and spoke to have been flying these planes for many, many years. Of special interest was a young man on 14. He's been flying for a very short time, in comparison to his competition, and he's very good. I suspect he will soon become a champ.Here are a few pictures that I've played with. Come on, pictures of machines call for some photo shop playing.

My new buisness Cards

I finally ordered my new business cards:

I decided on two of my award winning images. The first one is a two sided card.

Front Side

Back Side

Second business card is one sided

A huge thank you goes to Khalila. My talented and beautiful daughter who designed these cards for me. Thank you baby!

Messing around with photoshop

I found a tutorial at One Photo source
for making what is called Mashed - a sort of collage of pictures mixed together.
I followed their tutorial with Khalila translating into something I could understand and here is what I came up with. I think they are pretty neat looking.I know I have to work at blending the colors better but I really like it. It is a mixture of 5 pictures each. None of the pictcures have anything to do with the other - just chosen at random and for their colors or textures.
One Photo Source is a great place to learn about photography.

I got my new baby!

The Nikon D-300. I got a great deal on it!!! I love it! That's all I'm going to say about that.

Flooding in Northwest Indiana and surrounding communities . . .

It's amazing to me how much damage mother nature can do in just a blink of an eye. Our area is still recovering from the damages cause by a "small" tornado that touched down in our area a couple of weeks ago when out of no where it starts to rain day and night. Too much rain, levy that are blocked or clogged, sewers that are not cleaned, projects that have not been completed - but have been worked on for the past 30 years, rivers swelling, water backing up and mother nature all combined to cause what is the flood of 2008 in Northwest Indiana.
We have several communities that are devastated because of this storm. People who have lost their homes and/or all of their possessions. One and a half week and we are still "wadding" through this horrible calamity. While some are unaffected by the same storm. I am one of the very lucky ones. Not water in the basement, no flooding, our cars did not drown in the storm. Pets and family members all accounted for. My parents are staying with me because their home is still not livable, and yet we are one of the lucky ones. Our life continues minus the inconvenience of having roads closed due to water.

Khalila has some pictures also. That one that looks like a car is actually an Army Humvee (sp?) Not your typical Hummer but the rather large one and yes it is completely under water. I guess they under estimated the depth of the water. Someone has some explaining to do! A bridge in Hobart completely under water.
First level is completely under water.
Someones front yard. They needed boats to get around.
Indiana University has been closed and continues to be closed this week because of flooding. The night photography is pictures of that campus parking lot - under water. The water is about 4 feet deep in some locations.

This campus continues to be closed after almost 2 weeks.
Although it made for beautiful night photography half of the campus is under water.
Lots of reflections.

My mother and father in law have also included some pictures of the town of Hobart - under water including a collapsed bridge.

I have tried to put the photographers names on the pictures to give the correct credit.

Girls Day out

Girls day out takes one a new meaning with little ones - LOL
spent the day with the lovely Miss Isabella and her beautiful mom. Need I say she's almost 2?!




It's fun watching her learn. Shishi (fishy) Nake (snakes) - so cute!

The day after the flood - NW Indiana 2008

The Beautiful Historic Marquette Park in Miller

Dave being a good sport and letting me take his picture (o.k. Many pictures).

A fungus or a work of art?

The last of the Wild Thistle

The last of the Wild beautiful blooms (O.K. I don't know what they are called but they do look like snapdragons).

This is a main street that is completely under water. It has about 4 feet of water. There are areas far worse off than this. I've also played with this in photoshop.

Lake Michigan not looking to peaceful - but none the less a beautiful site. Again, I played with this picture in photoshop.

Dave is "taking in" the aftermath of the storm.

How in the world did this happen? Found it just like this . . .

This is really a wonderful area. More plays with photoshop.

Here is the original straight out of the camera.