The Empty Basket

December 11, 2023 by GmasPhoto 8 Comments

The Empty Basket

Hi, this weekend I began my Christmas shopping. Rather I needed to replace an earring I had lost and did not want the piercing to close. My earring go-to store is Claire’s. While in the store, Claire’s had an item that was on both of my grand-girls Christmas gift list. This post is a story of what happened prior to me walking to the store. I parked in front, just a few parking spots down from the front door. As I was taking the keys from the ignition, I saw this pink basket like piece.

Next, there was a man walking down the sidewalk. My imagination perceived this man to be ‘homeless‘. The basket caught his attention as well. He ventured over to it to see what was inside. It looked like he picked something up from the basket. I couldn’t tell what it was. The man then went on his way. By this time the pink basket had really intrigued me more. Getting out of my car, I walked up to the basket and it was empty.

After seeing the contents of the basket was empty, I made my way into Claire’s. Bought my earring and a gift for each of the girls. The empty basket never left my thoughts. I Google’d, ‘is there a meaning to an empty basket‘ and found this link, The Miracle of the Empty Baskets.

Take what you like and leave the rest. However, I do believe our Good Lord shows us the way, bring people into our lives, as well as place us into other’s lives for a reason. We do not know this reason, but a reason never-the-less. By the way, my favorite color is pink……..

My interpretation of this empty basket has made my 101 in 1001 goal #64, Go with my husband more when he helps feed the homeless, all the more important.

WW Update:
Since Start Date; -28.6 lbs

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Taking Better Phone Pictures | Typical Edits

November 13, 2023 by GmasPhoto 10 Comments

Taking Better Phone Pictures | Typical Edits

Hi, Many people when starting photography get very lost when it comes to editing. When looking at a picture you just took on a nice camera, it’s really easy to look at it and think “wow, that looks great! what is there to fix?” Or maybe “I’ve got a nice camera that I figured out how to use, but I can NOT get my pictures to look like everybody else’s!” Well don’t stress it, because I’ve got some good ways to help you get started.

The 2 main things that photographers look at with each image is the tone and the exposure. Many cameras shoot pictures where the skin tone ends up looking too orange, too red or even too blue. Fixing the image so that the skin tones look natural and like the color of the actual skin can make a dramatic difference. The other major fix is the exposure. Is the picture too light? Is the picture too dark? Even with professional cameras, pictures can come out with the exposure off. The best way to judge if the exposure is correct is to look at the skin again. It’s very important to adjust the image until the exposure is correct. Even if it means making the sky extra bright, it’s more important to have the skin be the correct amount of exposure over everything else in the image.

The example photo I am using was taken just this weekend, not of people rather of the Autumn leaves. My preferred editing app for phone photography images is PicTapGo.

taking better phone pictures | typical edits — Picture of the autumn leaves straight from the phone.

The leaves on the drive caught my eye. I just really liked them. This is a good picture. Some would find it nice, color and all. However, I adjusted the exposure and tone. Here is my edited version.

autumn leaves — Exposure and tone adjustments.

What I like about the PicTapGo, it’s simple and has many filters available that is included with the app. After picking an image to edit, click filters and apply the desired one. I chose the Warm It Up and Lights On.

Each filter has a slider to adjust the strength to the amount you prefer.

adjusting edits — Adjusting the amount applied

before and after edits — Before and After

PicTapGo is available for iPhone. There are many different apps for editing as well. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Snapseed can be used with either iOS or Android. I have personally used all of these and found PicTapGo to be the most user-friendly.

WW Update:
Since Start Date; -24.8lbs

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Yesterday, today’s memory

November 12, 2023 by GmasPhoto 15 Comments

Today’s image was inspired by the autumn leaves that had fallen onto the driveway. While at my daughter’s home, she was blowing the leaves off the pavement. Stating she did not like the stains the leaves make. The stained pavement picture.

yesterday todays memory — Yesterday, today’s memory

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Back to the Norm

November 6, 2023 by GmasPhoto 8 Comments

Back to the Norm

Day Out with my Children

Hi, October was my thankful, grateful month. I am back to my usual series of postings that will be available these particular days: Monday, weekly post; Thursday, Tongue-Tied LinkUp Party and Friday, Gma’sPhoto | ge•ner•ic LinkUp Party.

Had a super fun Saturday with just me and my kids. This does not happen too often. I had asked them for a picture of the three of us. Then I wanted to have one of just my two children. It will go well with the past image series.

Picnic in the Park

This weekend Kevin asked that I go with him to the ‘Picnic in the Park’ for the homeless on Sunday. One of my 101 in 1001 goals is to go with Kevin more, and Sunday was a nice day for November. This week there was not as many people who went thru the line.

WW Update:
Since Start Date; -26.4lbs

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Cameras Then & Now

November 2, 2023 by GmasPhoto Leave a comment

How many of you know the history of photography? Below are 10 fun facts* about photography…can you imagine what the inventor of the camera would think of today’s variety of cameras?!?

An Arab physicist, Ibn al-Haytham, published his Book of Optics in 1021 AD. He created the first pinhole camera after observing how light traveled through a window shutter

The earliest cameras were room-sized, with space for one or more people inside

The first camera that was small and portable enough to be practical for photography was envisioned by Johann Zahn in 1685, however The first photograph was clicked by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in the year 1814. Sadly, there was no way to save the image.

The first partially successful photograph of a camera image was made in approximately 1816 by Nicéphore Niépce, using a very small camera of his own making and a piece of paper coated with silver chloride, which darkened where it was exposed to light. This too would eventually darken and the picture would be lost.

View from the Window at Le Gras is a heliographic image and the oldest surviving camera photograph. It was created by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827 at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, France, and shows parts of the buildings and surrounding countryside of his estate, Le Gras, as seen from a high window.

The use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing paper film in 1885 before switching to celluloid in 1889. His first camera, which he called the “Kodak,” was first offered for sale in 1888.

A number of manufacturers started to use 35mm film for still photography between 1905 and 1913. The first 35mm cameras available to the public, and reaching significant numbers in sales was in 1913.

The first TLR camera came out in 1928. The first SLR camera debuted in 1933 and instant cameras hit the market in 1944.

The first digital camera ever sold was in 1987.

In 1991, Kodak brought to market the Kodak DCS (Kodak Digital Camera System), the beginning of a long line of professional Kodak DCS SLR cameras that were based in part on film bodies, often Nikons. It used a 1.3 megapixel sensor, had a bulky external digital storage system and was priced at $13,000.

**Facts and Pictures provided by wikipedia**

Practicing Gratitude 15 of 31 | 101 in 1001

October 15, 2023 by GmasPhoto 13 Comments

Practicing Gratitude 15 of 31 | 101 in 1001

Hi, it’s my Day 15 in 31. Today I am grateful for a girls day out! Linda and I went to Powell Gardens.

This is an absolutely beautiful place. The collage above features the chapel that is part of Powell Gardens. The day we were there, the chapel was going to close to the public at 3pm for a wedding. And what a lovely, perfect day for the wedding and wedding pictures. Not too hot for the bride and groom/wedding party for outdoor pictures. And certainly warm enough for the guests to mingle outside for the reception. If I were not with Linda, I would truly have been a wedding crasher that evening! 🙂

Once we arrived, parked and bought our admission tickets, we headed to the chapel first. This was a good walk. Beautiful things to see the whole way. We came upon a young lady having her senior pictures taken. Unlike the bride and groom who more than likely would have many layers on, this high school senior had on a short summer dress. A cold day for that dress!

powell gardens senior picture — High School Senior Pictures

As we were walking, a maintenance worker was driving a golf course coming towards us. Well, I stuck my thumb out like a hitch hiker. He stopped. We asked for a ride back to the visitor building. He did better than that. He gave us a guided tour of the 45 acre botanical gardens!