Tim McMurdo

just because they are beautiful

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Sometimes I create images that are striking in their beauty (at least to me) but, that I don't have a clue what to do with them. I know that I somehow need to share them with you however, they don't fit into one of my stories or I don't know enough about the subject to share something special about them.

Normally when I take a picture, I know the moment I open it up in my photo editor, how I will use it or even that I will never use the image. These are not that kind of image. I think they are wonderful but I have no idea what to do with them. In the past, this means that they would probably never see the light of day again.

I didn't want these images to disappear. I want to share them with you and so, here they are. I think they are beautiful. Not only do I like these photos but, meeting the young lady for the first time, I was really impressed with her. Smart, a little shy, focused, pretty, and very pleasant. She is one of those young people that remind me that the generation growing up behind us has a lot going for it.

I hope you like these images as much as I do. Maybe I get stuck thinking that in order to share photos with you, I need to have a purpose for them. I might be wrong in that respect. Maybe I should let some pictures speak for themselves.

warren doesn’t like girls

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Warren had heard the story since he was a tadpole. Evidently there was a princess and she was looking for a prince and when she found a frog with a crown on its head, she kissed it and voila in a puff of smoke, he became a prince, blah, blah, blah. Warren's problem was that every young girl for miles around had evidently heard the same story.

Every year, a fresh crop of young girls would show up at the pond looking for their prince. They would come in pairs or small groups but, never alone. As they approached the water, the girls would giggle and laugh as they looked for frogs and in the event that they found one, they would dare each other to kiss the poor amphibian. The girls never ever kissed the frogs. Eventually, when they were finished playing and had lost interest, they would dispose of the frog by dropping it unceremoniously back into the water. The quick dismissal was what really bothered Warren the most. The girls were completely immersed in their own desires and never thought of the frog. The frog was just a prop in their games. They were all the same.

Not once had warren ever been kissed and in all probability he never would. That my friends is why Warren didn't like girls.

silly man, pixies are for little girls

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I know, I know… my Manly Man street credibly goes completely out the door with the posting of this composite image. That's two pixie images in a single year.

Thank you to Renee Stewart Jackson for lending me the image of the little girl to use as the pixie. If you have never seen Renee's outstanding photography, I encourage you to do so. I wouldn't steer you wrong, would I?

That is all for now, I am going to go get muddy, throw some kind of ball, whistle at a pretty girl, and otherwise try to redeem my manhood.

sometimes cheating is a requirement

Posted on August 1, 2011July 5, 2015 by Tim McMurdo

The panographic image you are looking at was created in Photoshop CS4 by stitching together several images using their automated engine. I've passed by this grove of trees on the edge of a wood many times during the day and have often thought that it would make a great subject for a photo if I could get the light just right. That in mind, I paid the stand of trees a visit Sunday morning just before dawn and set up my camera on a tripod. With the camera only two feet above the ground, I took a series of captures from several locations. Here is one of the untouched images for you to see.

With the individual photos shot, I decided that the scene would look great as a pano. So, I found a good location and shot a series of images by swiveling the camera just a few degrees between shots. If you are going to try this, you need to ensure that your tripod is nice and level or your horizon will really be out of whack. Also, you will need to set your camera and lens to manual.

Here is the resulting stitched image with some minor adjustments for color and contrast.

This pano is nice enough, just a bit spooky. I like the image but, it seemed to be missing something to make it really special. I uploaded this to flickr and asked for feedback on what would make it a better image. Through the discussion, what I decided was that the picture needed some deer. I had some photos of deer grazing not far from here and because I would be silhouetting them, lighting would not be an issue. Back to photoshop.

I think the deer do the trick. Now the image has a real subject for your eye to focus on. Yes, this might be cheating. After all, the deer were not in the original photos. However, I think that in this case, cheating was the way to go. And… is it cheating if you tell the world how and why you did it?

Have a great day folks. Don't let the heat get the best of you.

jeanne’s new hat

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Jeanne Clauson is a handsome woman. Though Jeanne is not a prideful woman, she does like to wear pretty things. And so it was with her new hat. The hat was mad of straw and had a nice wide brim that would keep the sun out of her eyes. Wrapped around the black crepe band and trailing down the back was a lovely green silk ribbon. The front was adorned with a matching bow and button. It was a fine hat and she loved it. Her husband had given it to her as a birthday gift though, Jeanne suspected that the extraordinary gift was as much birthday present as it was an attempt to help her through the first anniversary of their daughter Ellie's death.

The last year had been hard on them all but, slowly they were beginning to heal. She missed Ellie terribly and as the anniversary approached, her eldest child was in her thoughts more than usual. The more she thought of Ellie and missed Ellie, the quieter she had gotten and she knew that Asa, her husband, recognized the import of her silence and worried about her. The hat was an extravagance but, she loved him for the gift and the kind thought behind it. She loved her husband. Asa was himself a very quiet man and the hat spoke volumes about the feelings he had for her. Such a pretty hat, the green ribbon was her favorite color and Asa was well aware of that!

One year. Twelve months were not a lot of time to deal with this kind of grief. Still, she was better than she had been a year ago. Unfortunately, Jeanne was not alone in her pain. Two more little girls had been killed. One each, during the winter and spring. Two more children in the ground. Two more families in pain. She did not know the little girl from New Carlisle. She did know the family of Cassie Turner. They were regulars at her church and Cassie and Ellie were on playing terms. No one had seen or heard the beast that had mauled the poor girls.

After each death, hunters and trackers had taken to the fields, the woods and the river beds. All to no avail. No tracks had been found. Nor had they found any sign at all of the animal that had killed her little Ellie and the other two poor little girls. The families in this rural area were becoming alarmed by the cruel and violent loss of three girls in a single year. Children were being kept closer to home and fathers and mothers were vigilantly watching their children, just as she and Asa kept a close eye on their remaining girl, Stella.

Jeanne had her new hat and she thought it was a fine and lovely hat. More than something pretty to place on top of her head, she knew it was her husband's love and kindness that she place upon her hair. The straw and ribbons could not make up for the hard year that lay behind her but, she could smile none the less when she pulled the hat out of its box and straightened the ribbon with her fingers.

Here are the links to the entire series of Elli Claussen stories:

For those that wondered but, were not sure, that the stories might be connected, they are. I have most of the plot worked out on paper and will continue to post new parts of the story as the images become available. This sometimes means that weeks can pass between installments and I am sorry for that. However, I hope you agree that the images help to make the stories come alive.

Thank you once again for your feedback and encouragement. If my story telling is improving and I am becomming more confident, it is only because you have made me more comfortable. Don't hesitate to ask any questions or make comments if you have them.

Tim

cloud bank

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

Close to sunset last night, we had a much needed downpour of heavy rain that resulted from a line of thunderstorms moving through the area. This was the kind of storms that flash and bang like a Fourth of July party in Chinatown. I am a lover of good lightning storms. Bring them on! The more violent, the better. As long as no one gets hurt and nothing gets damaged, I am all for them.

An hour or so later, the storm had moved further east, leaving clear skies. The only exception was this gorgeous cloud bank that lazily moved eastward. As the clouds lingered, the last of the day's sun tried to peak through, giving us these magical god rays, fanning out from openings in the clouds. As much as the thunder land lightning got my blood going these rays were calming and serene. I thought about how strange that mother nature could pump me up one moment and just a few minutes later, she could completely calm me down. I like you Ma Nature. Keep up the good work. I am a big fan.

Have a fantastic Saturday folks, enjoy your time off.

maximize your color

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

This image was taken last night during civil twilight from our local marina located at Buck Creek State Park. What you are looking at is the final image after post processing. The "blue hour" after sunset is the perfect time to capture brilliant colors. The reds and blues that result from the sun setting behind the horizon can be spectacular. This kind of display begs for you to get the most out of your colors. Don't settle for ordinary colors.

This is the image SOOC (straight out of the camera) and though the colors are there, they are somewhat subdued. I want to maximize the color and make it explode out of the image. How do I do that?

I get over the top colors by making color adjustments in my photo editor. I use Apple's Apurture for my relatively straight forward image adjustments. However, when I need something more complex like multiple layers and localized adjustments, I turn to Photoshop, a tool that I use professionaly as well as on my personal work. In thi simage, I want the blues and reds to come to life. Adjusting two seperate colors in different areas of the image requires multiple layers and layer masks… that means Photoshop.

First step is to copy the original layer twice, once for the blue and once for the red adjustments. I will save the original layer image unchanged in case I need to go back to it. In the image above, I have adjusted the reds so that they are stronger than in the original. I repeat the same process with the blues on a separate layer.

Notice that as I adjusted the reds, the entire image is changed. The blues are more purple and there is now a lot of red in the white boat that I don't really want. By placing the red layer on top of the blue layer and by adding a layer mask to the red layer, I can "paint" out the areas of the red layer that I don't like. This will allow the blue layer to show through from beneath. Using a soft brush with low transparency settings, I can slowly build up the blues that I need in the final image.

Once again, here is the final image. Notice the vibrant colors. I was able to showcase Ma Nature's color show without ruining the whites and greens that I wanted to remain untouched. Don't be afraid to maximize your colors when the occasion calls for vibrant hues. Go ahead, don't settle, knock your viewer's socks off.

how to beat the heat in three easy steps

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I know that all of you have been struggling to survive the heat dome of 2011, just like I have. Well, I am here to help you with three easy steps to help you live through the heat.

Step One:

Open the refrigerator door.

Step Two:

Climb into the refirgerator. This may require that you first dump everything that currently resides in the refrigerator onto the kitchen floor. However, don’t fret, sacrifices need to be made in the name of comfort.

Step three:

Close the door to the refrigerator. If you are claustrophobic, just close your eyes and pretend you are sleeping and you won’t know the difference.

And in case you were wondering (Renee Jackson Stewart), the light does go out. I just happened to bring a flashlight in with me. Hey look, cold pizza… sorry peoples of the web, you are on your own from here on out. the pizza is calling.

Have a great day folks.

morning walk

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

I have a problem. A sort of addiction. I crave the sunrise. Every chance that I can get, I drive to the same location at the lake and sit quietly while the sun peaks its head over the horizon. I've reached the point where I get really bummed when I can't go or when I do and the sunrise isn't up to par. Today was one of those days. I got up and out of the house, drove over to the lake, parked and waited. Clouds, too many clouds.

A few clouds lead to a brilliant sunrise but too many clouds just difuse the light and all the world gets is a dull glow the sky. Pretty, yes but, when I make the effort to wake up early and greet the sun, I expect to get some value for my effort. So you see, I do have an addiction. Averge sunrises are just not doing it for me any more. I need spectacular colors reflecting off of towering clouds and leading to lush reflections on tranquil water.

However, I remember my Father's wise words about birthdays. He says that it sucks to grow old old, but it is better than the alternative. A crappy sunrise is better than no sunrise. Besides, I have plenty of company… seems like there are a lot of people that like to get up early and meet the sun. Crazy sunrise addicts. Should be a 12 step program for something like this.

internal conflict 2

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Tim McMurdo

As you can guess by the image, I am still playing around with the idea of multiple self portraits and what I could do with them. I continue to have a lot of ideas for what I could do and this image is another step forward in practicing and developing the Photoshop skills needed to pull it off. In this image, I wanted to get the individual portraits closer together and overlap the bodies. So, I had the right hand portrait overlap the center figure. The actual photographic process remained the same one used in The Five Tims image that I posted last week. On the post process ing side of the equation, I still struggle with the overlapping skin tones and have pretty much decided that the problem I am encountering starts in the photography and will make some changes on the front end. Stay tuned, there will me more images of this type to come in the future. When you have had enough, let me know.

The mustache? It won't last much longer. I have never had a full mustache in my entire life and I wanted to grow one while I could. The stache is on thin ice right now. Everytime I eat ice cream, I get the cold confection all over my upper lip and that my friends, is just silly. Who wants to waste perfectly good ice cream that way?

Author: Tim McMurdo