Understanding macro photography Before we get to the tips sections, I thought I'd explain a little bit about what macro photography is. Macro photography is defined as the photography of extreme close-ups, usually of very small objects, in which the ratio of the subject on the sensor to the actual size of the subject is greater than 1:1 - or in other words, the subject in the photograph is greater than life-size. Macro photography is a great way to showcase everyday objects in fun and interesting ways. There are macro-specific settings, lenses, and other accessories that are used to achieve macro photographs, with a Point and Shoot camera or a DSLR.Most point and shoot cameras require a minimum focusing distance of 1 foot (30 cm). With the Macro Mode setting, P&S cameras can focus to within about an inch away from an object. The Macro Mode is denoted by a flower icon … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2013
Fearsome Filters Are Not Fearsome! Today: Dry Brush + some more
Hey there, fearsome filter explorers!All the new updates to the forum and gallery are beyond cool, aren't they? I spent some time getting acquainted with all the new buttons and so forth and I'm liking it!It's the same thing with Photoshop in all its variations. Giving yourself permission to mess around with your photos and the program is a lot of fun, and you can learn a lot about the cool effects you can get with Photoshop and Elements.Today, I thought I'd explore Dry Brush and then take it a little further with three other filters-and seeing what I'd get. Take a read and see what you can do.As always, here's my original image:Here's my cute boy Baxter! Such a lovely model. :-D Hi Baxter! Ready to play tug-of-war?Depending on your version of PS/PSE, your filters are going to be in slightly different places. I work from PSE8, which is a relatively ancient version (now) of … [Read more...]
More Mobile Fun… Plus Some Awesome New Releases!
Did you know that The Lilypad is still riding the Mobile-Ready Crazy Train? Well, it's not too crazy, but it sure is fun! There is a whole line of products now in the store especially geared for this. They are specifically designed to decorate your smart phone photos, making them so cool to share on social media and even to scrap with. Check out this blog post for details on how to use them, including screenshots. Here is the video from that post that the Font/Dingbat Guru Heather created for us.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6_C_U3gWRQ]And for those of you without smart phones (you know who you are), you can still enjoy these products because most also include png versions that can easily be used on scrapbook pages or other projects. So it's sort of like wordart with a bonus dingbat! What is not to love about that?Now that you know HOW to do it, let's look at … [Read more...]
Member Spotlight — RaquelS
Hey all, Polly Jewelle here! I am thrilled to bring you another TLP member spotlight! I had the opportunity to chat with RaquelS this week. Grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy getting to know more about her!Jewelle: What is your IRL name and your user name? RaquelS: My name is Raquel Sabido and my diginame is raquels.J: Could you provide a picture of yourself so we can see who you are? J: Where do you call home? R: I live in Waco, Texas also known as the home of the Baylor Bears. Sic’ Em, Bears! I am originally from Mexico, but Texas became my home ever since I was a young girl.J: Digital or Hybrid? Both? R: I started with paper scrapbooking quite a few years ago, but once I discovered the digital world in 2011 I haven’t gone back. I get more layouts done this way and I completely love it!J: How long have you been scrapping? R: It’s been seven years. Wow! I can’t … [Read more...]
Everybody Loves to be Loved♥Pass It On
Have you ever been standing in line at a grocery story, just having a blah day,and a stranger walks up and says something like this, "I really like your shirt/earrings/purse." It totally makes your moment. It causes you to look up and say oh thank you. A smile will come across your face and that mundane moment has changed to a rather nice warm feeling. I really think that taking that kind and sweet feeling and passing it on is an important part of life. Today, I want to thank those strangers that take the time to speak out and say, "I like that!" You know them as the angels in the gallery. Seriously, there are so many of them in the Lily Pad gallery, that take the time to look at our hard created page of love. These pages are of our most precious commodities, our children, precious pets, family and friends. To have someone say something kind about them is like a piece of … [Read more...]
Trend Watch – Stitching
This week's Trend Watch is all about stitching! It's a personal favorite amongst the creative team at TLP because it often adds that perfect finishing touch to pages. Both hand and machine stitching are hot trends in crafting and paper scrapbooking right now. The beauty of digi is that you can add stitching detail quickly and easily, with no sewing machine to haul out. However, stitching can be more than just nice details or to digitally hold down other page elements, you can also use them as the foundation of your layout for an entirely different look. No matter which method you prefer, you can grab some new stitches from the shop in the Trend Watch: Stitching category at 20% off until October 21st.Have you ever tried using stitching as the focus of your composition? It's a crafty and visually interesting way to build a page design. Jacque Larsen's Launch Pads are great … [Read more...]