The HEY! CHECK ME OUT! thread.

[noises]

I've had mixed results with sunrises and sunsets, where they really shine is when you can get some striking geological features in the foreground and some bright colors reflecting off some clouds. Where you'd normally have a blackened out under exposed foreground, you get a decent image, which can either work for or against you, depending on what's in that foreground. I'm sure you won't have much trouble finding some good stuff in that part of the world.

[Mad Scientist]

Interesting photo technique, really brings out detail.

Cute frogs too.

[kathleenp980]

Like the title says, this a thread where you can come and go, "hey, check me out," and proceed to show or tell us all about what it was you did that was so great you thought you should run onto the internet to tell people about it.

Pretty straight forward, right?

Do you have hobbies? Do you do creative things? Have a youtube channel? A flikr account with thousands of pretty decent photos? Do you knit? Do patchwork? Cook like a pro? Whatever it is you DO and you DO well, share it.

To kick things off, here's a link to my youtube debut, a short film about rally driving through the jungle near where I live, set to some of my own music. I like motorsports, obviously, and I love nature, so rally is like my PB&J of things to do. In fact the first road I ever drove on was pea gravel, like driving on marbles, and the only way around the corners was sideways, so, you know, some things are like riding a bike.

This video's on mud, things are a little different, it's all about inertia and grip, more than countering lateral forces. (because you can't on mud )

YouTube - Dambulla Rally (Playing Dirt in real life.)

ps lol pardon my youtube login name. it's from the old guy in The Vicar of Dibley, I don't have tourettes, I swear! :lol:

Such a very amazing link!
Thanks you for the post.

[Kevin]

How incredibly talented you all are! I love the 'shed', all the pics are truly awesome and Kevin's beard is something to write home about!

I have to add a little something completely different...but it's not my invention... it's my husband Glenn's unique artistry. We call them Tye Die Gecko and Cosmic Frog. I thought he was nuts when he was painting them, but they came out great!





Glenn was inspired by Jerry Garcia and Glenn's own 'younger' days

We love making ceramic creations - it's a family affair for us here in Arizona.

Those are some amazing pieces. I see you have them for sale in your Darkhorse.com store. We may be doing some shopping there!!!

Yeah, my beard is getting pretty long. Mary likes it a lot, so I am growing it for her. We'll see how long it gets.

[Kevin]

Cosmic frog is awesome! Hindi creation myth says the universe is made from and carried around by cosmic frog. Willing to bet your own looks cooler though.

Namaste, and thanks so much for the compliments on the photos. The HDR technique isn't very complicated, first it involves taking multiple photographs of the same scene at a variety of different exposure levels, then you use software to combine the correctly exposed parts from each of the images into one perfectly exposed photo. Software does most of the hard work, but you have to be aware of what you're actually shooting, with a mind to the post production process as you shoot to get the best results.

There's a few other creative effects you can achieve with the process, such as making a real object look like a CGI model (like the old truck,) or give an almost oil-on-canvas feel to the light and foliage in landscapes, as if it'd been painted. It's also very useful for getting photos in the rainforest, where shadows are often extremely deep dark because of the very bright tropical sun. Seriously. It's HDR or going into the jungle before dawn, setting up and using the faint light before sunrise and incredibly long exposures if you want to be able to shoot decent exposures in there, which I and many others have done.

For example, in the above photo which was shot at around 11am, one of the composite images has the ferns (in full sunlight in the middle of the creek,) correctly exposed, while in that same photo the opposite bank of the creek is extremely underexposed, appearing as a completely black shadow. Conversely, the lighter almost white parts of the lichen covered stones further upstream are in direct sunlight, and are massively overexposed, coming up in that shot as a white blur. But combine different exposure values and you can exceed the camera's ability to capture the variations natural lighting in a scene with such high dynamic range, hence the name of the process That one image composites across 7 full exposure values, and there's still parts that are a bit blown out, and others in black shadow. This is what nature pits me and my puny technology up against to show people the places I love as I see them.

What I was saying before about getting an oil painting sort of effect, you can see in this next image. The technique does incredible things with what would typically be a grey, washed out, overcast sky with no detail rendered.



I wouldn't even get my camera out for a scene like this until I discovered this technique, it just brings skies to life, it's incredible, I love it. Google HDR tutorials, all you need is a $100 camera and a tripod and some free software to get started, and these are typical results for anyone with a basic understanding of photography and bottom of the line equipment like mine.

for the explanation of how it is done. Sounds like a bit of work, but the results you have posted are astounding.

Are you using a remote to take the picture, or just being real careful not to move the camera at all on the tripod?

[noises]

I just use the two second shutter timer. That last picture was taken without a tripod though, with the camera sitting on the side of a bridge and me being very, very careful not to move the camera as I changed settings between shots. Otherwise it's just a case of framing the shot first then tightening up and locking off the pan and tilt controls on the tripod before I start shooting, but still generally using the two second timer so any movement from when I actually press the shutter button has stopped by the time the shutter opens.

[Kevin]

I just use the two second shutter timer. That last picture was taken without a tripod though, with the camera sitting on the side of a bridge and me being very, very careful not to move the camera as I changed settings between shots. Otherwise it's just a case of framing the shot first then tightening up and locking off the pan and tilt controls on the tripod before I start shooting, but still generally using the two second timer so any movement from when I actually press the shutter button has stopped by the time the shutter opens.

Amazing work.

Thanks again for posting it.

[Kevin]

Not for squeamish....pass this pic up if you don't like scars

Somehow I don't think this "check me out" thread was started with the following in mind.

Post below is a pic of the stapled up "stitches" from where they operated on my leg to put in a titanium plate.
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[Genie]

Ouch!

Kevin - - - Frankenstein would be envious...

You will heal quickly! Just keep up good spirits and cherish those scars, they will remind you how lucky you are Mine do

P.S. - Thanks for the compliments on the frog and gecko! Yes, you are welcome to shop at DarkHorseStore.com anytime...it's easy to browse online and fun to look at what crazy stuff we create from time to time. I have two questions for you Kevin... 1) Do you drink tea? 2) How do you feel about armadillos? These are leading questions of course... hehe... I may have to arrange something special for your situation.

[noises]

If chicks really do dig scars, you're now officially the sexiest man on this forum.

[future pather]

Hey Jessica!

Thanks for the clip....please post up more as they become available.

I remember you sharing some stuff about your work a year or so ago. It is exciting that you are getting to do this, and I look forward to seeing more!

Congrats!!!

Got another one for ya Kev, wow that scar is very tidy looking

YouTube - Where You Can Find Me 2

It's Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks there, with me in the black jacket with blue trim. The movie should be out late November.

There are 3 other trailers out now of movies I've worked on but I'll have to wait to see them to tell if I can be spotted in any.

I worked on two others recently but they won't be out for ages

[noises]

Hey!

Hey! Check out my new youtube video!
YouTube - Intuition, Healing and Grounding binaural mix

First of a series of binaurals, nothing long, they'll all be under ten minutes, the idea is to have an entrainment resource available online to anyone who wants to use it.

I'm hoping it will be viewed frequently by people who like them, sort of a daily mini meditation, or ongoing entrainment sessions, because that way, they'll be getting heard by the people who want to hear them, and as the views accumulate, youtube offers revenue sharing for popular videos.


I'm hoping I've found a harmonious balance of good intention, right action, creative application of good ideas and delivery platform to not only make a difference, but maybe pick up a little extra coin on the side along the way. (I don't want anyone to misunderstand, my intention is to create a balance of invested time and financial return, while still serving the greatest good.)
for watching.

(This video is cross-posted in the sound healing thread, by the way.)

[noises]

Another video up on my youtube channel, combining the sounds of running water, bird calls in the rainforest and some homemade binarural beats. it's a ten minute power relaxation trip, enjoy as often as you like.

YouTube - Rainforest Binaural mix

[Mad Scientist]

I like the hilly road. If that one was enlarged and framed I think it would be a very saleable item.

[future pather]

Those pictures of the cars turn out really well for some reason

I just noticed in this new trailer for The Next Three Days you see me a lot better in the subway at 0:19

YouTube - THE NEXT THREE DAYS - Amazing Review: In Theaters Tomorrow

You also see my car at 0:10 / 0:11. It's the dark green one that almost hits the guy who puts his hand out. That is I think the only time my car was a picture car in a major motion picture that they did not let me drive in the scene. (Instead in this one I'm one of the people walking in that group of people in the background.) It's because they really did drive that close to the guy and almost hit him. (No jokes about me being a female driver, I think I've got a pretty good rep since I got to drive a picture car which wasn't mine once and have been given some pretty good challenges driving in scenes.)

The funny thing is a long time ago I started this thread at another forum on the LOA about how much I appreciated my car.

The reason I started it back then was because I remembered the part in The Secret where it said if you want something upgraded, the best way to do that was to appreciate what you currently have.

I already get pretty decent gas mileage but I had decided the best way to accomplish a more renewable use vehicle was to appreciate my car.

The thread was all about the thrills I get driving, how magical it is to look out the side window and realize how fast I am traveling, etc etc.

I never dreamed that my car would eventually be used as a picture car in several feature films after that LOL. It turns out that it is rather benign looking and they like that. It is dark, low (action can be seen behind it), not flashy, not real new (they can't have all the cars new looking) and not so nice that I'm extremely protective over it. However since it is a 1997 it has played a new period car in Love and Other Drugs. That was it's hardest role yet! LOL. I sure got out the Armorall for that one.

You can see it behind the actor at 0:35

YouTube - Love and Other Drugs Trailer (HD)