The New Photography

I am becoming a proponent of composite images using photoshop. The above image would be virtually impossible to achieve if I had to do it in one shot. The odds of being in the right place at the right time would be extremely high. In this case I took the image of the mountains and just the other day I placed the CF-18 Hornet in the image. In fact both airplanes above are really the same airplane (sshh! don't tell anyone). I merely copied and pasted the first airplane where I wanted it and then repeated the process while I reduced the size of the lower plane to make it look further away. Pretty tricky huh???

So dear reader if you ever want a photo of yourself or family in a place in the world, you have never been and I can instantly transport you there and you wow all your friends. There is of course a little more to it, but no problem.

Live well and prosper.

Dennis in Olympic City

A Toast to an Artist

Every once in a while someone comes into your life who has extraordinary talent. I have been blessed to have a number of people who are outstanding individuals and also have a great talent in a specific area.

Today I salute my friend Rosie who is an outstanding painter and is just starting to make her mark in the world of painted images. In the above photo she stands in front of one of her recent images, although this perspective is thanks to photoshop. I look forward to seeing her climb in the world of painters, and hopefully I will own one or more of her paintings in due course.

Rosie, I salute your talent and wish you success in your painting career.

Live well and prosper
Dennis

The Magic of Photoshop

I never ceased to be amazed at what can be done with Photoshop. For instance the above image of a friend of mine in Ukraine is a good example. She has never been to Hawaii and has always wanted to go. I was able to place a photo of her in the Hawaiian sunset that I photographed recently while on my visit there. I decided to apply an opacity factor on her image to make it obvious that she actually wasn't there, but her spirit was in Hawaii.

It just goes to show that you cannot always believe what you "see", let alone what you read or hear. If I were to place her photo without the opacity factor, it would look like she was actually in Hawaii. I am sure that photoshop has many more tricks "up its sleeve" but I must learn more to demonstrate them.

Live well and prosper

Dennis

An Artistic View of Atkinson Point

Somebody once commented on this image which I took sometime ago from a friend's apartment in West Vancouver. They said that the lighting conditions were like they had never seen before. I had to agree with them, however the image was not created entirely by natural lighting. In fact the broad dark stripes are the result of me photographing through the blinds on the window. The typical venetian blinds were partially closed as I shot the image through the bedroom. As is typical, the blind was so close to the camera that it could never be in focus and resulted in this effect which I quite like. Now you know that a lot of my artistic images are created or rendered rather than just recorded.

Live well and prosper.

Dennis

Spring Is Here !!! (I hope)

Yesterday I had a walk with my grandson and my daughter into Stanley Park. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and temperature was a balmy +10C (that is about 50F for my American readers). We have had about 10 days of this weather now and all during the Olympic games which are a week from winding down. The crocus image above was taken on our walk and is only one of many flowers that are starting to bloom. It was a wonderful day and the promise of spring to come was most welcomed.

Here's to sunny days wherever you may live.

Live well and prosper,

Dennis

The Pot of Gold at the End of a Rainbow

Recently I was in Kauai and for the first time observed a rainbow. This occurred in the early morning as I greeted sunrise through my hotel window. I am not sure whether it is a legend, or simply an "old wives tale", but there is supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I am not sure whether a pot of gold existed here of not, but the rainbow ends on the "dragon's head". The small mountain in the foreground is actually the head of a dragon that was made famous in the song: "Puff the Magic Dragon" which was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962 and based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton.

Every time I am in Hawaii from now on, I will always remember "Puff the Magic Dragon". Maybe I will teach the song to my grandson.

Live well and prosper,

Dennis

The Simple Beauty in a Flower

Recently in Hawaii, I spotted this "plumeria" which also has a common name "Frangipani" and found out they are common in all tropical areas of the world. They are now common naturalized plants in southern and southeastern Asia. In local folk beliefs they provide shelter to ghosts and demons. The scent of the plumeria has been associated with a vampire in Malay folklore. They are also associated with temples in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, although Hindus (except on Bali) do not use the flowers in their temple offerings.

In modern Polynesian culture the flower is worn to indicate their relationship status; over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.

So guys next time a beautiful lady approaches you with a plumeria over the right ear, she is available. Good luck!

Live well and prosper,
Dennis

Let The Games Begin!!!

Hello to my many thousands of readers from Olympic City here on the west coast. Last evening I had the pleasure of attending the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver. It was a spectacular event in BC Place Stadium which holds over 60,000. It was difficult to take photos there but the above image is part of the opening for the event.

Live well and prosper
Dennis

Paths of Glory

I am reading a novel about one man's quest to climb Mt. Everest. Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. But what if one man had such a dream, and once he'd fulfilled it, there was no proof that he had achieved his ambition.

In the story the man once told an American reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest "because it's there". On his third attempt in 1924 at age 37 he was last seen 600 feet from the top. His body was found in 1999. And it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit.

Does the value in our dreams really have anything to do whether the rest of the world knows that we have achieved them or not?? Hopefully not!

In my mind the figure at the left always wanted to go down in history as the flute player to the gods. As he achieved this goal he became immortal and remains for all time the greatest flute player in history. After playing for a very long time, he turned to stone and remains near Yalta in Ukraine to forever play to the gods.

What is your magnificent dream??

Live well and prosper

Dennis