5 Ways to Jump into Spring from Starrybluesky Studio

Have you ever seen the lovely images from Starrybluesky Studio? If not, you are definitely missing out! Rhiannon Connelly, the artist behind Starrybluesky Studio, creates lovely dreamy images - mostly from Polariod SX-70 emulsion manipulations.

Anyway, Rhiannon has a great newsletter and this month she talks about some great ways to jump start your creativity after a long winter's hibernation!


5 Ways to Jump into Spring

After what was the coldest winter for 30 years in the UK most people are ready for spring to come. With every season change there is an almost inbuilt wish to shake things up a bit, clean up our living space and welcome in new ideas. I've come up with 5 ways to give this a helping hand.

1.Make a list of 20 small Creative Actions

Sometimes it can take a little effort to unearth the ways to shake off the lethargy of winter. Making a list of 20 small creative actions is one way to get things moving. The essence is that these things are small enough to be do-able , but relevant enough to get the ball rolling. My list included -

- Go for a walk in the Botanic Gardens

- Make a list of competitions and their deadlines

- Get a Turkish language CD

- Send a little care package with chocolate to friend who

has a lot on her plate.

- Get rid of clutter on my laptop

- Look for a gypsy music festival to go to later in the year.

2.Tidy up your immediate environment.

There is good reason for almost any book or website on creativity placing such emphasis on clearing out clutter and cleaning your living space. If there is a lot of junk around it takes away some of our energy, so the less there is, the more we are able to focus on our creative projects.

Apparently that is one of the reasons that many people sleep better and have more energy after sleeping in a hotel.

Resources for cleaning your home...my favourite is the one I learned ages ago from FlyLady. I can't keep up with all her timetables, but I have adopted her 15 minute timer for getting things done.

(Interestingly, just today I read about the "Pomodoro Technique" (named after a tomato shaped timer I think) which expands on this idea ,also for a business context. In this case using 25 minutes with short breaks and after every 4th session you take a longer break).

3. Plan a day trip

Have you spent too long without a change of scenery ? Maybe a longer trip isn't possible, but perhaps there is a day trip you could make ? I become very aware that my immediate environment seems less inspiring , even though Edinburgh is a beautiful city, it seems as though it becomes too familiar to intrigue me.

What about making it a mystery tour and taking the first bus or train that leaves ? I know some people who even took this one step further and taking the first available plane ,which was heading to Istanbul.

A friend recently declared her life to be in need of some more adventure, so I've been putting together a little DIY adventure kit for her - I won't show it here as she hasn't received it yet.

4. Do a "media fast" for a week.

This is one of the hardest things, but can be one of the most effective boosts you can give yourself. If you've done the "Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, you'll be familiar with the formidable "reading deprivation week" that strikes fear into the heart of any bookworm. You'd be amazed how hard it is to avoid reading - words are everywhere. The more hooked you are, the harder it will be to break the habit.

But by doing this exercise a huge amount of space is created allowing all kinds of other activities room and time to flourish. Take the slightly gentler version and do only the reading deprivation, or go the whole hog and do a complete "media fast" - no tv, no surfing , no other electronic gadgetry. Not easy, but very beneficial.

5. Shake up your appearance.

There is something particularly reviving about having a haircut at the start of spring, to freshen your image as you head back out into the world. Maybe give your wardrobe a bit of a revamp too. This doesn't need to mean spending a fortune - maybe there is something you already have that could be revived with some applique. Or a longer dress chopped into a tunic? Or maybe there is something you've always worn, or a "style uniform" that you no longer feel fits you.

Things I've noticed and wondered about...so many women wear black. All year round. I was one of them, until a few months ago, when I had a really strong urge to stop wearing any black at all. Are you choosing your clothes on autopilot or do you love how you dress ?

I remember reading a wonderful interview with a local woman who dresses in a very distinctive manner. She said something along the lines that she feels it is her duty to dress in an interesting way for the benefit of those around her.

About Rhiannon

Rhiannon is a professional photographer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Alongside her fine art work she also specialises in portraits. She is available for portrait sessions throughout
Scotland and also in Europe depending on her schedule.

She sells her fine art Polaroids at exhibitions and online from her Etsy shop.

Her "12 City Project" , to photograph 12
European cities ,came about when Polaroid was discontinued. Rather than become creatively blocked
it was a way to use up her remaining supplies in a joyful manner.

Her next exhibition will be in Edinburgh at the end of May.

Her Etsy shop is www.starrybluesky.etsy.com
And her blog is www.starrybluesky.wordpress.com

Postcard Giveaway Winner and a Fan Appreciation Annoucement!

Much thanks to everyone who entered the postcard giveaway! I'm really grateful to everyone who entered and really wish that I could give a prize to everyone. Alas, there is only one available prize. But for those of you who are still in need of some postcards, UPrinting does have very reasonable rates and I am VERY happy with the ones I ordered from them several months ago.

So, now without further adieu, I would like to announce the winner as chosen by Random.org:

Congrats are due to sabrinahollyvintage!! Thanks so much for entering! Just drop me a line at jen at jenkiaba dot com with your info and I will get you in contact with the appropriate people over at Uprinting!

And now for an admission. I have been so incredibly busy with work, school and a play (plus, you know, being sick! Blargh) that I completely dropped the ball on Fan Appreciation Days. Big apologies to everyone. For now I think I will be doing them once a month on the last Saturday of the month because sometimes I just am not able to interact enough on Facebook during a single week to give everyone a fair chance. But a month should be plenty of time, right?

This month I would like to say thank you to Christy Berry Brandley! She has participated on my fanpage, entered contests AND told her friends to check out my work as well. I'm pretty speechless sometimes when I see how wonderfully exuberant she is. Christy, I really can't say thank you enough!

So I hope everyone has a wonderful coming week! And remember, there are still several more days to enter my Mini Print Giveaway with I Heart Handmade! Check it out!

<3

Jen

It's a Mini Print Giveaway!!

It's Friday, which means that it's time for a celebration and a giveaway! This week I am teaming up with I Heart Handmade to offer a very special giveaway. Read on:

What better way to start off the work week than with yet another giveaway? Today, it’s a giveaway with Jen of Jen Kiaba Photography for a set of 4 5×5 art prints from her Etsy shop. The winner chooses which 4 prints! How fabulous is that?!

Jen’s style is whimsical with vintage styling. They’re really great mood pieces that invite you in to a story. And if you’re an Alice in Wonderland fan, you’ll find lots of Alice inspired prints here. Take a look at just a few of the prints available:

Check out full details of the Giveaway on the I Heart Handmade Blog!

http://blog.indiehandmade.com/2010/03/mini-art-print-giveaway-with-jen-kiaba/

One lucky winner will be selected at random and announced on
I Heart Handmade on March 28, 2010.

Your Products In Celebrities' Hands? Now that's Advertising!

Yesterday I got a newsletter from Justine of Handmademarketer.com, and the topic was "Press." The main story was an introduction to Sarah Shaw, the Entrepreneutte, who has just launched a new service called "Instantly Famous Products."

The free service helps anyone signed up get their products into the hands of wardrobe and costumer personnel on the set of movies and TV shows! As a service to costume and wardrobe personnel, Sarah provides a connection between small businesses throughout the country and film personnel who need products on the set.

Once you are on the list, just watch your email box, and when a matched opportunity comes your way, respond fast and professionally. This could be an opportunity to have your product seen or used on television - which is great for visibility and credibility!

So check it out if you're interested. It can't hurt, right? Here's the link: "Instantly Famous Products".

Losing my Voice - Time for a Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday lovely readers. Wouldn't you know it - spring break rolls around and I am knocked head over heels by a nasty cold. Boo to that I say! Therefore I apologize if I'm a bit absent for a few days. I'm continually imbibing all kinds of tea concoctions, trying to KO this cold!

In the meantime, I just thought I would share this with you:

This is our lovely Maggie-dog. My boyfriend's mom has begun a small business knitting custom dog sweaters, and Maggie lovingly volunteered to model them for us. Isn't she just adorable??

Free Postcard Prints! A Giveaway with Uprinting

This week I am offering another awesome giveaway with Uprinting.com! This week the prize is 100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) lucky winner! I've had Postcard Printing done by Uprinting before, and I am sooo happy with the way they turned out!

Recipe Cards, Thank you cards, Invitations, and much more… What better to use for these than these postcard prints? And having the ability to Print Online saves you so much time and money!

From marketing materials to personal invitations, postcards have developed from the rather plain and boring. Get a chance to win a set! Design them to your heart’s content and be as creative as you can be.

Here are the details:

• 100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) Winner
• Paper Stock: High Gloss or Semi Gloss
• Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; 3 Business Days Turnaround
• Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
• Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only 18 years and older
  

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment here and tell me what you would print on your postcards and how you would use them!

Bonus Entries (leave a new comment each time you have done the following):

1. Subscribe to my newsletter!

2. Follow my blog.

3. Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link.

4. Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway. You can tweet once per day.

5. Become a Facebook fan of Jen Kiaba Photography on Etsy.

6. Follow Uprinting on Twitter.

The giveaway ends on March 26 at 12:01 am. The winner will be chosen randomly, but the more entries you have the better your chances are of winning!

Best of luck!

Jen

Take Better Photos - Performance Photography

Anyone who has ever tried to take photos during either a dramatic performance or a sports game probably knows how incredibly difficult it can be. Your subject is constantly moving, lighting conditions are usually less than ideal and using your flash is often a huge no-no.

So today I decided to share with you my Top Five tips to help improve your performance photographs; next week we can talk about sports photographs - however many of these tips will translate very nicely from the stage to the stadium.

Here we go!

1. When possible, check out a dress rehearsal or two
   Getting a feel for the rhythm of a show can make all the difference in the world for your shots. You will also become familiar with the more dramatic moments of the show, which can sometimes become more difficult to photograph because of heightened movement and lighting changes. A little practice goes a long way.
   
   
   
2. Scope out the lighting
   Are there darker portions of the stage where the actors might be in partial shadow? Sometimes, even when you think you might not have enough light, you may find that you get a very interesting play of lights and darks.
   Are there areas of the stage that are brightly lit? You may have to compensate by stopping down so that your image doesn't get blown out. That means you may have to make your shutter speed faster or your aperture opening smaller.
   
   
3. So let's talk settings
   How you actually photograph a performance is going to vary based on the kind of performance you are viewing.
   There have been shows I've seen where there is enough light that you can shoot at an ISO of 400. Earlier this week I was photographing Macbeth, using an ISO of 1000. So what does that mean? Yup, Macbeth has a lot less ambient light.
   Now depending on your camera, you might get a lot more digital noise or grain at 1000 vs 400. However, the benefit of shooting at an ISO of 1000 is that you can shoot at a faster shutter speed than at 400 and still let in enough light.
   
   In general I like to shoot with a relatively wide aperture. One reason is that you let in more light (are we seeing a running theme here maybe?), and another is that you get a shallower depth of field. So what does that mean? Well, the depth of field is the portion of a scene that appears acceptably sharp in the image. So a shallow depth of field means that only a small part of your image will be in focus - the benefit being that the eye will instantly be drawn to the portion that is in focus. This can create a sense of atmosphere and mood in your photos.
   
   
4. Move around
   Here is another reason to try to check out a dress rehearsal! It's just a tad harder to get shots from various angles in the middle of a performance. However, if you can only make it to a production night try scoping out couple of empty seats. You can switch up your location during intermission and try to capture the show from a couple of different interesting perspectives.
   
   
5. Vary your composition
   Do you have a zoom lens? Or maybe there is an empty seat right up in the front row? When you get closer to the action you have the opportunity to get some really nice character shots. If you can sneak to the back of the audience, you might be able to get some wide shots of the ensemble and the set.
   
   
   So what do you think? Do you feel more readily prepared to photograph the next school show? Are there any other concerns or questions you have about performance photography? Let me know!
   
   

Have a great Thursday!

Best,

Jen

Macbeth in Rhinebeck

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow....

As you probably could garner by now, the theater that I work with in Rhinebeck is putting on a production of Macbeth for their annual Shakespeare festival. The other night I brought my camera to a rehearsal to snap some promo pics, and I have to say that the production is looking pretty smokin'!


So, if you happen to be in the Hudson Valley in early April I highly recommend that you check out the production! In the meantime keep an eye on my album here to see more pictures from the show!

And don't forget to have a Great Wednesday! =)

The first FPOE Book - She's a Rainbow

Do you remember a few weeks (or maybe months...) back when I shared with you that the ladies of FPOE were creating a book together? Well, it's now finished and can be purchased at Blurb.com. The book, "She's a Rainbow" features the work of 58 female photographers, is 256 pages thick and is arranged by color.



Needless to say, this book represents a huge investment of time, effort and love by an amazing group of women. Much thanks has to go to Myan, Elle Moss, Meganzii, Tiffany Teske, Shannonblue, Ligeia, Lililly and Ena and the swan for all of the behind the scenes work that they did in creating this lovely book. Thanks also has to go to Shawna C, Emma In Wonderland, Mfayre, Katrina King and Nancy L. Stockdale for their help and input as well.

So why not take a moment and check out this amazing book?!

PURCHASE "She's a Rainbow": PURCHASE
FOLLOW fPOE on facebook: FACEBOOK
FOLLOW the fPOE Blog: FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHERS OF ETSY BLOG

More great business opportunities from Indie Biz Chicks

By now you probably know that I am a HUGE fan of Crissy Herron of www.IndieBizChicks.com. I am participating in her Accountability Group right now, and not only is it hugely helpful - but I am being so much more productive than ever before!

Just thought I would share a couple other IndieBizChicks special offers that I am currently checking out:

*** Yearly Marketing & Blogging Plan ***

Wouldn't it be great to get all of your marketing and blogging done for an entire year? Crissy Herron of www.IndieBizChicks.com is helping you do that with The Yearly Marketing And Blogging Plan.

This ebook contains 52 Marketing Ideas and 156 Blogging Ideas. That's one marketing idea each week, and enough blogging ideas to create 3 blog posts per week -- for an entire year!!

How awesome is that?

The ebook is normally $30, but is available on pre-order right now for only $20. Your copy will be sent to your email on March 1.

For more info and to order, visit Year Long Marketing And Blogging Plan


*** 6 Week Biz Sessions ***

Do you want more publicity for your business? Or have you ever thought about creating your own event or info product? If you've thought about these things, but just aren't sure how to get started or just want someone to help you along the way, you'll love this!

Crissy Herron of www.IndieBizChicks.com is offering three new 6 Week Biz Sessions -- this is group coaching for just $30.

They are on the topics of Power Publicity And Promotions, Creating Your Own Event, and Creating Your Own Info Product.

Space is limited to just 15 participants per session. See an outline for each session & reserve your spot now by visiting: 6 Week Biz Sessions!

Style Sunday - An Interview with Photographer Joanna Kapica

Here's another article in my series of photography interviews for the Female Photographers of Etsy Blog:

The moment I saw Joanna's photography, my heart skipped a beat. Her work is so reminiscent of works by the seminal photographers of F64, whose names still resonate across the decades. With the photographic sensibilities of a modern-day Edward Weston, Joanna creates works that are monumental and sculptural, while infusing them with a femininity and sensuality. Everything from the silken petal of a rose bud to gears and chains invites you to stop and contemplate their world.


Photographer Joanna Kapica has been using photography to present her unique way of seeing the world for last about 5 years. "Of course, during that time my skills, techniques and even way of presenting subjects has changed and evolved," said Kapica. "I grew in that field. I started simply with basic camera and slowly, along with my skills, I have upgraded equipment." Currently Kapica shoots with the Nikon dSLR system. "My macro lens and extension tubes seem to be my favorite pieces of equipment to use," she said.
This week FPOE took some time to meditate on her work.

FPOE
When did you realized you were a photographer? Was it a gradual process or did it hit you at once?

Joanna
In my case I think it was more my friends that helped me realize that. I have been photographing nature for some time and one of them helped me realize that it's really more than just snapping photos.

Check out the original post on the Female Photographers of Etsy Blog to read the article in its entirety:

http://femalephotographersofetsy.blogspot.com/2010/03/style-sunday-interview-with.html

Manners Matter - Words of Wisdom by Jessica of Indie Icing

Today's post hearkens back to a topic that I've been harping on over and over again: that of etiquette in your business. (Check out:Some thoughts on Business Success and The Gratitude Attitude for some of that soapbox goodness.) How do you become someone that other people want to do business with? Jessica, of Indie Icing, and Jennifer Squires, of Jennifer Squires Productions, and I have recently been conversing about online manners via Twitter. Jessica recently posted "Manners Matter" on her blog. Thought I would share her words of wisdom with you:

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking about manners a lot. Some of it has to do with the fact that I have two little kids who've been practicing their pleases and thank yous and you're welcomes. Some of it, however, has to do with the fact that I've noticed an increase in bad manners in my dealings with people lately -- online and in-person.

Now, I'm not saying I'm little miss manners and am perfect all the time. I'm not. And I don't expect everyone else to be perfect either. However, I think many of us have forgotten what it is to be thankful, appreciative and respectful. We've forgotten the value of relating to people as people and not just as the next person I can make a quick buck off of, or the next person who can help me out.

We forget to say please and thank you. We forget to say you're welcome. Instead, our manners have been replaced by a "me mentality."

This me mentality tells us we deserve everything good that comes our way. Whether we work hard for it or not; whether we're respectful of others or not. We deserve riches, fame and popularity. We have a right to whatever we want and we can treat people however we want because "I am me." Gotta look out for number 1, right?

These bad manners manifest themselves in all sorts of ugly ways...

Read the rest of the original article on Indie Icing:

http://www.indieicing.com/blog/2010/3/13/seen-heard-manners-matter.html

Wordless Wednesday - Emerging Artist Ariel Harter

Today I want to share the work of an artist-on-the-verge with you. Ariel's photography and digital art pushes so many boundaries and doesn't flinch at the prospect of thrusting painful topics into the forefront of the discussion. To me, her voice is what being an artist is all about. Her images ask difficult questions and demand that dialogue be created.

I just thought I would share her work with you, so that when you see it on the year's hottest novel someday you will recognize the image!

The focus and composition of this image is wonderful, in my humble opinion. What reaction does it create in you?

The Best Digital Camera for the Handmade Artist

The other day I got a lovely email from Danielle over at Etsy. She was writing a newsletter on photography and wanted to know if I had any advice to Etsy sellers on what kind of cameras they should invest in. The latent scientist in me decided it was time to do a little research.

Excepting the camera on my phone, I have three digital cameras at my disposal. In one corner we have a Canon 30d. In another sits the FujiFilm FinePix F30. Lastly, but not leastly, we have the Nikon CoolPix L4.

It was time to see which bad boy won out.

Can you tell which camera took which photo? Did you know that one of them would only set you back about $15? Keep your eyes tuned to Etsy.com to see the results!

Style Sunday - an Interview with Ravencolours

This week we take a trip inside the eclectic and colorful world of Ravencolours. Her images run the gamut between somber and desaturated, to vibrant and alive. The compositions in her shop awaken the senses and reverberate deep into the subconscious with their rhythm, their color and their texture. Each image seems to be contain a little secret that flits between your consciousness and the periphery of your mind. Take a step inside and see what I mean...



Kate (aka Ravencolours) has been doing photography for four years, since her junior year of high school. "I am now a sophomore at Kent State University pursuing a degree in photojournalism," she says. "Besides photography, I love music. I have been playing clarinet for 9 years and was a proud band geek in high school! I also love listening to music. It's a big influence on my work, I can't work without it!"

FPOE
When did you realized you were a photographer? Was it a gradual process or did it hit you at once?

Kate
I took my first photography class strictly on a whim. My friend had taken the class and it seemed like something I would really enjoy and I knew the teacher, so I signed up. After my first few shoots I realized it was something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life, and my love for it has only grown.

Read the rest of the article in the original post on the Female Photographers of Etsy Blog!

Poster Print Giveaway! Your choice of image

Here's the scoop: Because I've partnered with Uprinting to sponsor giveaways on my blog, I also get blogger appreciation gifts. Basically every time I do a giveaway with them, I get the same prize as a little "thank you." So what it comes down to is that I have an 18x24 poster print coming my way based on the recent giveaway I held here.

But instead of keeping the glorious prize, I want to give you the opportunity to win it! You choose the image from my Etsy shop and I give you a poster print of it! Now, remember that there might be some blank space on the poster depending on the image dimensions (example: if you choose a square print, it will only cover 18x18 on the poster) - but that's nothing that a pair of scissors won't fix!

So here's how to enter-

Mandatory:

*Leave a comment with a link to the print from my Etsy shop that you would like.
Optional Additional Entries:

* Follow My Blog AND leave a comment letting me know (If you already follow here, just leave an comment and say hi!)

* Visit Uprinting and then leave a comment to tell me something else you think you might be able to use from their list of services! (Personally, I am scoping out some new biz card!!)

* Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post!

* Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway, and then leave a comment with a link to your post /tweet.


This Giveaway will close Friday March 12 at 11:59 Pm EST and the winner will be posted here on my blog. Be sure to leave contact information if you would like to be emailed if you win!

Best of luck!

♥

Jen

Out of the Dark - A little graphic design love

After today I will be finally caught up with all of my work! And maybe, just maybe, I can sleep in on Saturday! Oooh that would be magically delicious...

In the meantime, I want to share something with you that I'm really proud of. A few weeks ago the Artistic Director of the theater that I work closely with asked me to photograph and design a poster for the upcoming show "Macbeth." Originally he wanted it shot outside in the full moon, and to have a "Twilight" sort of feel. But the full moon came and went and still the actor's weren't available for the photoshoot.

Because having a photoshoot in February in the dark is not my idea of a good time I opened my big mouth and said that I could create a composite of outdoor landscapes and studio portraits. This was my first attempt at graphic design and I was so nervous that I would create a total hack-up of the project. There was a week or so there where I had nightmares that this would going to look like the digital art I used to create in middle school (so bad!!).

However, with six composite images, two versions and several hours of work (and learning how to work with Paths in Photoshop. WOW...check out this freaking tutorial!!) I am finally done. What do you think?

And the Giveaway Winner Is...

While I had meant to post this on Friday, snow storms and power outages prevented me. Alas and alack. But as Thomas the Train taught my little brothers, it's better late than never! Ah, Thomas the wisdom that you grant! =)

So the winner of the Free Poster Print from Uprinting is GVWYS! You have until this Friday at 11:59 pm to drop me a line and send me your info for the free print. If I don't hear from you by then, an alternate winner will be chosen. Just email me: Jen at jenkiaba dot com!

And now for the typical Wednesday visual treat:

Some of the Female Photographers of Etsy (fPOE) members have teamed up for The Divine Diptych Project. Check out Week 1, I'm a huge fan already!

Images by Mfayre (l)and Elle Moss (r)

*Le Sigh* Aren't they lovely? I highly suggest keeping an eye on the The Divine Diptych Project. With 37 photographers involved, there is bound to be so much amazingness on the way!

Dropping those last 10 Pounds - the Photoshop Nip and Tuck

Spring is just around the corner, and unless your boyfriend takes you out every weekend to chop wood, some of that holiday jiggle may still be hanging around. May I just say, it's pretty amazing how lifting 50lb logs, chopping them and then stacking the resultant firewood can result in toned abs. (Thank you honey!)

But seriously, if getting up on a weekend and slogging around in the mud isn't your style I understand! When you're in the process of working off the extra cuddliness, those extra 10lbs that the camera adds can be distressing! So I've devised a tutorial that panders a bit to our vanity.

Before I grant you the power of the Photoshop Nip and Tuck, I must forewarn you: be wise with this power - herein lies the danger of becoming a digital anorexic! Longtime readers know how I feel about extremely manipulated bodies. If you haven't heard me on my soapbox, checkout "Photography, Identity and my belly."

Alright *deep breath* here we go! Start out with the image you want to give a minor tuck to. Notice there is no person in my picture? Pretty sly huh? Yeeah.

Now open the image in Photoshop. I always like to create a Retouch layer, so we always keep the original in perspective. This is helpful so that you can reference what the original looked like and if you have created a reasonable retouch, or if you have gone too far.

So go to Layer>>Duplicate Layer

Name that layer "Retouch" or something similar.

On your new Retouch layer, take the Lasso Tool and select the part of your image that you are going to cinch in a little bit:

Next go to Filter>>Distort>>Shear
Notice is says Distort? Yup...just sayin'...

Ok so grab a point on the line and tug it in the direction that you would like to "shear." (I always select "Repeat Edge Pixels" .) Notice that you can create several anchor points? This allows you to pull in two different directions or control how far one part of the image is being sheared.

Once you have your line tugged to your liking press Ok. Now look at those pixels that have been repeated. You can either erase them and reveal your Original background, or you can use the Clone Tool to touch up those funky pixels.

• There is another way to manipulate your image, and that's by using the Liquify Tool (or a combination of Shear and Liquify.)

We will take the image that we have already Sheared and go to Filter>>Liquify.

Liquify is a pretty powerful tool - in fact it used to crash my old computer. So make sure your computer is running smoothly before attempting any major edits in Liquify.
I'm going to suggest that you start off with the Hand Tool, which is on the top of your Tool Palette. Play around with different brush sizes. Generally I begin with 300 and either work up or down, depending on how much of the image I'm working with.

Drag the cursor in the direction that you want to shrink. (Be aware of how this tool affects your background! If you have anything linear behind or around your subject, you may find you get some weird wibbly lines!) If you find that you have gone too far, simply click on Restore All. Sometimes you want to find a happy medium between the lipo you've done and what you began with - just click on Reconstruct.

So here is an extreme example of what you can do with these two very powerful tools. (Left side is done with Shear - Right side is done with Liquify.) Essentially we have given this poor gal a digital corset...and maybe removed some of her ribs. But you see the possibilities that are available with these tools.

And just for some perspective - here is After/Before. Again, don't get carried away. But if you need to do a quick tweak on the post-holiday belly, that's pretty understandable.

Snow Storms and Power Outages

Anyone who has been following the weather for the Northeast knows that we got barraged with snow and plagued with power outages last week. In fact, I was in the middle of working when my power went out and it corrupted all of the files I was working on!

I say this just to let you know that I haven't abandoned the blog! I'm just trying to surface from all of the work that piled up while I was warming myself by the woodstove in the dark! But I've got some great stuff planned, including a new tutorial and a giveaway of one of my prints!

So stay tuned and I will see you tomorrow!!

<3

Jen