Melia Cayo Guillermo, Cuba
Fantastic resort! Great time!
Disney Wedding …
My brother got married at Disney this weekend… Here are a few shots…
(all images are copyright C.Schmidt. Please do not use without permission).
Little Newbie
There’s therapy in holding a newborn baby… they are so soft and vulnerable and gentle.
Curlytop 3
Curlytop 3, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
My neice, having a ball at her Dad’s birthday party last weekend.
She’s got gorgeous hair …
Since it was almost dusk and she was moving so much I had to use a flash to get the pic. I usually dislike using the on-camera flash. It gives a fake look to photos, but this one is OK, I think.
Mannequin 1
Mannequin 1, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
This interesting store window display downtown makes me think that I should really carry my camera with me everywhere.
I see so many creative ideas every day and I’d like to photograph them for inspiration.
I’ve been a bit busy lately. Not thinking creative thoughts …
Dahlia, bursting
Dahlia, bursting, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
The late summer flowers are still out full force.
We forgot to plant our Dahlia bulbs last spring, so I have to photograph the neighbour’s instead…
(hope they don’t mind me lurking around their gardens)
Vector Portrait
Ivana, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.This is an Illustrator vector drawing I did using a photo I took as reference.
Here’s how it’s done:
I used large areas of colour and details along with tiny brush strokes made with my Wacom tablet and pressure sensitive pen. I actually trace the photo – sometimes making the colour shapes transparent until I’m finished.
I built the whole thing in a series of layers (turning some on and off to see as I go):
(Noote: – the layers are listed from the bottom up- just as they would appear in Illustrator – so you may want to read it numerically)
8) The finest details (eyelashes, eyebrow hairs, tiny lines in mouth, etc.) using a very small brush with minimal pressure.
7) More shadow shapes for darker areas – overlapping the the shapes below to create more shadow.
6) Shadow shapes in a transparent black over areas that have some shadow.
5) transparent colour shapes for light colour changes in face and clothing.
4) More full colour shapes that appear on top of the others below (pupils, lighter colours on the lips, block in the eyebrow shape, etc.)
3) full colour shapes to block in detailed ares like lips, eyes, etc.
2) Full colour shapes to block in the main colour areas (the skin, shirt, hair)
1) the original photo
(sometimes I will have as many as 30 layers)
All along I have decisions to make about where one colour begins and ends, what colours I am going to use (I can change the colour of the shirt or hair, if I want), and how detailed I want to get with the drawing.
It takes me about 3 hours to build up one of these portraits.
Dusk Lights
Dusk Lights, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
This is one of my more popular pics on Flickr. I almost didn’t get this shot. Waiting at the docks for the ferry to take me back from Toronto Island, I took a few pics. I didn’t have a tripod, so I steadied myself against a tree (covered in caterpillars, I later realized) (actually – I’ve seen tons of Monarchs flying around lately ,… maybe one of them…)
I’m glad I took the time to go out, and remembered to bring my camera with me!
So Bright
Brown 06, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
I love to experiement with lighting. Sometimes it works and sometimes… well…
This one is overblown a bit – but I like the effect it gives to her eyes. I might try something like this again with more appropriate lighting – and maybe a flashlight just to highlight the lashes.
Morning Cup
Morning Cup, originally uploaded by Cathryn’s Gallery.
I got this great tea from a health food store – it’s a green tea with toasted rice in it… I’ve never dreamed of tea before I tasted this.
Now, I think about drinking it when I’m not… I get this great rush of comfort when I smell the tea brewing… I cherish the whole cup … it’s a little (surprisingly not unhealthy) luxury I look forward to every day.
