All posts by Marianne Skov Jensen

recompose with elements 8

Dealing with frustrating computer issues this morning so I almost forgot to post.
(this might show up twice, by the way)

No photo today. Instead I’m going to show a very cool feature of Photoshop Elements 8.
It’s called “Recompose”. It’s like Content/Aware/Scale in Photoshop but much easier to use.

Here’s a photo I shot in 2003 on a foggy morning in Morro Bay, California.
Note the woman in front of the horse. Not only does she stand out because she’s wearing
very light clothing but she is also converging with the horse’s head which is a no, no.
20091029

All I need to do is use the recompose brush to paint areas I don’t want.
20091029_2

Then I drag the edges of the image in until she disappears.
20091029_3

It needs a bit of clean-up but otherwise a great job. If I had taken more time to paint
her out (smaller brush around horse’s nose, for instance), it might have been perfect!
20091029_4

Recompose isn’t perfect. A busy background or uneven horizon is tough for it to resolve.
But all in all, it can save time when you need to removed something. Tip: always work on a copy.

here’s what’s blooming

Here are more images taken with the 70-200mm lens. This time, the subjects are flowers shot
in my yard late yesterday. The sun had already gone down and it was very windy so I used an
ISO of 1600 and shot at f/4. Considering all were hand held, I’m very happy with the outcome.

I’m also happy that my plants seem to be happy 🙂


Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
2009_10_28

Gooding’s Verbena (Glandularia gooddingii)
2009_10_28_2

Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
2009_10_28_3

Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
2009_10_28_4

Desert Tobacco (Nicotiana trigonophylla)
2009_10_28_5

Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
2009_10_28_6

All these plants are native to the Sonoran Desert. Some sprouted up on their own which
is especially exciting to me since it means the soil is finally in a decent condition for growth.

opting for less weight

3 Comments

In January of 2004, my favorite lens (Canon 70-200 IS f2.8) and my Canon 10D met their end.
(long story involving Lance Armstrong, the Postal Team, Sheryl Crow, Robin Williams and Chris)

Canon 10D and Canon 70-200 IS f/2.8
2009_10_27_2

I’ve really missed the lens but I sure haven’t miss the weight so I put off buying a new one.
Last month I finally got a replacement but I bought the non IS, f/4 version. In the old days,
non IS and a large aperture lens were considered a real negative but I figured that might
not be the case today because of the new cameras being able to perform so well at very
high ISOs and so far it hasn’t been. The weight is wonderful and I find the lens to be very
sharp. Another huge plus is the cost which is about 1/3 of the IS version. Canon specs.

Here’s a photo I took late yesterday out of my dining room window with this lens.
2009_10_27

Settings were: ISO 400, f5.6, 1/125th sec at 200mm. Hand held, of course 🙂

road trip review

1 Comment

Here’s a view of our road trip route. Ten awesome days of photography, hiking and biking.
This trip was all about me (thanks Chris!). Our goal was finding rock art sites I hadn’t
photographed which made it a fun treasure hunt. Some sites were fairly easy to get to
but some were in beautiful remote canyons which were great to explore.

2009_10_26

2009_10_26_2

Cleo and Cloe (no H) really love road trips and, like us, can’t wait for the next one 🙂
2009_10_26_3

west fork duck

1 Comment

I spent most of yesterday hiking the West Fork Trail in Sedona and there is STILL plenty of color.
The farther back you go, the better it gets. I especially enjoyed the reflections and a mallard duck 🙂

2009_10_25

2009_10_25_2

2009_10_25_3

CLICK HERE for a short video shot yesterday (Sat, Oct 24) at the West Fork Trail.

window seat

3 Comments

Friday was mostly a travel day. Here are some drive by shots.

Viewpoint on Moki Dugway Monument Valley to the right. Valley of the Gods on left.
2009_10_24

San Juan river at San Juan, Utah I stayed there during a workshop once.
2009_10_24_2

Hwy 163 toward Monument Valley. Shot into sun through a dirty windshield
2009_10_24_3

rainy day photos

1 Comment

Tuesday was a rainy day but we did have about two hours of shooting time in the morning.
The first three images are from Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park.

2009_10_22

2009_10_22_5

2009_10_22_4

The next two were captured with a Lensbaby in Sand Dune Arch in Arches National Park.

2009_10_22_2

2009_10_22_3

And here is a Jerusalem Cricket! This guy is huge! They’re usually only out at night but
I think the rain might have flooded him out. We’d never seen one so it was a real treat!
(spotted on a parking lot in Arches)

2009_10_22_6

rainy day fun

A couple of fun hours of shooting in Arches before the rain started. Afternoon in the RV enjoying
the sound of the rain and editing images. (With this connection, though, I’ll share later.)
Cloe (no H) had fun trying to figure out where the water was coming from and trying to catch it 🙂

2009_10_21

2009_10_21_2

(captured with Lensbaby)

cottonwoods and rock art

We have electricity and a wireless connection but at 1MB per second, I’m not posting as many as I planned.

Canyonlands after dark
2009_10_20

Some petroglyphs are well marked and easy to find.
2009_10_20_2

Some are not. The hidden ones are a treat to find!
2009_10_20_3

Cottonwoods were at their peak in Canyonlands. Here’s my favorite infrared shot.
2009_10_20_4

Shay Canyon is one of my favorite rock art sites. A trail along a cliff with non stop petroglyphs for about 1 half mile!
2009_10_20_5

Many more to share but with this connection, I’d be here all morning! For my friends with dial-up…I feel your pain 🙂