Dawn M Photography
Printed from the DMP weblog: fresh! the latest from Dawn M Photography (http://dawnm.com/fresh)
www.dawnm.comhello@dawnm.com
(847) 847-4070
May 2008
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Tuesday / 27 May 2008
Photoshop Shortcut Helpers for Photographers
Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are my favorite tools for the digital darkroom. I've been using Photoshop for over ten years but only in the last few years I have I started to make good use of keyboard shortcuts. There are so many to learn, but once you have them down keyboard shortcuts really do speed up workflow.
Looking to speed up your post process workflow? Start by downloading these PDF files created by Trevor Morris. Each PDF File lists keyboard shortcuts available for a variety of Photoshop versions. I printed out a copy and laminated it. I leave it on my desktop in case I ever run across something I want to do in PS and I don't already know the shortcut.
The latest addition to my Photoshop keyboard shortcut learning arsenal is this keyboard skin from Photojojo. It arrived today and I already love it. Now when I don't remember a shortcut I simply look down on my keyboard and voilà there it is!
Like the site says it fits your keyboard like a glove. Literally! Even I didn't expect it to be such a perfect fit. Different versions are available for different keyboards. And, when you no longer want it on your keyboard just pull it off with no fuss.
I plan to keep mine on all the time since Photoshop is constantly open on my Mac. It took about a minute of use to get comfortable to the slightly different feel it gives the keyboard.
(tagged: photoshop, useful)
Tuesday / 20 May 2008
Cute As Can Be
He had me at the first flutter of those crazy beautiful eyelashes. Wow!
(tagged: 7 month old, baby, boy, indoors, white backdrop)
Wednesday / 14 May 2008
A "Little Stinker"
His mom said it, not me. :) Nonetheless, he's an adorable little stinker!
All of my children's portrait sessions are planned so that the appointment is scheduled at the child's best time of day. In most cases this means after a nap or feeding. Or, both. Even so it happens now and then where I arrive and my mini model isn't in the best of moods.
It happens! And, that's okay. We all have bad days, don't we?
I would definitely classify "L" as not being in the mood for pictures, but you can't even tell from his portraits. We simply gave him his space and time to have his grumpy moments. Then, captured his moments of delight and wonder in between.
All adorable with no trace of "stinker".
(tagged: boy, indoors, one year old)
Monday / 12 May 2008
Seen + Noted Around the Web
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contains "nutritional data" type information plus recipes and other smart eating knowhow. All around great resource for healthy eating.
Sunday / 11 May 2008
Seen + Noted Around the Web
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complimentary and they look quite good.
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to print out and laminate
Sunday / 11 May 2008
Happy Mothers' Day
Before I was a mom, I thought being a mom looked hard. Now I know it's even harder than it looks. I am tired merely thinking about all of us moms swirling around everyday trying to do anything and everything we can to give our children the best life possible.
This mother's day is the first since my mom passed away and my first mother's day as a mom. Equal parts bitter and sweet. We will be celebrating quietly at home.
This mother's day I wish for all moms to receive all the love they have given and more.
(tagged: backyard, blooms, wishes)
Friday / 9 May 2008
Wonderful Little G
A cute little one year old portrait session at the local conservatory.
Do you know where your belly button is? Let's all be thankful that question isn't for adults!
Happy Weekend!
(tagged: 1 year old, girl, indoors, lpc)
Wednesday / 7 May 2008
Photoshop Storyboard or Book Template
This one is for my fellow photoshop users. A template for creating a storyboard/collage like this one:
This makes a gorgeous 30X30" storyboard, but can be used in so many other ways. Keep it small and use it as a book template or go extra large for jaw dropping photo display. The template is sized at 10X10" to keep the file size down. It can be easily upsized or downsized using the "Image Size" command within Photoshop.
The template uses clipping masks and there is no accompanying action (I find it easier and more customizable without one). There's a brief explanation on how to use clipping masks in the template but if you still don't get it try a google search.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
Certainly not required, but I'd love it if you link to your final pieces in the comments. It would be fun to see how others make use of it.
(tagged: photoshop, share, storyboard, template)
Tuesday / 6 May 2008
Seen + Noted Around the Web
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This site could be dangerous for your wallet if you are into well designed handmade goods. The tagline is "Great design. Straight from designers." Check out the wear + carry section. I have developed serious crushes on so many of the bags.
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Site and store dedicated to bringing you information regarding BPA and BPA Free products. They have a nice selection in the store including bottles, sippies, teethers and toys.
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A fun food/snack project for kids.
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A modern approach to a old time favorite. This is great for Winter to help keep kids active. Now we all need bigger houses to have playrooms that can comfortably fit this.
Tuesday / 6 May 2008
The Road to Eating Better, Part 1
My husband and I have committed to eating healthier for ourselves and for Kendall. Over the past month or so we have found some great companies/products. I want to share them with you in case you are sick of eating chemicals and too much sugar as much as we are.
"HAPPYBABY was born when we saw the need for nutritious and convenient alternatives to highly processed baby food. We believe baby's first meals should taste and look delicious—and nourish baby's body."
Kendall recently starting eating HAPPYBABY organic brown rice cereal. So far this is her favorite. We especially like it not only because it's organic, but it's also made with whole grains. Two thumbs up in our household. We also started Kendall on their frozen fruits and veggies as well. They are a little more difficult to make than simply twisting the top off a jar, but they smell like real food. We couldn't believe how bad Gerber's Organic Bananas smelled when we took off the lid.
We found HAPPYBABY at our local Super Target. It's also available at Whole Foods and the cereal alone can be found at Babies R Us. Find HAPPYBABY products near you.
"Making natural food that tastes great is our job. And we love it. When you eat great-tasting all-natural food you won't miss the highly refined sugars, artificial additives, or preservatives. Our food is your ally in wellness, so everything from breakfast to dinner will make you feel healthier and happier."
Of course, Kashi. I couldn't talk about eating better without talking about Kashi. They have a wide range of foods available. My favorite addition to my diet is their shakes. I use the vanilla shake mix in my mid-morning smoothie. That's one banana, 1c of strawberries, 1tbsp of flax seed, 1c of soy milk, 2 scoops of Kashi Vanilla Shake Mix. It's full of protein, so it makes a great after workout snack. They also have a chocolate shake mix which I think would make the perfect chocolate-banana smoothie. Magically delicious! Kashi also has a wide selection of cereals and crackers for breakfast and snacking. My husband started eating Honey Toasted Oats in lieu of Honey Nut Cheerios which has its share of sugar.
Kashi is readily available. We've purchased ours at Trader Joes, Super Target and our local grocery stores (Jewel & Dominick's). Find Kashi near you. Kashi.com also has an online store. I ordered a case of the shake mix, because Trader Joe's is the only nearby place that had it and we don't have time to go there often enough.
"We at Annie's believe that there's something reassuring about knowing what's in your food and who it comes from. As nourishers, we see the world as one giant system, beautifully complex yet intricately interconnected, that grows organically with the care it is given."
I tried Annie's Homegrown Whole Wheat Bunnies when I was looking for a tasty cracker to have with lunch. They reminded me of the original goldfish. Good. They also come in cheddar which means Kendall will be snacking on Wholesome Bunnies instead of Goldfish.
Annie's Homegrown is another one that we've found pretty easily. Our Target and local supermarkets stock several of their products. Find Annie's Homegrown near you or shop online.
That's all for now, more to come.
(tagged: food)