digital techniques

  The last three weeks have been lost while I have been dealing with medical issues, that almost derailed me.  However, I still have the gallery show in December and just over a month to be ready for it.

Digital Techniques--No, I don't use them.  I have Photoshop Elements 7.0, have taken a couple of classes with it, but haven't used it enough to remember anything.  On the Quiltart list the ladies often talk about how they use photos, tinkering with them in all sorts of ways and producing remarkable fabric art.  But the whole process scares the bejeebers out of me. Lately I have been wrestling with a major piece that has lurked in my sketch book for a few years ( can you say --six?)  I have three photos of a similar view, two of which have figures in them.  I plan to amalgamate the three into one image. I don't do figures, but thought they were needed to demonstrate the scale of the other features in the photo.  One photo shows the three figures in very static position, walking away from the viewer.  The other shows them interacting in a much more dynamic way and would make a much better composition.  But the figures are very tiny (3/4" high in a 4X 6 photo.)  I need them at least 6" in the larger piece.  Sketching leaves me frustrated and angry and produces crap.  So, today I planned to get the photo enlarged.  Last time I did this, I had to have an electronic photo and the process cost over $40.00. This cost is also a factor in my avoidance of digital images in my work.  All I have is a photo.  So we took a chance and went to a photography store.  I explained that I needed the photo cropped to just the figures, and then enlarged 8 times.  Could they do this?  Yep!  I will loose some clarity and definition in the picture ( doesn't matter, I'm just looking for proportion).  Okay, it will be ready tomorrow and will cost--hold your breath--$1.27.

Maybe I have to take another look at this whole field and its relekence t my work