Bhardeep Dhaliwal, Lightroom Post Processing- Sunsets

• The book i chose to do my blog posts on was, "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Book for Digital Photographers. This book is made to help photographers learn both the Lightroom and Photoshop programs which are made by Adobe. 
• I've been shooting photography for awhile and thought the next step to progress further would be to learn how to edit pictures. No matter how good of a photographer you are, post-processing can always make any image better. 
• For my first blog post i decided I would learn to edit pictures with sunsets, making it stick out more and be more vibrant. 
• The picture i would be working on today is a shot that was taken of my brother's car in Bellingham along the water. 
• The shot was taken with a Nikon D600 Full frame camera with a 50mm 
• The shot was taken at 1/60th of a second, F4 and Iso 100

The original raw file how it came out the camera

• Here's the original shot that i took. It's not the worst thing ever but then again it's allow not the worst. The foreground is terribly dark because when shooting for sunset, you expose for the highlights. There was a lot of work to be done but it's pretty simple
• 1st i got my exposure set properly
• Then, i turndown my highlights which brought more of the detail of the sunset back out. I turned up my shadows which illuminated my foreground so it wasn't so dark
• Next i moved onto white balance, set it properly along which blacks and made sure there was nothing burnt.
• 4th, i turned up the clarity and vibrance according to how i liked it.
• After that, I set my white balance which i added more yellow and red to make the whole picture seem more like a sunset. 
• Next i took a brush and brought more color and vibrance back into the sunset to match how it looked when i was at the place taking the picture. And lastly, i desaturated the foreground so it wouldn't be too warm. 
• My end result looked like this. I'm extremely happy with it. 

The shot after i went through my entire editing flow on Lightroom, the final shot. 

Dye It, Wear It, Share It

Do you ever feel like your clothes are boring and bland? Do you ever feel like you need a pop color in your life? If you answered yes to either of those questions then tie-dye is for you.


Tie-dye is a fun and creative way to spruce up your wardrobe and add a little creativity and imagination to your life.


So, I went to the book store, and searching through piles of books about origami and pottery, I found a book that I knew was meant for me. Tie Dye by Shabd Simon-Alexander. I have always been drawn to color, even from a  young age, and now at the ripe age of 16, I have blue hair following an array of colors previously. Once I got the t-shirts and dye you can imagine that I would be very excited.


When I got home I immediately broke out the dye and t-shirts and got to work. I first started with mixing the dye. "Spoon the powder into the bottle through a dry funnel, add a small amount of water, replace the lid, and shake vigorously" (Simon-Alexander, 56). After I had the dye mixed I picked my design. The spiral one seemed to be calling out to me so I decided to give that one a whirl, and I began reading the instructions. first you start by laying the t-shirt flat, and then you grab the middle and begin twisting the shirt. eventually the shirt is tied in a knot type form.


Now, rubber band time. Rubber bands are an essential part of tie-dye as they are what holds the shirts form during the dying process. When you put rubber bands on you should follow the directions and always ensure that they have a tight hold. "Use 3 rubber bands to hold it together" (Simon-Alexander, 98).


Next is the messiest, and my second favorite part (the revealing being my favorite). There are 4 different options for applying the color in the book. I am personally a fan of the random, both on the shirt and in general. the directions state that you should take the bottles of dye and "squirt" them in random spots that you choose. is says to be extra sure that the shirt is saturated in color. This is in order to get the best coverage, and to have the shirt look optimal in the end.

The directions say that you should place your shirt in a bad and let it sit for 6-8 hours, so I decided to let it sit over night.

The picture to the left if what my shirt looked like during the dying the process.

At the last step you are supposed to remove the rubber bands, and wash the shirt. However, another step is to rinse some of the dye off with hot water. I then proceeded to wash the shirt. I must say that I was quite excited to see the final result of my t-shirt. I was very curious to see how the "random" effect will end up looking.


Overall tie-dye is a great experience, and a very fun thing to do if you want a little color in your life, or just a fun activity to do with your friends. This book has certainly helped me with the process. for example, I wasn't away of how to do the spiral effect, but now I would consider myself to be pretty good at this skill.


However, I would change a few things in the end. the way I chose to do mine was on a towel, and i got dye everywhere. I would do it at a table, with some type of cover so that the dye doesn't get everywhere. Lastly, I would attempt to saturate the shirt more, because there is big white splotches left on my t-shirt. Overall though I like the way that my t-shirt came out. it is very colorful, and the random effect worked great in my opinion.

Room Organization

Is your room clean? If you think so, is it truly organized? If you don't think so, would you like it to be?




The most difficult organizational task I've taken on thus far would have to be cleaning my bedroom. Again, like cleaning my bathroom, I did not intend to clean my entire bedroom- I went into the process only intending to go through my clothes. However, I went into a cleaning frenzy, spending three hours on a Friday night and nine hours on a Saturday cleaning my bedroom, which I had thought previously was pretty well organized. I generated seven paper bags of clothing and other items to go to Goodwill (not a sponsor) as well as four Hefty garbage bags of trash (also not a sponsor). However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let me backtrack and explain what happened...


On a Friday night, I was very bored. My parents suggested that I get a head start on going through my clothes, a fundamental step of organizing your closet ( the project I had set aside for myself that weekend).  I began the process by removing all clothes from my closet (and floor) and placing them in categorized piles in the middle of my room. "The first step is to check every closet and dresser in the house and gather all your clothes in one spot. Don't leave a single wardrobe or dresser drawer unopened." (Kondo 66)

 

This process took me about an hour. The piles you see above, starting from the upper right, are tops, pants, jackets, cardigans, accessories (scarves, belts, etc.) , tank tops, dresses, and shorts. Sorting through my clothes took about 15 minutes with Kondo's method, "does this spark joy?" (Kondo 66) made the process much easier. I compiled 3 paper grocery bags full of clothes to give away. I then began putting the clothing back into my drawers or on hangers.




While putting clothing away in drawers, such as pajamas or athletic wear, I folded them and arranged them in the way she recommends: "The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat." (Kondo 75) I was amazed to see that this method truly maximized space, especially in the drawer in which I keep athletic wear- I now had much more room, and the space was generally more pleasing to the eye. While putting clothing away on hangers, I used another one of her methods, which I somewhat applied to the organization of my bathroom: "Arrange your clothes so that they rise to the right. Take a moment to draw an arrow rising toward the right and another descending to the right... Did you notice that when you draw an arrow rising to the right it makes you feel lighter? Lines that slope up to the right make people feel more comfortable." (Kondo 79) While I tried to adhere to her method as closely as I could, I also had to make the method work for me. Because I keep my dresser in my closet, I had to alter the process slightly. I hung my tops on the left-hand side of my closet, with heavy winter coats on the far left and tank tops on the far right of the left-hand side of my dresser. I did the opposite with pants, dresses, and skirts on the other side, hanging skirts closest to my closet and dresses furthest away. I learned that you must cater to your own needs to maximize results, rather than follow the rules exactly.




I discovered that getting rid of anything that didn't bring me joy definitely made the kind of clothes I liked more defined, creating a better sense of self-confidence already- in a way, this process was helping me find little parts of myself.




After going through all of my clothing, I found that I wanted to keep organizing. I moved on to the items I kept on the storage rack above my dresser. There was a mish-mash of old birthday present bags and Halloween costumes. I realized I truly needed to do something about the situation when a pile of shoeboxes, a lazy Susan, and a trick-or-treat bag in the shape of a jack-o-lantern filled with old soccer trophies fell on me. I started with throwing away the lazy Susan and the jack-o-lantern. I also threw away all of the costumes and birthday present bags- I realized that if I hadn't needed them in the 2 years they'd been up there, I likely wouldn't need them again. I replaced these items with test prep books, school notebooks from previous years I may need again, and other miscellaneous items that were useful, yet unnecessarily required for daily use and immediate access. I also went through my drawer of art supplies, throwing about 1/3 of the contents away. At this point it was eleven at night and I was exhausted, but I wanted to continue cleaning.




I woke up the next morning and immediately began cleaning again- and I cleaned for about nine hours straight. Rather than stopping with my closet, I went through my desk, my books, my memory box, my bedside table... the list goes on and on. However, for each section of my room I cleaned, my principle stayed the same- does this spark joy? I also found how I preferred to decorate my room and how things I enjoyed displaying in my room sparked joy. Kondo puts this perfectly. "If you can say without a doubt, 'I really like this!' no matter what anyone else says, and you like yourself for having it, then ignore what other people think... I can think of no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded by things I love." (Kondo 202)




I believe that Kondo's method has truly revolutionized my cleaning methods and overall life outlook. Asking myself if something sparks joy has drastically changed the way I view and approach things. I cleaned my room two weeks ago, and it has stayed spotless, proving how truly effective Kondo's method is.

Eating Paleo with Elise Jones

Having "gone paleo" before, I have had a continuing interest in the topic, therefor leading me to read the book Practical Paleo, and have learned more about the fundamentals, and purposes around the paleo lifestyle. I'd like this first post to explain what the paleo way of eating is, and what it does for the human body. First off, it is not considered a diet, it is a change in one's lifestyle that leads to long-term health benefits. Also, when hearing about paleo; people commonly think "why would I eat like that, didn't cavemen only live to be 30?". This belief can be shattered with the fact that there is now modern medicine, lack of vulnerability to predatory animals, and the average person is less vulnerable to the elements due to advancements in shelter....you know advancements in the basic needs of survival.  Instead of harming, paleo has actually proven to heal a person's body, "It has helped countless individuals overcome what were seemingly insurmountable, chronic, or even unrecognizable health problems." (Sanfilippo, 18).

 

To summarize the author's views and opinions: the paleo lifestyle surrounds the idea to eat whole foods and avoid modern, possessed, and refined foods. Also today's modern, factory made foods  have commonly led to child-obesity, behavioral disorders, early-onset puberty, and autoimmune conditions. This can be explained with how the USDA's guidelines are not based on sound and scientific theories, and are more set on illogical and potentially dangerous hypothesis, whose use is to mass produce food in order to mass produce food to feed the world's growing population. Where as foods involved with eating paleo are nearly identical to what is already in nature.(Sanfilippo, 32). These reasons have influenced me to choose this lifestyle, and the following ideals will be incorporated into the recipes I prepare from the book.

 

Do eat whole foods...

• meat, seafood, and eggs 
• pasture raised, cage free, vegetarian fed, free range, naturally raised, organic, natural, or wild caught
• vegetables and fruits 
• local, and/or organic
• nuts and seeds
• local, and/or organic
• fats and oils
• organic, cold-pressed, and from well -raised animal sources

Don's eat refined foods...

• refined grains
• whole grains (today's whole grains are still refined and produced in factories)
• packaged snacks
• dairy products
• certain beverages
• sweeteners (yes, this does include sugar)

The ideals of paleo, commonly scare people away, because of how this way of eating cuts out foods that are most familiar to them. "We live in a time when up is down and black is white. We have been taught to believe that the foods coming out of factories are safer and healthier than foods your great-grandmother ate." (Sanfilippo, 32) I believe this is a significant quote from the text, as it explains how people are so used to eating what the government produces, that most people don't realize that going back to the basics would be the best thing for them.


The paleo lifestyle is not for everyone, as it takes quite a bit of knowledge and a lot of commitment. But given the increase of organic foods and places to get these foods, it has made the paleo lifestyle as easy as ever. Which leaves the question, would you try going paleo, or not?

 

Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course - Jack Thorsland

What makes one pianist stand out from the others? what makes one pianist great? 

Hello Everyone! For me, learning piano was an easy choice. I believe that the piano is the most important instrument in music. It is arguable that the drums may be considered more important, due to them being the first of instruments, but the ability to play piano opens many doors in the musical universe. This consists of; The ability to identify notes, to gain a "musical ear", and to learn why things generally sound good or bad. Upon beginning my book, i learned one thing. There is a science to playing musical instruments correctly, actual theories that revolve around what makes a player not just good, but great.

The first words of my book, are quite literally "BE KIND TO YOUR HANDS!" (Palmer 4) The author is VERY confident in his belief of hand condition. He explains how it is necessary to wear gloves every time I have to lift a heavy object, or even use hand tools such as screwdrivers or wrenches. This is only the beginning. (Palmer 4)

"Before practicing, it is good to soak the hands for a few minutes in warm water. This promotes circulation. Many concert pianists use very warm water on their hand before beginning to play. Towel the hands vigorously until they are dry, then hold your arms out with the hands dangling from the wrist, and shake out your hands rapidly for a few moments." (Palmer 4)

I have already changed my outlook on playing piano. what Palmer is explaining is that there is much more to playing the piano, then just pressing your fingers against the keys. The conditions of your hands, and the way you prepare them upon practicing or even performing, these are the traits that differentiate those who are mediocre at piano, and those who can be great.

Now, looking back on my question, i answer with this statement, feel free to quote this one day.

The ability to play piano is not influenced by the time you practice, but the manner in which you practice, and the manner in which you prepare.

This one is for you Mr. Palmer! 

Honestly, dipping my hands in warm water was one of the best ideas ever. All the activities that involve using fingers are benefitted, especially playing the piano.

Chef Pres IRP- Baking Cookies

Preston Viltz

Meara

Honors English P4

Blog

November 30 2015


Hola! Yo soy Preston. I made a totally American snack for y'all to salivate to. I wanted to do cooking, more specifically baking for my project because I feel like it would be a good skill to know going into a relationship and during marriage... Uh sike I wanted to perfect this skill to make some tasty food for me and my family as well as Cor, Llama, and Chubbs. But to do this task I wanted to create something that I have never really had before. So I went to the library and picked out the book Baking by Natalie Chapman. I wanted to start my first dish off with a more simple cookie because I am new to baking and didn't want to get ahead of myself. The food I chose was the Peanut Butter Blossoms because personally I think chocolate and peanut butter bode well with each other in the sense of a cookie, so that was just what I was looking for. I have also never made this desert before. So first I gathered all ingredients listed:

List:

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon backing powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (For later)
• 31 milk chocolate kisses

First I put all my dry ingredients into a bowl and here is a picture of me adding the flour to the bowl:

Then once I got all my ingredients together I mixed all of them to a paste-like substance with an electric mixer:

Next I rolled 31 balls of dough and covered them with the 1/4 cup sugar to coat the outside edge and placed them on the baking sheet to be ready for the oven:

After that I placed all the cookies into the oven at 350 to bake for 2 minutes and this is a picture of the cookies baking in the oven:

Lastly, when the 12 minutes had passed, I took the cookies out of the oven and quickly placed a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, and here is a picture of the finished project:

I was very pleased with my final outcome and received a couple compliments on the taste. I think this  dessert was the appropriate difficulty for me because I am just a beginner at baking. But I feel like this dish helped my skills and my next treat will be a little bit more difficult because each dish I become more experienced with baking. This was a very successful outcome to me and I am striving to make more snacks in the future.

The book also stated that to store my cookies I should "layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months". That is a very smart idea that I probably won't follow for a couple reasons: What is wax paper and where do you get wax paper. But thanks for the idea anyways Natalie!

I'll leave you guys with this:

Do you think these look bomb?

If you answered no to the question above you are not getting any and if you answered yes to the question then you still won't get any. Leave your answers below! ;)


Chapman, Natalie. Baking. Des Moines: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013

Basics of Kawaii Drawing

I’ve always had an interest in drawing. I’m pretty good at it if I work on a piece for a while, but for the things I was drawing, it was too long of a time. That’s why I decided that for this project, I wanted to work on my art skills.

I chose my book, Manga for the Beginner Kawaii: How to Draw the Supercute Characters of Japanese Comics by Christopher Hart, based on two things. The style was similar to what I draw in my free time, and it’s for someone with little to no skills, like me. It’s really easy to understand, and it gives fool proof steps to drawing cute characters. “You’ll learn the specific techniques that will enable you to take an ordinary character and, with a few strokes of the pencil, totally transform it into a supercute character.” (Hart, 9)

It started off with talking about the basics of Kawaii figures, like how they’re made of really simple shapes, or how the colors are typically brighter and more unnatural. I learned that to be considered a “supercute character”, the figure has to have the right proportions, which are a large head, and short body. After learning this, it was time to start drawing.

First, I had to learn how to draw a head. To start off, the author recommended you draw a circle for the head, which was easy enough. The eyes had to be low and far apart, the mouth was small, and there was no nose. Then, you add the details, like the anthro-hat (animal hat), and hair. It wasn’t hard, but I didn’t expect it to be at first.

First head drawing

The book then went on to talk about the different variations of faces for Kawaii characters, like their eyes or their facial expressions. The main point of this style is that everything is simple and clean, so none of the variations are too over dramatic.

I decided that I just wanted to focus on the basics right now, so the last thing I did was read about and draw a full figure. I had to be able to put a lot of detail into a small sized character while still keeping things simple, which I thought might be pretty difficult. I was wrong. The steps the book took me through made it really easy. It was the exact same process as with the head, except there was just one extra part.

First full figure drawing

I’m really excited to continue learning about this style of drawing. I think it’ll be fun and not-at-all hard for me to do, especially with how much reassuring the author gave that anything too complex would take away from the overall final product.

Do you think this seems like a good entry style to drawing characters for anyone? Let me know what you think!