Great Tool For Batch Watermarking

Many artists and photographers consider using watermarks on their posted images for copyright protection and so nobody uses your work without your permission. But adding a watermark to your photos can be time consuming and sometimes presents other issues.

I recently came across an easy-to-use website that allows you to watermark photos for free. While the free version has it’s limits (only 10 photos at a time and the website’s own text on the photo) it’s a pretty cool option. Even if you have tons of pics to watermark, clicking the back button and clearing the last group of pictures makes it pretty easy to get a lot accomplished quickly.

Check it out at https://watermarkly.com/#app

New Services I’m Offering on Fiverr

I’m now providing services to colorize black and white photos and correct white balance problems. You can check out these gigs on my profile at https://www.fiverr.com/trcapromo.

Why I Love Black and White Photography

While some might think of black and white photography as something from an era of the past, there are many people who still work with it in today’s modern world. If you are one of those who may be wonder why that is, let me give you a few reasons.

1. The Artsy Factor

A black and white photo simply has a different and unique artistic quality than does a typical color picture.

2. B/W “Fixes” Many Problems

Have a person with different skin tones or blotchy patches? Black and white negates this. Did you mess up with your white balance and have orange tones in your shot? Black and white will eliminate this problem. There are several other issues that a black and white photo will resolve as well.

3. Details

Perhaps it’s the contrast in black and white photos but for some reason they tend to bring out more detail than you may get in color shots in some cases. This can be useful for close up shots and nature photos.

Look at this photograph of the Snake River by Ansel Adams:

Black and white may be old-school but it’s still a route I like to travel once in a while.

Guest blogging/posting – Updated 2021

For those of us who consider ourselves creative people and also try to get the word out there about our creative ambitions, guest posting or guest blogging can be a good opportunity.

With that being said, I’m looking to both guest post for other blogs as well as feature other people’s posts on mine. If you own or run a blog and are interested in in either of these possibilities, please let me know either in the comments section or via e-mail at trcapromo@gmail.com .

What I’ll accept for this blog:

Anything arts related in any way. It must be original work and at least 250 words (unless it’s poetry or a visual submission like photography or a drawing). I’ll provide one backlink per poem or visual submission and up to two per written other form of written post.

What I can provide:

Having worked in journalism as well as the arts, I am up for providing mostly anything. However, if possible I’d like to keep the topics related to:

Poetry and writing

Photography and the visual arts

Movies and video

Music and the performing arts

Goth, emo or punk subcultures

Body modification

Graphic design

Maybe we can make this work out well for everyone!

First Experience with Photography Ball

For quite a while I have been interested in the photography crystal balls being offered online and used in Youtube videos. For my birthday this year, I finally got one. And, while I haven’t done much with it or invested much time to learn yet, I wanted to share a few sample images.

I look forward to playing with it and exploring the possibilities.

Testing Out My New “Super Budget” Action Cam

I’ve always wanted to have a camera, even if it was of only average quality, that could be taken underwater for photography. Having been swimming in the pool in my apartment area for around 2 months this year, and using goggles to view the unique perspective and avoid the saltwater pool irritating my eyes, I used a few bucks, and I mean less than $20, to order an off-band action camera. I only had to add $1.12 to it!

Anyway, it has a good rating on Amazon and for the price I didn’t expect much and figured it was worth a try. Overall, the pics and videos from my first attempt ended up like something form your average webcam. It’s no Go Pro but overall, not bad for the money.

By the way, it comes with several mounts, a Lithium Ion battery along with a charger and can also shoot video.

If anyone is interested, her’es the link – Vemont Action Camera

Here are a couple of unedited samples:

 

Artwork Celebrating the USA

As a deeply round American, I love the 4th of July, the pageantry, the music, the colors, the firworks and everything it all stands for. As such, I have compiled a few of my recent and not so recent pieces, both visual and literary, to share.

Wooden Maps with flag and fireworks done in photoshop:

A few selections of poetry:

“Above The Crowds”

I hover above the crowds below
Looking up with glee
Though I only stay a second or two
They have come here just for me

Then I come back in increments
In different shades of light
To build an artwork among the stars
And to brighten up the night

Serving as a reflection
Of sacrifices long ago
I am the fusion of sight and sound
The most incredible show

“July Sulfer”

Ah, the smell of sulfur

Fills the hazy air

This breezy July night

And sets my thoughts in motion

To ages long gone by

 

This burning fuel of beauty

And blasts of brilliant rays

Is far beyond the predecessors

That dealt in gunpowder

And bullet induced flames

 

So once there was a struggle

That from time to time renews

But such July evenings

Hold everything

Our passion

Our life

Our truth

Photography Ideas While Stuck At Home

A Little Digital Guidance On Posing Subjects

As any aspiring and establish artist likely knows, if you are working with human subjects, posing is always a key part of the process. While some may have poses picked out right from the beginning, others may need some help or be looking for something different.

Whether you are working with drawing, painting, photography or even sculpture, a posing guide can be helpful. And while there are many posing guides available, it’s not always easy to have to carry them around or find a place in your studio to store them with the gazillions of other things you have in that area.

That’s when a digital posing guide, one in e-book format, can really come in handy. One such option that I highly recommend is the collection of guides by Justin R. Martin from the “Pose Muse” series. There is a bundle of volumes 1-4 available with a special 10% promo code for readers of this blog. Order from the link below and use the code gumroad10off for the deal price.

As the author’s website states:

“Over 500 creative references in the Poses for Artists Book Set! Dynamic, sitting, standing, fighting, couples, and various other poses. Immediate pdf delivery today plus access to our free weekly figure drawing poses. https://gum.co/4EbookSet”

Check it out. It’s well worth the investment.

Light Painting through Canadian Waterways

I wanted to share this very cool article that show yet another way a photographer is using his creativity to color the world.

Photos courtesy of Stephen Orlando.

The Motions of Kayaking and Canoeing Recorded through Light Painting on Canadian Waterways