Comment about photo-mosaic

I received this comment on my previous post about using Photoshop to create a photo-mosaic:

There are many utilities available to do this tiling with pictures. I did a quick search using "mosaic pictures software" and got hundreds of hits. Try soft411.com/software/mosaic-pictures.html Utility costs $12 US.

So after checking out the link above, as well as doing my own quick search, I have learned a little more about this art. In a real photo-mosaic, the colour tone of the micro-images is adjusted so that it closely matches the colour of the primary image.

I used a much simpler technique when I did my Photoshop experiment. First of all, I used a small number of "micro-images" because I wanted to experiment with the technique rather than get bogged down with the sheer volume of manipulating some 100 images. I used eight images as my micro-images, arranged in two rows of four. Then I duplicated the two rows to create the four by four matrix. I performed a mirror transformation on the duplicate rows so it would not be too obvious that there was a duplication.

I brought the primary image into a separate layer that I positioned on top of the micro-image layer. I made the primary image layer partially transparent in order to allow the micro-images to come through. By doing so, I didn't have to adjust the colour tone of my micro-images.

Now, if I was going to apply this technique on a larger scale, say using a underlying grid of 10 by 10, or 25 by 25, it would take a lot more work on my part. However, I know that Photoshop has features for automating repeated tasks, so I could use this as a learning exercise to learn how to use those features.

Photo-shopping

Not too long ago I saw an ad - from a distance it looked like a picture that was very grainy. From a closer look, the grains were actually smaller pictures that were arranged together, like a mosaic. Depending on what you focused on, you either saw one large picture, or hundreds of small pictures.

I was curious to learn how to do this technique, so one sleepless night I experimented with Photoshop for a few hours using several pictures of my new baby niece. It's not exactly like the ad I saw, but in the process of experimentation I learned to use a few more features of Photoshop.

My Photoshop experiments are yet another way in which I can express my creativity.

Word of the month - blurf

I'd like to propose a new word to be added to the lexicon of popular usage - blurf. Blurf is a portmanteau, a fusion of the words blog and surf. I define blurfing to be the act of randomly or sequentially from one blog to another, typically spending only a short time at each one.

Here are some examples of how this word might be used in a sentence:

I usually blurf for about half an hour before going to bed.

I was up all night blurfing and found this really cool blog.

A social study reports that most people who blurf are looking to read about a life that is more interesting than the one they are living.

A search for blurf in wikipedia shows that no page with that title exists.

A google search on the word blurf leads to someone's blog at www.blurf.com. Further examination reveals that the authour's choice of the name blurf originated from an alcohol-related incident at a college party.

Therefore I can conclude that my proposed definition for this word is original and unique.

It will be interesting to do another google search in a year to see how popular the word has become (or not).

Where do ideas come from?

Last night I had a dream that there was a new spin-off TV series called CSI:Elsinore. Their first episode is an investigation into the suspicious sudden death of the king of Denmark. Yes, it's CSI as written by William Shakespeare. How do you say the evidence never lies in iambic pentameter? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are CSI agents.

Oh Freud, what would you make of this one? Something is rotten in the state of my mind.

Friend in hospital

A good friend of mine had a brain aneurysm on Friday evening. She is in the hospital and has had surgery performed, but she is still unconscious. For a while she was not able to breathe for herself and was put on a respirator. At the last report, she was breathing for herself but remains on the respirator until she regains consciousness.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family for a successful recovery, and for comfort during this trying and uncertain time.

Goal for 2006

For much of 2005, I had a statement at the top of my blog that said, Goals for 2005: Build and use a peer review network for my songwriting. I would say I've fulfilled the intent of that goal by bringing my music to Date with a Tape, Song Assessment Service, and GarageBand.com.

I have a new goal for 2006: To raise the bar for my music artistically and as a business.

Raising the bar artistically means I will reintroduce vocals to my music in a way that their quality is significantly improved compared to the way it was in the first song I submitted to GarageBand.com, Yesterday Seems So Far Away.

Raising the bar as a business means I will find creative ways to market my songs like The Great Escape. I am particularly interested in finding a film producer who will use it for a soundtrack. I feel encouraged to do so by some of the reviews I've received.

I plan for my next recording project to be Painted Smiles, a song I wrote and recorded several years ago. I revised this song last January, so I'd like to record a new version from the ground up.

The journey continues!

Great Escape reviews - Part 3

Here is another sample of reviews I have received on GarageBand.com for The Great Escape.

From Long Beach, California -

nice production i lke the guitar

i like the the way it builds in the middle it seems to be a little slow at the beginning i would say it should go into the
building prosses sooner .

that being said i do like it

i was bored at the first minute but from then on it was interesting i liked the mix also

From Berlin, New Jersey -

the guitar playing is quite inspiring! i wish i could play half as good as this! the song however, has a mathematical flaw. it begins in 3/4 timing and somehow jumps to 4/4.

From Canada -

Nice guitar work - definately has a mood going. There are some tasty melodic bits in this piece.

All you need is some equally creative lyrics and someone to sing them and you've got yourself a great song.

From Nashville, Tennessee -

seems like the half-time change could work in a better arrangement, but it's not working for me in this one... and the mix really gets cluttered right before the 3 minute mark...

I like the overall feel though... and it seems like a re-mix could be a big plus!

From Sweden -

Quite nice feeling in this song but there are some "blurs" in the choosen el.guitars and mixed rythms wich make it a bit messy,clean it up a bit-take it easier than you do in the end...

From Ireland -

Some really good guitar ideas and nice tones for the mostpart, some of the levels could be better. Nothing apart from the guitar stands out though, drums keys and bass could do with being fleshed out more. Nice piece overall.

From Salem, Oregon -

Awesome work!!! You crafted this song very well and really produced a nice piece of art. Your recorded sounded perfect. I give you an A in all catagories.

From Fort Wayne, Indiana -

I dig all of the guitar work, the acoustic playing is really nice. The subtle percussion adds a nice touch to it. Nice ambient noises as well!