Dominiqua sat at the computer fiddling with the filters in Photoshop. She was trying to get the lighting in her photo just right. The subject was that of a bird perched on a tree branch, with bright sunlight shining behind it. She had taken the photo while on one of her hikes. Dominiqua wanted to make the bird’s silhouette stand out from the sunlight.
It was the middle of class. The assignment for today: select a photo, and experiment with the filters in Photoshop. Everyone was at a computer, experimenting with their own photos. Some have desaturated the colors, while others were brightening and darkening the lighting. Dominiqua wanted to impress her classmates with her nature photography, so she picked the best photo she could find from her digital reel.
A Picture is Worth… Something
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Ruggahissy
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((Josh start))
Josh looked aimlessly around the room. He wasn't in this class, but he had time. A girl was fiddling with some images in some computer program of the boy's lacrosse team. She'd asked to take photos of them for something or other and the team had volunteered him as the one to take a look and approve. The rest were training for this period.
He didn't really remember her name and hadn't made much effort in committing the name to memory; he didn't feel especially bad that he didn't remember it either. She seemed not to remember his, so it was fair.
"You think these are good?" she said?
"Oh. Me? You want to know if I...."
He looked at them. They were good, he thought. They looked like they were in focus and he could see the players, so what else did you need for a picture?
"Yeah. I can see everyone and stuff. Looks ok," he said quietly.
That seemed to make her happy and she went back to doing something. CLICK CLACK CLICK CLACK CLICK CLACK
Josh looked around at the other screens.
Josh looked aimlessly around the room. He wasn't in this class, but he had time. A girl was fiddling with some images in some computer program of the boy's lacrosse team. She'd asked to take photos of them for something or other and the team had volunteered him as the one to take a look and approve. The rest were training for this period.
He didn't really remember her name and hadn't made much effort in committing the name to memory; he didn't feel especially bad that he didn't remember it either. She seemed not to remember his, so it was fair.
"You think these are good?" she said?
"Oh. Me? You want to know if I...."
He looked at them. They were good, he thought. They looked like they were in focus and he could see the players, so what else did you need for a picture?
"Yeah. I can see everyone and stuff. Looks ok," he said quietly.
That seemed to make her happy and she went back to doing something. CLICK CLACK CLICK CLACK CLICK CLACK
Josh looked around at the other screens.
Dominiqua looked over at the computer next to her's. It had a picture of the boy's lacrosse team on it. One those members was hovering over the girl editing the photo. Probably to make sure it was yearbook worthy. The lacrosse team was in clear and in focus, so that was good.
"That's pretty nice," Dominiqua said, "You take this for the yearbook?"
As she asked that, she adjusted the contrast on her picture, to make sure the bird was in focus. The sky was a bright blue, the bird's silhouette was near pitch black. It was close to what she had in mind.
"If you don't mind, can I get your opinion on my photo?," she asked.
"That's pretty nice," Dominiqua said, "You take this for the yearbook?"
As she asked that, she adjusted the contrast on her picture, to make sure the bird was in focus. The sky was a bright blue, the bird's silhouette was near pitch black. It was close to what she had in mind.
"If you don't mind, can I get your opinion on my photo?," she asked.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2564
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
"Oh, I was just taking them for an assignment on fast shutter speed photography, but I was also totally thinking to ask yearbook committee if they could use these! Like a professional," Gurt said, looking shiny-eyed into the distance. "I think so, as long as the team likes them too."
Josh took his phone out of his pocket so that he would have something to do with his hands and to avoid looking quite so awkward.
"Yeah. They look good," he said, looking to see what the chance of precipitation would be tomorrow.
He had finished scrolling through the five-day weather forecast when he noticed the girl next to him was engaged in conversation with the girl he was there with.
"It's a cool bird," he offered.
"Did you do something with saturation or with the levels to get the sky that color?" said Gurt.
Josh took his phone out of his pocket so that he would have something to do with his hands and to avoid looking quite so awkward.
"Yeah. They look good," he said, looking to see what the chance of precipitation would be tomorrow.
He had finished scrolling through the five-day weather forecast when he noticed the girl next to him was engaged in conversation with the girl he was there with.
"It's a cool bird," he offered.
"Did you do something with saturation or with the levels to get the sky that color?" said Gurt.
“Yeah, I adjusted the lighting and levels to give it that silhouette look,” said Dominiqua, “I took this pic while I was out on a hike. Spotted it on a branch close by, and seized my chance.”
Dominiqua felt a sense of pride as she told Josh the story behind her bird picture. She rarely was able to seize on the opportunity for a picture of wild life, despite her best efforts. Wild animals such as birds, rabbits, and deer weren’t interested in cooperating with an amateur photographer. So when Dominiqua managed to take a decent picture akin to the kind people see in magazines, she’d feel a great sense of accomplishment.
“I was thinking of working on this photo of some ducks, but it wasn’t much to look at,” Dominiqua said.
Dominiqua felt a sense of pride as she told Josh the story behind her bird picture. She rarely was able to seize on the opportunity for a picture of wild life, despite her best efforts. Wild animals such as birds, rabbits, and deer weren’t interested in cooperating with an amateur photographer. So when Dominiqua managed to take a decent picture akin to the kind people see in magazines, she’d feel a great sense of accomplishment.
“I was thinking of working on this photo of some ducks, but it wasn’t much to look at,” Dominiqua said.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2564
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Josh swept his thumb across the screen on his phone, not really absorbing any of the content.
Is she talking to me?
Josh looked around discretely. He put the phone back in his pocket smoothly.
He looked at the girl who'd brought him here, who seemed to know what all the photo talk was about. A picture was a picture to him, and he didn't think very much about how it got to be that way.
"Yeah. Ducks are...... cool," he said, not being able to come up with a better adjective without stretching the silence to unacceptable levels. "Birds are... they rock. They fly and have beaks. Sometimes I try to take a picture of something and a text comes up and I forget about the picture."
Is she talking to me?
Josh looked around discretely. He put the phone back in his pocket smoothly.
He looked at the girl who'd brought him here, who seemed to know what all the photo talk was about. A picture was a picture to him, and he didn't think very much about how it got to be that way.
"Yeah. Ducks are...... cool," he said, not being able to come up with a better adjective without stretching the silence to unacceptable levels. "Birds are... they rock. They fly and have beaks. Sometimes I try to take a picture of something and a text comes up and I forget about the picture."
“Y-yeah. Right."
Wait…was he not really talking to her? Judging by his response, he probably thought the girl he was hovering over was talking to him. Well, that’s a bit embarrassing.
"Uh, sorry, you seem busy,” Dominiqua said, “Sorry to bother you.”
Dominiqua saved the image to her files, first as a photoshop file, and then as a PNG. She opened the PNG file to look at the final product. Not bad overall. She might save this for her portfolio if the teacher likes it.
Wait…was he not really talking to her? Judging by his response, he probably thought the girl he was hovering over was talking to him. Well, that’s a bit embarrassing.
"Uh, sorry, you seem busy,” Dominiqua said, “Sorry to bother you.”
Dominiqua saved the image to her files, first as a photoshop file, and then as a PNG. She opened the PNG file to look at the final product. Not bad overall. She might save this for her portfolio if the teacher likes it.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2564
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Josh wasn't sure what happened, really.
The girl had said something about her pictures and how she was thinking of taking photos of ducks. It seemed like she was talking to him, so he tried to respond with something that he thought was relatable. Like, he didn't know how to take really good pictures, but he tried sometimes on his phone. Then she just kind of stopped talking to him.
He'd tried to be polite and put the phone away when answering. Maybe the answer he'd given her was too stupid and boring?
He suddenly didn't really want to be around this girl who had rejected him though, probably because she thought he was dumb or bothering her or something.
"Just email me whatever pictures," he said quickly to Gurt. "They look great. The guys will like them. I have to go... feed my ants."
He shoved his hand into his pocket and clenched his phone in his hand. He wished that the team wouldn't volunteer him for this sort of thing again.
((Josh James continued elsewhere))
The girl had said something about her pictures and how she was thinking of taking photos of ducks. It seemed like she was talking to him, so he tried to respond with something that he thought was relatable. Like, he didn't know how to take really good pictures, but he tried sometimes on his phone. Then she just kind of stopped talking to him.
He'd tried to be polite and put the phone away when answering. Maybe the answer he'd given her was too stupid and boring?
He suddenly didn't really want to be around this girl who had rejected him though, probably because she thought he was dumb or bothering her or something.
"Just email me whatever pictures," he said quickly to Gurt. "They look great. The guys will like them. I have to go... feed my ants."
He shoved his hand into his pocket and clenched his phone in his hand. He wished that the team wouldn't volunteer him for this sort of thing again.
((Josh James continued elsewhere))
Great, now Dominiqua felt awkward. She must have come off as rude, or dismissive. She was much more used to talking to people on her track and swim teams, and those who shared her interest in nature photography. She felt like she owed herself the biggest face palm.
She wanted to shout out after him, but held her tongue. She didn't want to make a big scene. Dominiqua rested her head in her hand, and let out a heavy sigh.
"Good going Dom," she muttered to herself, "You drove another guy off."
[Dominiqua Ashmore, continued elsewhere…]
She wanted to shout out after him, but held her tongue. She didn't want to make a big scene. Dominiqua rested her head in her hand, and let out a heavy sigh.
"Good going Dom," she muttered to herself, "You drove another guy off."
[Dominiqua Ashmore, continued elsewhere…]