Cathy Zielske's Blog

Project Life, Week Twenty-Five

OBSERVATIONS: Last week, Aidan had a friend over and imagine my surprise when she pulled out this giant, honking Project Life album to share with her friend Phillip. As I watched her re-living the first 24 weeks of our lives in 2012, I realized how grateful I am that I decided to dig in and give Project Life my full attention.

It has become a weekly labor of love for me. Yes, it takes some focus and dedication, but it has re-connected me with memory keeping in a way that feels fresh and creative again. And, above all, simple for me.

Here are my pages for this week:

It seems like every few weeks in Project Life, I get a new thing to try out. In the past few weeks it has been using blocky, clean sans serif titles ghosted back over photos. I did a tutorial on this last week. (Click here to find it.)

PRINTING TIP: If you are printing a 4 x 6 photo, many photo printers accomodate for the edge-to-edge/borderless printing (called the "bleed") by making what you are printing just a bit bigger. What this means is that you have to play with anything overlaying on those photos a bit, making sure stuff that matters isn't too close to the edge, lest it get cut off. For example, see my overlaying type this week? I actually placed it so it didn't hit the edges of my photos, knowing that it would be slightly enlarged and get cut off. Some of the type did get cut off, but the overall effect works for me. So keep in mind, if you have a title bar, or a piece of word art, you'll want to move it in just a bit to make sure important text or other elements don't get cut off.

One thing I do on my 3 x 4 cards is to print them onto 4 x 6 photo paper but turn OFF the full bleed settings to make sure they print exactly as I intended. Then I can include the crop marks option as well to make trimming quick and easy. If you leave the bleed/borderless settings turned on, your 3 x 4 prints larger than it should.

I busted out my wireless remote controller last week to shoot us gathered around our kitchen table for Father's Day breakfast. It's not fancy, but I love seeing the four of us together, just out of bed, PJs and all.

One thing I didn't include last week, and I really think I missed an opportunity, was a text I sent to Dan after dropping Aidan and Cole off at the newly remodeled Como Pool:

I know. Inside, I'm really just a 10-year-old boy. Moving right along…

Here's our weekly recap:

For anyone who likes the idea of doing a weekly recap, I just have to stress how helpful the Day One app has been for me in this process. Four times a day it pops up on my computer and asks me for an update. It's been such a simple way to keep track of what we are doing, saying and thinking during the week.

And one final shot…we went to see Moonrise Kingdom last week and Aidan returned home inspired to take a page from the Wes Anderson (think Royal Tannebaums) and built a fort in her room.

It's making it really challenging to vaccum in there.

And that is all I wrote for Week 25.

SUPPLIES:

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Project Life, created by Becky Higgins, is a flexible, easy-to-use, highly customizable way to save your memories in a fun, stress-free way. Learn more about getting started with Project Life by clicking here.

Listening to.

Sigur Rós, a band that I've really come to love over the years, has a new album out, Valtari. Last week, I watched a video from the new record which was part of a mystery film project. The band gave a dozen different film makers a modest budget and asked them to come up with videos. The video below has created a buzz, initially because it features Shia LaBeouf in the, well, buff.

I've watched it a handful of times and while yes, it's trippy and weird in spots, it's also incredibly moving and beautiful. 

I love what director Alma Har'el had to say about it: "For me, it's about not knowing how to get out of something without causing pain to somebody else. For other people it might be about candy and fish. I'm down with that."

I have been listening to this album every morning and soaking it in. Pure aural bliss.

Note: there is nudity in this video.

 

 

Monday musings

Hello there, Monday. Fancy meeting you here.

Aidan, who left on Saturday for a week-long theater camp program in Southern Minnesota, took this extreme close up while making cupcakes last week, using my new 50mm Canon Macro lens. Nice work, Zielsk!

It's going to be hella hot week in the upper Midwest. They say it could reach 100 by Wednesday. For this dyed-in-the-wool Pacific Northwest girl, temps like that make exactly zero sense to me.

Make no mistake, I will stay cool. I have central air in my 94-year-old house and I intend to use it.

Other than trying to be productive while one of my children has flown the coop, I have started trying to create a ritual in the morning of going out onto my front porch and reading something inspirational while having my morning coffee.

Yes, the workout is next on the list, followed closely by work to be done to continue earning a stay-at-home living, but I'm trying to invest a bit more into the soul side of things. I figure after doing (and continuing) therapy for two-plus years, maybe I should branch out a bit and find more food for the heart and mind.

Having recently read The Gifts of Imperfection, I feel hungry for more of the same. Reading author Brené Brown's blog led me to find a book by Susannah Conway. That book is This I Know. It arrived early last week and I've been savoring it each morning, reading a bit here and there, trying to soak it in and let it fill me up.

It's made me want to head out and pick up a journal and start writing a bit more about my inner life and all of the stuff she is making me think about.

What have you been reading for inspiration? And beyond that, do you have any small and sacred rituals or spaces you create for yourself to allow time for inspiration and renewal? 

By all means, do share.

Project Life, Week Twenty-Four + a video tutorial

OBSERVATIONS: I love the past week of photos. Probably because they include a lot more of the sometimes camera shy Dan (or maybe I just wasn't pointing the camera his way as much as I could have been.) It's just nice to look through my shots for the week and see so much of this man with whom I share my life, and this man with whom I'm working through all the muck to be able to continue living this life with him.

Or maybe I'm exploiting the fact that he bought his first pair of cheaters this week, and now I feel much less older and grayer. Who can say, really?

This week seemed to be all about words on photos, specifically sleek sans serifs screened back over the shots. I used both some of my digital products as well as just setting type by hand onto specific photos. Today I'll be sharing a brief video tutorial on how I did this if'n you're so inclined to try it on your own and were always wondering how.

But first, the pages:

One thing I loved about last week is that Dan asked me if I'd bring my camera down to the farm with me so I could take a three generations photo. Is there nothing more charming than your man asking you to take a photo? I love this shot. Cole is the lone Zielske male, challenged with carrying on the Zielske name. Let's hope he doesn't go all new age and change his last name to "Namasté" some day (I knew someone who did that. True story.)

A closer look at the man behind the cheaters.

Here's the weekly recap:

Now onto the technique I want to show you. I present: screened back text overlaying a photo:

This is really easy to do, using either a digital brush or custom set type. I'm going to show you how to do both. Ready? Okay!

How to screen back type over photos from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.

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Project Life, created by Becky Higgins, is a flexible, easy-to-use, highly customizable way to save your memories in a fun, stress-free way. Learn more about getting started with Project Life by clicking here.

Yes, I'm Radvocating (fun with Totally Rad's Rad Lab)

I've been fielding a few emails lately asking me how I work with my photos. Last year, I posted about using Rad Lab, from Totally Rad Actions and I thought I'd show you another example from this very cool Photoshop (and Photoshop Elements) plug in.

I use Rad Lab on every photo that I print. Sometimes, I just do the most basic of adjustments, but other times, I combine all sorts of action effects to create a photo that is perfectly to my liking. The cool thing about Rad Lab, is the possible combinations and results are seriously endless, and you get to see what you're doing as you go. If you're interested in seeing how it works, watch the video below. (To see a larger version of the video, watch it over at Vimeo by clicking here.)

I took a photo of my lovely niece, Micah, but wasn't happy with the out of camera color. So, Rad Lab helped me take it to better place, as well as make a lovely black and white version.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BLACK & WHITE:

Enjoy the video! And keep in mind, you can try Rad Lab for free for 30-Days. 

Rad Lab Demo from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.

The winner of Real.Life.Scrapbooking. is…

The winner of a copy of Rebecca Cooper's latest eBook, Real.Life.Photography. plus a set of custom designed Photoshop actions set, Simple Fixes Actions, is:

Kendra, contact me at czdesign@comcast.net to get hooked up with the book and the actions. Thanks, everyone. And by all means, check out Rebecca's eBook for great tips on taking amazing real life photos.

Special giveaway: win a copy of Real.Life.Photography, an eBook from Rebecca Cooper + Photshop Actions

Today I'm giving away a copy of Rebecca Cooper's latest eBook, Real.Life.Photography. plus a set of custom designed Photoshop actions set, Simple Fixes Actions, to one blog reader.

Many of you may know Rebecca from her work with Simple Scrapbooks magazine, her blog, her book, or her other eBooks, 40 Top Tips for Better Photos and Don't Say Cheese.

Rebecca's latest book is packed with tips for any photo taking enthusiast who wants to hone her craft. It's a good book, and I'm not just saying that because I designed it for her. She knows her stuff.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Rebecca believes strongly in encouraging women to take more photos of everyday moments—it's her absolute favorite part of photography! She started working on this eBook more than a year ago. She spent months carefully assembling her best tips and tricks, gathering 127 real-life photos, and writing hundreds of useful photography tips. Her goal is to inspire women everywhere to pick up their cameras more often and to be happier with the photos they take.

"Photographing real life isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s a lot harder than taking family portraits in a well-lit studio or outdoors at the perfect time of day. Real life passes quickly. It doesn’t wait for you to pull out your camera. It doesn’t wait for ideal lighting conditions. And it doesn’t wait for your house to be spotless. But I promise that capturing everyday moments is worth the extra effort. Capturing life as it happens helps me see things differently. Boring becomes beautiful. Ordinary becomes extraordinary. Life can get so busy and crowded with distractions that it’s easy to forget what matters most. Pausing to take photos along the way helps me slow down and just enjoy my life exactly as it is."—from Real.Life.Photography.: How to find magic in everyday moments by Rebecca Cooper

ABOUT REBECCA
A professional photographer and mother of four children, I make my home in Alberta, Canada. I'm the author of two previous photography eBooks, 40 Top Tips for Better Photos and Don't Say Cheese!, both published through Ella Publishing Co., as well as a scrapbooking inspiration book, Real.Life.Scrapbooking., published in 2008.

TO ENTER
Leave me a comment today and tell me your biggest challenge as a photographer. I'll close comments tonight at 9 p.m. CST and choose a winner.

Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering.

Layout Share: Select Scenes of Summer

Ahhh, summer.

Ahhh, alliteration.

I decided to create a simple, one-page, photo-centric layout with a few images taken thus far into the early Minnesota summer months. Lawn mowing, post-game Dairy Queen runs, dips in our backyard pool… oh, and red wine, too. Just a few shots that remind me of my family's life in summer.

This is a fully digital page, and I will send it to print on my Photosmart 8750 and pop it into my All About Us family album.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This page was created using Photoshop CS5.

DESIGN NOTES: This design features a strong sense of unity, as all of the elements are connected in the space. There is repetition of photo sizes within the grid of images and there is an equal amount of white space in and around the images. The yellow is also repeated across the layout, another design convention that creates a sense of unity in the design. Type contrast is seen in the title. Pairing a big word with a small lead in creates a nice visual tension.

SUPPLIES:

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The winner of the spot in simplify 101's workshop is…

The winner of the spot in simplify 101's upcoming workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter with creative organizing expert Aby Garvey is:

Kelli, email me at czdesign at comcast dot net to claim your seat. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Sponsor Giveaway: win a spot in Organize Your Paper Clutter from simplify 101

simplify 101 is giving away one spot in their upcoming workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter with creative organizing expert Aby Garvey.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Is your paper clutter zapping your creativity? If paper like bills, school papers, ideas for creative projects, memorabilia to scrapbook, recipes to try, to-do lists, magazines, and catalogs (to name a few) are piling up around you, it’s hard to relax let alone be creative. There is a better way! With the right paper organizing systems in place—those created with you, your paper, and your home in mind—you can free yourself from paper clutter and the stress that comes with it.

In Aby Garvey’s online workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter you will:

• learn a simple, step-by-step process to organize your paper.
• find out how to decide if you need a piece of paper (and for how long) and how to organize it so you’ll find it again when you need it.
• Replace your paper clutter and stress with organizing systems you love PLUS feelings of confidence, relief and peace of mind. (Which means you’ll feel more creative, too!)

simplify 101 is offering my readers 15% off enrollment this workshops! To take advantage of this offer and eliminate that stress-causing clutter, enter coupon code CZ15JUN during checkout. This offer expires Tuesday, June 19, 2012, which is the same day this workshop begins. The coupon code may not be combined with any other offer. (If you sign up and win the spot in the workshop, simplify 101 will refund your money.) Click here to view the entire workshop syllabus. 

About simplify 101:  Founded by Aby Garvey, the co-author of The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker, simplify 101’s mission is to make getting organized fun! Get a taste of simplify 101—and the organized life—with their FREE, simple-to-follow guide How to Create a Command Central Binder http://simplify101.com/create-home-reference-binder.php. You’ll put together a home reference binder that will help you get organized, save time, and minimize paper clutter and the stress that comes along with it!

TO ENTER: Here are the rules for entering the giveaway (up to four chances to win):

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me you want to win the workshop.
2. Head over to simplify 101’s Facebook page and enter to win their Facebook sweepstakes.
3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, then leave a comment letting me know you did.
4. Sign up to receive the free Mini Guide for creating a command central binder, then leave a comment letting me know you did.

I'll choose a winner on Sunday night. Good luck!

 

Comments are now closed. Check back to see if you're a winner.