Category Archives: photo editing

Southwest MN Corn Harvest at Sunset

Corn Harvest at Sunset ~ Joyce Meyer

In spite of strong wind with gusts up to 30+ mph, the DJI Mini 2 drone was able to capture this Southwest Minnesota corn harvest in action. Manual setting ISO 100/2.8 /1/500. My heart stopped a couple of times when gusts of wind severely tilted the drone but I felt great relief when it quickly recovered. The sky image was captured with a Canon Mark 3 later that same evening. Composite image edited with Photoshop and Topaz.

Camino Finisterre: The End of the World

Here is the link to my YouTube playlist which consists of three videos culminating our Camino experience as we tackled the Camino Finisterre. Buen Camino!

This was my first experience editing with Final Cut Pro and I see many YouTube tutorials in my future. Experience with Imovie was helpful but I have a long ways to go to be considered proficient in Final Cut Pro. Audio voice-overs were recorded with a H1N1 recorder.

The tiny, lightweight DJI Pocket 2 is a great travel camera. I brought along the ND filters but didn’t use them as I stuck to auto settings since the lens wouldn’t go in the case when I shut the camera off with a filter on. The filters were also too fiddly when switching back and forth for quick shots and I was afraid of losing or damaging them. Oh well, another time.

Much to my dismay, the filters seem to have been lost in transit so I guess there won’t be another time. Oh, well… things happen.

Looking ahead … Rodeo Days.

Patiently waiting for summer as I edit on a cold, blustery day.

Take a Hike

Hiking through a tunnel along the Camino de Santiago. Image by Joyce Meyer. Edited in Topaz.

Winter arrived way too early in Minnesota this year and we are still in the midst of a pandemic. I guess I’ll just have to rely on one of the many lessons learned while hiking… embrace the suck.

Basketball… the will to prepare.

“The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important” – Bob Knight

Composite by Joyce Meyer | Lightroom | Photoshop | Ashe Design elements | Topaz edits

“Tis the Season

Guess what I’ve been doing lately? Yep, designing grad cards. Graduation will be here before we know it!

Photography and design by Joyce Meyer.

Two images blended using Photoshop CC and topped off with Topaz Studio “Dreamy Day” action.

VB Montage

There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory.

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Photography and montage design by Joyce Meyer ~ Unknown quote

Farm Boys Go to War

Marietta Legion Post #156 in Marietta, Minnesota has chosen to honor these fallen soldiers with commemorative metal displays. While working on the images and designs I couldn’t help but wonder about the anecdotes and stories behind these young farm boys called to duty during WW II.

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Did soldiers from the farm really make better soldiers? I’d like to think so. Farming in our agricultural region along the Minnesota-South Dakota border couldn’t have been easy during the Great Depression that preceded the war. They would become competent carpenters, plumbers, electricians, engine mechanics and general tinkerers. If they didn’t have a part they made their own and jury-rigged items together just to get by. Transfer these skills to military life and the powers that be would have considered them invaluable assets.

28-3171aThese were not the only soldiers from our area to die as a result war. The list above includes all Lac Qui Parle County casualties during WW II. I recognize familiar surnames from the area and wonder about their stories, as well.

Keep on Walking…

I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I know it won’t be boring. 

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Image by Joyce Meyer / Topaz Edit

A pilgrim walks through the cooler air of a tunnel on a hot day along the Camino de Santiago. Impressionistic effect created using Topaz Studio.

Photomerge…

Can’t back up enough to catch the entire image? Photomerge is your friend.

Line up the left side – click – hold level and move right with at least 25 per cent overlap – click.

In Photoshop CC 2017: file automatephotomerge – browse and select your images – check blend images together – I also checked perspective and content aware fill transparent areas – click O.K.

This gave me the background images. I then used select select and mask to bring in the foreground subject.

Finished it off with Topaz edits and some lightning using Photoshop brushes I found free (Brusheezy!?).

BOOM!! GO LANCERS!