Featured Forum Member - Vern H aka nonrev

Vern H aka nonrev in forum tongue is one of our photographers of the forum, The two pictures below are ones that i really like, and hope that you do too.

Two very different photos.

Vern has kindly given a background below the pics. Thanks Vern.








I am 64 years old. I do not plan on retirement for another 6 years. I have my own business as a manufacturers representative in the plastic industry.

I was born and raised in Barrington, RI. In 1963 I went into the U.S. Air Force, where I served for 11 and ½ years. My tour of duty took me to England, Germany and Italy. My first tour was at RAF Chicksands in Bedfordshire om 1964. Whilst there I dated a little German girl. In 1965 I was transferred to Germany where I met and dated a little English girl who eventually became my wife.

In 1968 I was assigned to San Vito Air Station Italy. After 30 months of duty there I was transferred back to RAF Chicksands. I stayed there until 1974 at which time I took a overseas discharged and stayed in England working for Emgas in Northampton.

My interest in photography began in 1964 when I went to RAF Chicksands. I bought a Kodak Instamatic. Just taking the normal tourist pictures. During the early 70's I bought my first SLR. It was a Petri. I had four lenses, 28mm, 55mm, 135mm and a 400mm. That is when I started to develop an interest in photography.

Around 1973 my wife got in touch with her cousin, Pat Dalton. Pat was well into photography and introduced me to developing my own film and pictures, BW. My interest really deepened at that time. My wife bought me a small Russian enlarger, trays, the whole darkroom setup and I was off and running.

We returned to the US in 1979 and I continued to take and develop my own work. I finally bought my first Nikon at that time. Well as the family grew I had to back off doing a lot of photography. I did just the odd motocross pictures and family vacations.

About five or six years ago I purchased my first digital camera. I used it for a company I owned. Shortly there after I bought my Nikon D70 and have been shooting digital ever since then. I gave my film camera to my oldest grand daughter, who is now majoring in photography at a college in Wisconsin.

Although I love shooting RAW, manual, I do long for the film days. Maybe some day digital will equal film but at the moment it has a way to go. However, with the price of BW film I will stay with digital. My love is also with Black and White.

Regards,

Vern H.

Featured Forum Member - Freddie

I introduce you to Freddie, who i like to call an out of the box gamer, he always does something different, looks at things in a more transparent way to other members. I thought i was the out of box thinking but Freddie takes to another level.

I was so pleased when he joined us because i thought we had lost him and why not have the talent under one Splitting Pixels roof. The only thing is all this talent = less chance for me to win.

I attach a photo of Freddie's earlier on efforts in the forum. Mixing comedy and art, love it.







Now for the background piece from Freddie himself.

I'm 54rs old and worked in various jobs in the building trade for most of my adult life, but due to various circumstances I now spend most of my time at home caring for my brother and stepfather. I'm 'born & bred' in Fulham, West London and live midway between the 2 football grounds of Fulham FC & Chelsea FC, I support the former in football, but my real sporting passion is International Rugby.

I've had computers since the days of the Sinclair Spectrum and then moved on to the first 'affordable' Amstrad,( How I wished I'd started with a Mac ) I first got into Photoshop when Elements V1 came bundled with something I purchased and then soon discovered the 'joys' of photo manipulation when I managed to place a cutout of 2 drunken fatblokes ( me & a Friend ) into a picture of a famous England Rugby celebration, the picture still hangs on my wall, & I was hooked,

Now that I have more time at the computer I enjoy the 'challenge' of Photoshop, thinking of an idea and then working out how to do it, and for me,t he weekly & monthly games at Splitting Pixels have been the ideal place to learn and improve.Although using Photoshop can at times be frustrating, the more time you put into learning & trying different things the less frustrating & more enjoyable it becomes.

Finally if your a regular in the games, thank you, "your a good bunch" if you haven't joined in yet come & join us, it's fun.

by Thornberry

Featured Forum Member - Katie Dee

Katie Dee is from our photographer side mainly, and having won game 2 of the photo competition, the talent is there for all to see, already.

It is nice to have such a broad spectrum of people, it means we are learning of so many people.

Katie, this is your showcase.






Here is Katie's background.

I am 72 years old and have had various types of jobs since leaving school at the age of 16. I was born in Scotland. My only early contact with photography has been an odd go on my mother’s Box camera and for a while in late 1950 – early 1960 I did a bit of ‘tinting’ of wedding photos for my first husband. As I recall not the easiest of things to do but the brides all seemed to want their bouquets coloured (and their faces). Flower colours were not too bad but skin tones!!!!!
Years ago I used a Pentax MG Super but only for holidays and family snaps, it is now in a cupboard unused. In 2002 Pat bought me a digital camera, it was a Fuji FinePix. My main subject was the garden and all the flowers that I had planted, fed and looked after. Once I had found out about the macro facility on the camera I was off, it made me realize how beautiful the flowers were close up. I use my flower/garden photos for my greetings cards which I enjoy designing for my friends and family. Some of the flower photos are framed and are hanging up around the house.
I am enjoying my time on the forum. Everyone is so friendly and helpful and I have picked up a few tips along the way mainly by way of others peoples questions and answers. I also ask Pat for advice from time to time. The monthly theme makes me get out and about, going to places like the farm, stables and the pub recently and asking if I can take photos. I would not have done that before the forum. I think I am seeing things that I would have missed before. My camera now is FinePix S7000 which I love as much as Photoshop and I very rarely go out without my camera now, even when shopping.

Her blog can be found at http://katiedeespics.blogspot.com/ for more of her excellent pictures.

Featured Forum Member - Yvonne Hopgood

Yvonne is not only a forum member but a 3 time winner of the weekly digital art games (she would be the first to say that she was part of a group who never thought they would win) Well that has been blown out of the water, she probably won't be speaking to us non winning folk (well me, really).

This is her showcase and a deserved one. She not only makes sure the forum ticks nicely, Yvonne does a lot of work behind the scenes that people don't notice.

From me and the rest of the admin guys and the forum. Thank you.

You now know the rest, great pictures and some background from Yvonne herself.






I have no Art background that I could be proud to tell you about and the only art was done at school apart from drawing on the walls at home when my Mother had stripped off the wall paper. I had loads of paint as my step brother worked at Reeves and I can remember all these small blocks of paint that I had and just wasted.

You could say I have been around photography for most of my life from 20 onwards my then Husband being a manager of a photographic shop we always had the latest camera for use. We also several years later had a wedding and portrait business run by 4 of us.

After the inevitable I started a small wool shop and amongst other things knitted Arran sweaters ( by Hand) sending them to the USA for my aunt to sell to order. I could make one in a week and did quite well

Then came the fluctuation in wool prices so it wasn’t working financially I had to give it up and went to work for the big K their B companies to start with they had labs over most of the country. I remained there for 23 years until retirement.

I was given a Kodak DC210 as a leaving gift it was a bit of a dog really but a start, at the time we were spending more time at our Villa in Cyprus so I had a computer built. The Guy that built it put on several programs (as they do out there) and one of them happened to be PS 4 or 5 I could only manage a couple of clicks here and there and purchased a Barry Beckham tutorial joined a forum where I met several splitting Pixels members the rest they say is History

Featured Forum Member - Neal Dorman

Not only is he a friend, a great photographer, artist, i believe the forum is a better place because of this man. You sometimes come across people who are willing to help anytime of day. Assist in what you need. Also give their important time to make other people better without anything in return. You are a credit to the forum, a credit to your yourself, a credit to the industry of photography and photoshop, and a credit to your family.

Neal's background is below but first a few pictures.



At 41 years of age I have been working as a press photographer since leaving school after my A Levels. My interest in photography started as a child when I would borrow my dads Zeiss Ikon camera . My first job was a part time one while still at school, for 2 hours a day 3 days a week i would work for a newspaper in their darkroom printing of all the black and white photos that readers ordered. From memory this was on Durst M70 and Leitz Focomatt enlargers. On leaving school i then got a job full time and 23 years on i am still at it. Back in my early days i used a Canon Ftb and other models along the way included Canon AE1 Program, Canon F1, Canon D1, Canon D30 and now presently using the Canon Eos 1D Mk2. I have watched the industry change from the black and white days to the digital age and have had to adapt along the way.
Living in Northern Ireland i have had to cover many terrorist attacks, Royal visits, Presidential visits etc but most of the time it is a lot more mundane subjects like sporting events, concerts and social functions. I have also worked for an award winning Wedding Studio and have had photographs published in most of the National papers in GB.

I have used Photoshop from Version 4 but have really only got a better understanding of the program in the last 3 years or so. I have always tried to pass on anything i have learnt either though forums or at times, i have given darkroom and photoshop demonstrations to local community groups and youth organizations like the scouts etc. After a bad experience on another forum Andrew, Tom and myself setup Splitting Pixels and it has been brilliant and rewarding to watch each week as the talented membership produce one great work after another. Through the forum and others like Innographx were people give FREELY of their knowledge and time we all benefit and improve on our photoshop and photography skill

Featured Forum Member - Ronnie

Now what i am about to write is meant in the bestest way possible!

I have seen Ronnie's work for about a year now, and i can honestly say the forum works, because as you will see, his standard from when i saw it first and to what he produces now is nothing short of amazing! and he is a good guy to match. I honestly say with his work i now say 'i wish i could do that!'

Ronnie not only is a valued member but is helpful and fits in with the rest of the artists we have!

Thanks Ronnie for being part of the forum.

A bit of background from Ronnie:

First i got into taking picture's when i had my twin's, getting a camera the day they where born almost 15 year's ago..I have something like 5,000 picture's of my 4 kids.I first bought Photo Impact 10 then 12, but they didnt let me do the thing's i wanted, so i tried Photoshop around mid february " This year " but it's a big program so looked to find some learning dvd's and you know the rest....and me, im just a joiner....Other intrest's.. Snooker, won a couple of local trophy's and the scotish leauge with my local club..

Featured Forum Member - Pat Dee

Pat is up for his deserved showcase this week!

He is more for the photo competition than the photoshop/image editing competition but if i was that good then i wouldn't have to worry about trying to improve my photos so much.

Pat not only is a valued member of the forum, he helps collate all the images for an easier viewing as well as helping members with photography questions.

Thank you Pat for being a member of the forum.

Bit of Background Information from Pat Himself:

My mother had a Brownie box camera which I was very occasionally allowed to use, it was after I joined the RAF in 1947 and when I was on leave awaiting posting to the Far East that I bought a Kershaw Penguin, 120 roll film camera, in Singapore there were many Japanese cameras available and I unfortunately bought a Petri 35 mm with the bottom of a milk bottle for a lens. I was not really interested in photography, until I left the RAF in 1955, was married and had a family, I joined the local Co-op camera club, got an enlarger and a pile of dishes, bought a Voigtlander Perkeo II 6x6, we were given a different subject every week and had to develope the film and print the picture ourselves, a great learning period.

The Voigtlander was modified by myself to take smaller size transparencies and a Yashicamat twin lens was bought, then a Mamiy C3 twin lens and a couple of lenses, that was a wonderful camera.

I had by then became aware of the Magnum group of photographers, photojournalism has always fascinated me, Jill Freedman, Rene Burri, Thomas Hopker, Elliott Erwitt, Cartier-Bresson, Brandt and many more of that period are still my idols, they completely changed the way I looked at photography, even although my darkroom skills improved a 100%, they also made me realise that I would never be anything except a very very average picture taker.

During the 60’s I covered motor cycle scrambles in Scotland for one of the motor cycle weeklies and used to travel all over the UK following the sport. I moved south to Leicester in 1970, traded the Mamiy in and bought a couple of Pentax bodies, one for B&W the other for transparencies, I used to go to marathons, antique shows, hedge laying competitions , street photography, loved trying different subjects, but by the mid 80’s I had practically stopped using the cameras.

In 2002 I bought Katie a Fuji Finepix digital camera, eventually bought myself a digital, I do not think that digital, is as good or as satisfying as a film camera, what it does is that it allows you to produce pictures with little effort in the developing/enlarging sense, I am still to be convinced that the quality is better.

Featured Forum Member - John Webbern

I have known Johns Work for some time, what sort of pleases you is that i have seen it progress to such a great standard that i don't know if he speaks to artist riffraff like me at all now : )

He makes people like me aspire to improve and to just to try and make great images like himself.

John also doesnt stick to one sort of art, he can do them all, photo blending, artsy stuff, and even attempts the monthly challenges as well, now if you read his background he's gonna start the photo comps! John give us a chance eh?

Thank you for being part of the forum, John!

John's Background from himself,

1. Aged 65 years, retired 6 years after 42 years in the packaging industry.

2. Degree in Engineering and was mainly employed in the running and building of new factories.

3. In the 1960`s was involved in a major project relating to what is now a common sight of the easy open top on the beer and soft drink cans. During this development I spent a lot of time in the USA travelling extensively throughout the country.

4. When I retired although doing some consultancy work I needed a hobby to keep the old mind active and working so stated to do some painting but that old pencil and brush would not follow what I saw in my mind, so about 18 months ago started to do some digital art using Painter and Photoshop and that little mouse sure helped.

5. My progress in digital art, is due to the friendship, help and encouragement from our forum members.

6. Since I travelled to many different parts of the world during my working life, Far East, Middle East, Africa, Americas and extensively in Europe my only regret is that I did not own a camera nor was very interested in photography so I have no photographs to remind me of those places.

7. I intend to purchase a camera and take up photograph as my next hobby and I am sure our forum membership will help and advice me on all aspect of photography.

8. Photo Comp Section look out for my entries.

Featured Forum Member - Helen Chierego

HelenC as otherwise known in the forum, this is your blog, well for the next bit anyway!!

Having not known HelenC before this forum, i think everyone knows her now. You can now see why is she is so respected within our little community. 'What can't speak, cant lie' so seeing HelenC at the top end of the leaderboard is now of no surprise.

A quote from one of our members about HelenC.

'HelenC is a Painter and her picture is not something that can be achieved with the click of a button. Its a working by a Corel master and simply ouzes class !!!!'

A bit of background about HelenC

'Born in Melbourne, Australia. Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing and Editing) RMIT, Diploma of Social Science (Library and Information Studies).Started as a traditional artist and moved to digital in 2006. Favourite digital tools are Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Has worked as a Community Artist in schools, community arts centres and festivals. More recently spent 16 years in a major reference and research library. Now immersed in the friendly digital arts community in a number of online forums including Splitting Pixels.'

Thanks HelenC for being part of the forum.

Featured Forum Member - DeeDee

This is what makes the forum so fun, with so many talented people from different walks of life.

DeeDee (Swampy) in the forum, not only has helped me and a million others via her tutorials, she is actually an amazing artist, who produced the two pictures (below) from the last weekly game, i cant even do one good image to keep churning them out is an even better talent.

Thank you DeeDee for being a part of the forum and making us all better photoshoppers and artists!







A bit of background on DeeDee:

'A rare breed, a native Floridian. Born in Miami and raised on a dairy.

Now residing in a small town in South Central Florida.Graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Education and a minor in Graphic Arts.

"Camp Followed" as an Army Wife for 16 years. One son, Todd.Big college football fan (especially the FSU Seminoles).Owner of Creative Promotional Products (selling advertising specialties) Been doing computer graphics since 1985.

Started doing vector versions of my customer's artwork and logos (Illustrator and Freehand) for imprint on coffee cups, key tags, decals and such. Used Photoshop then, but only to scan and color correct. Began doing watercolor, oils and chalk renderings of photographs in Photoshop and Painter three years ago as a hobby which has turned into a passion.

Her business has expanded to doing four color process pieces including the local Chamber of Commerce Membership Directory (72 pages), display ads for various local tourism agencies and brochures for local businesses.

This ad appeared in the National Geographic Traveler's Magazine.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s316/lpswampy/Private/fff_enlarged.jpg

Photobucket Gallery at http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s316/lpswampy/Images/

Can be found hanging around Retouch Pro, Innographix, NAPP and Splitting Pixels.Have created several video tutorials (QuickTime) which are available on my home page "Swampy's Neck of the Woods"http://www.deedeespage.com./

Featured Forum Members - Sylvia DiGeorgio

Have you ever sat in a restaurant and looked at the watercolour picture on the wall and wished you could draw that.

Have you ever walked to your hotel room and seen artwork of local scenes in the hallways.

Introducing Sylvia DiGeorgio.

I am so glad she is part of our forum, she has not only contributed to helping other members within our forum, she has given exclusive access via the forum two of her photoshop tutorials, which are widely sought after.

http://abc-impact.com/photo_art/tutorial_Old_Master.html

http://abc-impact.com/photo_art/tutorial_website_Gallery.htm

So a big thank you Sylvia, not only from me but from all the forum members in being able to become better photoshoppers, artists (and produce images for restaurants and hotel hallways!)

A bit of background on Sylvia:

'Sylvia is a computer expert with a diploma in Computer Networking (AFPA de CAEN, France, B.T.S. Réseaux). She is largely responsible for the layout and presentation elements of this guide (http://abc-impact.com/teachersguide/). Sylvia speaks six languages fluently. Her vast and varied work experience throughout Europe includes a position as a library services manager for the French Government. She has lived in Greece, New York, Egypt, Israel, and Mexico, and is currently living in Canada writing Internet Guides and designing websites.'

Check out her website for tutorials...

http://abc-impact.com/photo_art/tutorials.htm

and her Galleries...

http://abc-impact.com/photo_art/Galleries/Sylvia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylvia_photoart/


And just to prove she is the real deal, which she is, she has just won this digital art competition.

http://www.pbase.com/pstewart/summer07_winners

I just wish i could be as talented.