Toy Photography experiments

I thought I'd try something different by converting a computer screen  into a green screen. I took a fractal and replaced the green with it.

It was fun so I thought I'd try making a backround to put on the laptop screen and then use that as a backdrop. Yes, that is an Alien figurine. 

I wanted to make it look like it was in a spaced out environment. 

Here is what the next shot looked like. The Alien is facing the window so I can get highlights on his front. His foot is on a stand so he can hold that position on my keyboard.

And then the final edit. I had to crop out part of his foot and the bottom of the computer screen. I'm learning as I go, so I could do better.

This was a fun exercise. I wanted it to be dark and scary. I'll have to do some work to figure out another way to either include his feet or just shoot his upper body.

I got these ideas from a 'how to' site from Toy Shooter: How to use your monitor for backround lighting. It certainly limits the size of what you use and photograph, but with some more work, I could have some fun.

This opens up a new method for me! Now I just need to figure out what I'd like to do.

Toy photography isn't exactly mainstream, but there is a certain niche for it. Lego toy photography is extremely popular!

No monitor backround here, an LED flashlight and black cloth in a very dim room. A bit of light painting.

I had to try this one. These are my mini garden gnomes that go in my Fairy Garden outside in the summer... I'm guessing the one playing the flute attracted a dragon instead of a Unicorn! I used a flashlight here too. 

The monitor backround has opened up a new way for me to experiment. I'm looking forward to that. Now my cast off Legos will have something to look forward too. 
A good activity too for one of those horrible weather days!

While it is icky outside

It's been a while since I did random art.

I guess I was in the mood again....

Created with JWildfire, layers, png's that I picked up of the unicorn, grass, flames, water, and stormy stuff.
I tossed it all together into a composite form and ended up with a 'Unicorn's Nightmare'.

More fun with fractals and some brushes.
Nothing is as it Seems.

Let Sleeping Dragons ...Lie

After my husband's eye appointment we ate lunch and headed home before the fog totally socked us in.

And sock us in did! Whew!

slow down...

So while talking to some of my CrossFit friends one of the other gals turned to me and said.

"Well, maybe this is a sign you should slow down a bit."
So I thought about that for a moment.

She was right. I had been taking on everything with a whirlwind mindset. Summer had been busy with projects that had me going in several different directions at once.

This would be a forced slow down. So I mulled things over in my mind. The winter hay was ordered to be delivered. The yard was under control, I'd taken more than one truckload of junk to the dump this summer. Rebuilt the fence in the woods, and had been taking Rich on the average of 3 to 4 days a week to appointments or PT. I visit MIL in the home at least 3 times a week too.

I was ready for a breather of sorts.

But I argued with myself that winter is for that. The slow down part, right? Who was I kidding. I loved winter especially snow when I could use my snowshoes.

Time to take a breather. Well indeed, that is easy but after 5 days I don't really like the 'sitting' around.  Getting in and out of the car took some effort and was pretty uncomfortable.

I've done a lot of stretching and walking outside on the flat. I just cannot sit still unless I am reading a good book.

I've revised my lists of to do and re-organized it. Next week will be very busy with multiple appointments and drives to Madison. At least Rich's physical therapy will be in town.

Frankly I got pretty bored watching TV. The CSI program Rich is watching now has the same theme as all of the other shows. I can ID what show is coming by the theme music being used as an introduction. Interesting that the music is old rock and roll from my teen years. Oh well, it keeps Rich busy and by good luck I found this program had 15 yrs of episodes.

I'm waiting for The Last Ocean: A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting  to arrive. I was able to read the first 40 pages and was fascinated. I found a used book of poems by Mary Oliver also. Her poetry is incredible. I am not one to just casually read poetry.

In the mean time, I am watching the goldfinches dine on my sunflowers outside the kitchen window. The humming birds are dipping into the 4 o'clocks and sipping nectar from the feeder.
I miss the morning chatter of all of the other summer birds.
That makes me sad.
I guess that is the one reason I don't care for Autumn. The birds leave and it gets too quiet outside.

Slow down.
Well by this morning after days of being 'slower', I feel much better. Amazing as to how the body can heal itself. I'm going to give a nod to CrossFit and working out as to one of the reasons I am feeling better much faster.

I will however have to make sure that feeling good doesn't mean I will go out and start pounding posts or lifting heavy things.
Perhaps it means I can go out for a walk to the woods to check on the fences and pastures.

While I was practicing ... slowing down a bit... I messed around with the Incendia fractals program and came up with some Digital Art which I haven't done in such a long time.

Here is to stopping and smelling the 4 o'clocks and admiring the day.

Just some art today

And some Mandelbulb 3d.

What I do sometimes when I am having my morning coffee and waking up.

Sometimes I need a break from all of the other busy things going on right now.

Looks like the digging for the basement will begin as soon as next week.
I best get busy and get the rest of my preparations done.

Mandelbulb IFS formulas DEcombinate & Reflectons

These wonderful reflective Mandelbulbs with their special shapes have eluded me forever!

Now I am trying one thing at a time and learning slowly how to 'make' scenes that I feel I almost have control of.

Like this one:

I added the dragon and in post edit.  But I wanted to have a 'gnarly' shape with a 'floor' and a wall with a door in it.

Mind you most pieces that are seen anywhere are not just made in a blink of an eye.  They are carefully rendered over and over with adjustments to shadows, lighting to give the illusion of depth.

With the new and crazy Mandelex formula, I created a scene that was just bizarre and a bit creepy.

It reminds me of a decaying castle.

This is my secret room.  A textured mandelbulb with a happy accident of Volumetric lighting.  Something I am still trying very hard to master.  I used hexigridifs as the first formula and the used DEcombulate when I added Menger4 and _AbsX.

I really like using the hexigridifs formula, it allows you to make all sorts of interesting 'floors'.

On this one that I call Leftovers, I used the hexigridifs for and DodecahedronIFS from the 3a column with fun results.

The second was with the same forumulas except I changed the IFS to a Column formula and added reflections.

Today I did a wild one and it took me a long time to get it right...it could probably use a bit more work, but here it is, 
Underwater Maze:

There are some fantastic tutorials at DeviantArt as well as many fun parameters that can be shared.

I'm trying now to develop the ability to mix certain formulas to 'create' a scene and not just a pretty mandelbulb.

The fun part about it is that formula mixing and moving can always bring a surprise in the form of delight or in the form of dismay because it just isn't working at all!

All of these posted here are originals from scratch made up by little ol' me.

Thank goodness!  It is sometimes too hard to recall where you sometimes get parameters.
I've started to include that artist's name in the file I save, it helps.
But credit should be given where credit it due.

Building in Fractal Programs

With wicked winds and cold temperatures, I sometimes get the urge just to mess around in different graphic programs.

The above piece was done in Incendia.  I layered in in PSP [Paint Shop Pro] and then added my own touches.

This piece was done in JWildfire.  I've been doing more symmetrical pieces lately and read that symmetry was more pleasing to the eye.  I however like things that are not symmetrical. 

This piece was made in Mandelbulb 3D and done for a daily challenge in the FB group I am a member of called Mandelbulb Maniacs.

A word about the programs.  Incendia, JWildfire, and Mandelbulb 3D, have groups on Facebook that engage in tips and challenges which are extremely helpful in learning how to use these great free programs.
As always, you can make a donation to the creators which I'm sure they would appreciate.

As I've stated before in previous posts, I love combining and mixing programs.

It is pretty easy to do.  For this I first created a backround in JWildfire, then created an image in Mandelulb 3D and then used it as a backround in Incendia and let it render.

Basically I used each program to build on each other.

All you need is some imagination and some experimenting.
Other fractal artists like to remain pure and true to the program.

However I am one that lets anything and everything go.
Mixing programs is a challenge that is rather fun.

JWildfire has a new release!

These two images were created with JWildfire new release.  I used Layerz to combine 2 fractals and then put them together and render them.
The other choice is to do separate flames and then layer them in photoshop.  But I did enjoy this newer feature.

One of the things I like to do when it is frigid...frigid outside is mess around with colors and fractal programs.

JWildfire is continously changing and improving, thanks to Andreas Maschke's hard work.
I don't pretend to understand how it works at all.  But I know I can get lost just messing around in the program.  You can download it at his site and it doesn't cost a thing.
I suggest looking at the tutorials on his site also.
The best information can be found at the Facebook site called JWildfire Open Group.
On that site a person has access to all sorts of tutorials and wonderful flames to work with that can be downloaded in the files section.


Unlike Mandelbulb 3D which also has a site on FB called Mandelbulb Maniacs, it is a 'flame' based fractal imaging program.



I sometimes create an image in JWildfire and use it for a color map for a Mandelbulb or a backround for an image created in Incendia.

The flames in the backround of the above image was created in another interesting program called
Flame Painter by Escape Motions.

So when it is -12 out with a 15mph wind...[this means really really cold], and I cannot get out to do any nature photography, this is what I like to do to offset the winter doldrums.

A bit of Fractal Fun

Mandelbulb Maniacs posted a fun little exercise for us to do with the program.  We were to begin with one formula and then create 'something'.
Next step was add another formula and create the next step.

And so on until we had gone through 6 formulas.

The top shot is the 6th and last step.

This was 5 formulas:

 

This was 4 formulas:

 

This next is the second step.

Things really change up when you add formulas and sometimes your choices end up quite ugly and you have to work hard at finding a proper edit worth posting.
These two 'creations' have mainly the same color themes.  Just a tweak here and there to keep them interesting.

So know you know what I do when it is bitterly cold outside. I play with graphic 3d programs and fractals.
It does help the time go by.

And it doesn't involve dropping anything on my feet!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Leading up to Deer Gun Season...

Several fun things happened this week.
I am saying 'fun' in a purely sarcastic type of way.

Monday morning, my neighbor called.  Could I come right away my neighbor had to rush her sick cat to the vet's.
The cat had been having issues on and off during the summer.  This was a cat the the kids really liked.  They called him Rainbow.
[Rainbow died the next day...]

That afternoon things seemed to go quite nicely.  I took Morris for a walk to the creek and we spent a little time looking for tracks.

Later that afternoon we were trying to get fencing and animals ready for the coming deer gun season.  
I went to water the hounds.
Mona seemed a bit off.  Not her normal self.  
Normal self is happy lick you on the hand jump up and down...wag the tail normal.
She didn't eat and refused water.
We took her off to the vet.

She was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and we received a dose of antibiotics. 

That night we took Belle hunting.  Belle was a flop.  Once she heard the hounds at home barking, she went home.

Wednesday it turned cold.  I went to feed Mona some warmed up food.  She refused to come out of her house.
So I moved her into the kitchen.  Hubby thought about complaining but decided that it would be easier to give her the shots and pills if she was indoors.
I put in the baby gate.  Mona went to sleep in a large dog crate.  
Hubby was rushing to get going to his appointment at the VA.  I was rushing to get some things done before it was supposed to start to rain/snow.

I certainly am no ballerina.  I went to step over the gate [rather quickly] and got tangled up in a heap on the floor.  I was hugging myself and trying so hard to breath.  I'd done something to my stupid foot.  The little toe turned white.
I sat and waited until I could breath again and got up slowly.

I still had to get to town.

Short notes now...
On the way back from the VA hosptial, the Jeep lost its brakes.
On my errands in town, the Subaru dashlights came on warning of brakes and battery.
I hurried home and turned the corner to coast down the driveway...all the dashboard lights came on at once and the gauges all stopped working.

Uh-oh.

By now the little toe was purple.  The foot was swelled.  I gimped the groceries inside, grabbed an ice pack and sat down.

My laptop decided to take a dump on me.
No not the dreaded screen of death.
But it seems like the Wifi card has died.

 


For whatever reason, it will not stay connected.  So now I have to resort to making files, transferring any photos to a stick and using my old laptop to post things like photos.
But...
since my foot hurts like a bugger, I'm not photographing.
I am however working with fractals.

So here you go:
Stomach Virus....ewww....I know...but that's what I thought of it!

Attack of the Nano-Bots:

The Great White Hunter has just returned.  He has filled his doe tag.
Looks like we'll have fresh deer roast again!

Rain Rain go Away and Randomness...

What a beautiful sunset we had Friday night.  I saw this on our ridge road.  The mailbox belongs to our good neighbor Linda.

I've probably shot many sunsets here over the years.  Either on muleback or while driving to or from work [depending on the shift].

Today it is raining...pouring...cats and dogs.  Well not literally.

So I gave up the idea of me running down to the creek to experiment in this beautifully overcast day.

I had some creative ideas in using timed exposure.

Other considerations.
I may turn in, or recycle, or trade in...however you want to word it, my Nikon D40.  It has been a faithful camera for nearly 5 years.  I'm looking at upgrading to a Nikon D5200.

I've also decided to go ahead and begin doing some portrait and custom work.  No advertising ... word of mouth work in photography.  I've been teetering on the edge for a long time and after doing children's portraits and my third wedding, I'm getting a better feel for photographing people.

I'm also continuing in my graphic art work.

There is a blog I follow called fraktalblog is by a Fractal Artist who works with Mandelbulb 3D.  When I need inspiration I read through the English translation and try to figure out who he made some of his wonderful creations.  Thank you Jorge Ab always for the inspiration from across the sea!
You can also find his work on deviantART.


One of my latest Mandelbulb 3D creations went to achieve a #1 status on Pixoto.  Not sure what that means but it is like a game for me.

I combined JWildfire and Mandelbulb 3D for this one.

Today I am working with IFS forumulas in MD3D.  Just because.  I am trying to work with made up parameters today...actually I'm experimenting with the formulas and I think I may have actually found something!

I'm not sure of how to 'start' out with original parameters.  But I loaded 'Impossible World' parameters from the stock parameters that came with the program.
From there I changed everything.

And....then because of a storm, I forgot to save the parameters before I exited...
and poof it was gone.

So instead I went to FB's Mandelbulb Maniacs and played with some parameters that are being shared...by

Ricky Jarnagin

Have a good day no matter what you are doing.

Using Maps or photos for Mandelbulb 3d and Incendia

I've decided to use flames and other fractal creations as color sources for both Incendia and Mandelbulb 3D.

When I find a color scheme I truly like I make it available to use in the Maps folder for Mandelbulb 3D.

This helps me get over the small color scheme choices for Mandelbulb 3D.

In the Lighting section of MD3D, you can find a small box called *use map for diffuse color*.
You'll pick the number or page through the MAPS and watch your fractal change colors.
At the bottom of this window are some choices.
its. trap
norms
wrap 1
wrap 2
Experiment with these and the 'scale' tab.

You can come up with some fantastic coloring for your fractal.

Here is a sample of one that I recently did using plain black and white squares for the MAP.

I also used a photo of clouds for the backround image.  You still need to experiment with the Lighting to get the proper feel of depth.

This next one I used the same MAP coloring for the MD3D image as I did for the Incendia image.  They were combined to make this.

The very far backround in this image came from JWildfire.  In essence I used 3 Fractal programs to create this last image.

I've been building a library for both Incendia and Mandelbulb 3D from both flames and .jpeg images.

Try it, you might find it very interesting.

Today is about Fractals

JWildfire
Apophysis 7X
Mandelbulb 3d
Incendia
Processing done in CS2 and some processing done in Bryce.

The following piece was done in Incendia and Mandelbulb 3D.  Image of the face came from Dagwanoenyent an Artist at devianArt.

I used Mandelbulb 3D in conjunction with Incendia to produce this item I call:
Medusa in the Fractal

The following fractal image began as an Apophysis 7X flame that I opened with JWildfire.  I was easily able to edit the colors and the 'flame'.
I layered two flames with the same gradient together to come up with this.
Other than being pretty, I'm not sure what this really does for me.

To me art weather it is abstract or not should cause a reaction.  Not just a 'hey that it pretty' response.

But sometimes I'm happy in the fact that I can just 'make' something.

The above image is interesting to a degree, but the tinkerer in me wants to add something to it.
Would it look good with a flood plug-in?
How would it look as an Incendia backround?
Perhaps I could make a Mandelbulb with these colors.

The list is endless.
As are the possibilities.

JWildfire

If you like fractals, Apophysis 7X, Mandelbulb 3D, or just abstracts with beautiful colors, then you will enjoy JWildfire.

Here are some of the finished fractals I've just done.

 

The above fractal was made using a photograph of mine for the colors.

Keep in mind some are just random with some color tweaks and a couple are ones I made following a tutorial from the site:
JWildfire| Andreas Maschke
You can download from the link he provides.
I strongly suggest anyone new to the program start from the beginning of the PDF files that Andreas has written and can be downloaded from his site.
Next one should definitely watch the YouTube tutorials of how to install the program and an introduction to the basics by FlinkDimensions.  
These are from older previous versions of JWildfire, but they give you some basic understanding of how things work.

JWildfire also has a Facebook Group.  This is an extremely handy place to share parameters and ask questions.  The group consists of extremely nice folks.  They point you to tutorials and even answer some of my 'dumb' questions.

The above designs was used with a script to transform the fractal.  I love how it turned out.

The above is a simple screen shot of the work space.  Most all of the buttons are explained in the YouTube videos and if you've worked with fractals, you can figure most of this out.

Above is the Interactive Renderer Screen.

Here you can save a partial render 

save an image, stop or continue to work

in the flame editor.

I can see working on many flames 

at once...but I don't think I have

enough RAM for that.

I haven't used this as much as the Batch

Flame Renderer but it is fun to

watch the flame appear.

This is the bottom of the screen from the Interactive

Renderer.

 

There are several ways to control colors.

There is a flame library called 'Lib'.

You can grab a gradient from your own photos

in more than one way.

This is explained in the PDF tutorials.

It is a bit above my head to try it here.

You can use the Random flames or pick a

particular type of flame from top left of the

Flame Editor screen.

Caution.  If you see one you really like

and may want to use later.

SAVE it!

I used colors from a Mandelbulb Fractal that I'd done a few days ago for this one.
I just kept experimenting and doodling until I felt I had something that I could render.

I use batch render quite a bit.  
I can start a couple of renders and then leave the computer to 'render' away while I make supper or go out and help with chores.

If you like creating graphics, try this out.
It is almost addicting!