I got in a good walk. It's supposed to snow again later, and maybe tomorrow. I've been spending a lot of time working on that Gigapan. Sometimes it's extremely frustrating, but then equally satisfying when something works out. Learned lots more about Photoshop. I don't own the latest and greatest, which is what I'm using at the university, but help files for several versions are online. Very satisfying to learn all the new stuff.
Back at home I'm working on the Japanese Garden Book. Decided on format and layout design. For the most part content will be my photos and info from the Internet; layout is very important to me. I've decided to make it 8.5 x 14, with the width being 14". I've completely the pages for the gardens I visited in Tokyo, about 50 pages. I'm very nostalgic about it all and contemplating another trip. Stay tuned!
Many of the photos I took never got published, in the blog or in the book. So this is my opportunity to published most more of them. On many occasions I took what I hoped were multiple, overlapping pics. I've been sorting them out and putting them together in Photoshop.
Well if this is what we've been missing in gigapan, bring them them on. I'm intrigued by the book, sounds like you're having such fun. (Hummmmm, another trip maybe. Wonderful.Always good to get the blood pumping!)
Posted by: Alice | February 24, 2010 at 01:28 PM
I'm excited you stopped by my blog today. It's fun to meet new people.
I see you are interested in Japan. I've been to Japan twice. My son went to Japan on a lark to see the world after his college graduation. He planned to teach conversational English for a year, then tour Europe, China and Russia before coming home. Didn't happen. He met our daughter-in-law, Naomi, and the rest is history. They lived in Japan 7 years before returning to the states to get his masters degree.
They lived in Osaka. I believe Naomi's parents live in a smaller town, Oji. Rodger loves Japan and the history of it. When he's there he spends all his time hiking in search of temples, shrines, and tombs. Naomi's parents are amazed at how much he knows about Japan and its history.
April 13 Rodger, Naomi, and our 8 year old grandson, Caleb, will fly to Japan to visit for a month. I'm always pleased when they do this because it gives Caleb a month in total immersion in the language, and learning the culture.
Rodger did mannage a visit to China at a later time.
Posted by: Linda Hillin | February 24, 2010 at 02:50 PM
Linda,
Thank you for your comment. I really enjoyed your blog and will stop by often. I wish I could spend more time in Japan hiking around to see gardens and temples. Im particularly interested in gardens. I went to Japan 3 years ago after taking several courses in Japanese Art History at U. of Pittsburgh. I went to see art but came home knowing I really wanted to see gardens and went back the following year to do it. Im hoping to do it again, soon.
Ruthe
Posted by: ruthe | February 24, 2010 at 06:20 PM
You make flat out wonderful books. I'm entranced by the gigapan photos....could you get a similar series of photos using a tripod and your digital camera? As long as you had a stable horizon line to follow, the results should be similar.
I too use a vastly older Photoshop Elements here at home, and the Photoshop vocabulary, which doesn't use all the photo or art names instead using theirs, often leaves me totally unable to use the program. I know it's my learning disabilities, but I long to be able to use that fully.
Yes, the gardens are marvelous. Have you considered moving beyond the hand crafted book to something one could order online copy by copy?
Posted by: Baileyz | February 25, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Mage,
Yes you could get something similar using a tripod and being very careful. You probably could even use the Gigapan software to do your stitching. Its available for free download.
As for the books Ive made, they are all easily made into PDFs and could be had on request. Of course, you wont get the great bindings, the best part of my art.
Ruthe
Posted by: ruthe | February 26, 2010 at 04:20 PM