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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Miniaturization and More






Last week in the POE forum on Etsy, where I sell my photographs, someone posted a link to a photo she had “miniaturized” using GIMP. Later that day, or the next, another user posted a link to his mini-scenes, as well as a link to a Google list of tutorial links on how to do it. Both of these folks’ images turned out so cool, I had to try it. I am now hooked, it is such fun. “Hi, my name is Judi and I’m a fake-tilt-shift-aholic”. Please reply “Hi, Judi”.

I have converted mine using Photoshop, which I already own. There’s a couple at the top of this post, I hope you’ll check out a few others here.

While many Americans would say that bigger is better, rather than miniaturization, I’m not so sure that I agree. My daughter, her husband, and I were just discussing the tiny houses being built these days and how great they are in many ways. Check out Jenn's blog, scroll down a few screens, and check out the WeeBee. For one thing, the impact on the environment is much less – they use less material to build, they can be made from recycled building materials more readily as large expanses of whatever is not required, they use less energy to heat or cool, they take up less space on the ground thus providing more free space for plants and trees to grow and provide oxygen for the animal kingdom (including us!) Plus, if you have a wooded lot, you won’t have to remove many trees to make way for one of these tiny abodes – another way to lessen impact on the earth.

Of course, not building any more houses would have even less impact, but let’s face it, houses are going to be built. See my previous post on what’s happening in my neighboring town of Lexington.

Personally I’d love to have two of those tiny houses – one to live in and one for my photography and craft studio. I’d buy a small lot near the coast of Maine on which to put them. And then, maybe another couple on the left coast for the winter. Oops, there I go thinking big again. It’s going to take a while for us to change our way of thinking.

For now, I’ll stay where I am in my moderately sized home and continue making fake models out of digital photo images.

Peace, Judi

3 comments:

John-Michael said...

Well, my Darlin', I've lived the past 20 years in a 14X14 one-room cottage. And I can tell you that I like "cozy." (But must confess that my eyes miss far too much that my Soul would enjoy ... if the view gets too small. [sigh]

Lovingly ...

CSD Faux Finishing said...

So if you took a photo of the WeeBee house & applied this technique to it I think you would have the smallest mini (redundant much?) hahaha

Anyway, thanks for the shout and I am so buying a frame for my mini Fenway picture tonight!

ppdesigns said...

I love your miniatures!! I read an article in one my photo mags about it and have been wanting to try it ever since - now i've got elements (as of 2 days ago!) and reading your post has inspired me all over again to dig out the old article and give it a go!