Photo Experimentation. . .

They might be giants. . . Another shot of the same vignette, this time against a neutral background in the lightbox.

Goofing around this morning with the camera timer and lightbox. Here are the particulars:

* Distance between Sony Cyber-shot TX20 camera and subject -- slightly over 8" or 20.5cm.
* Camera flipped automatically into the macro setting.
* Tripod used.
* Self-timer set for 10 seconds. . . Look Mom, no hands!
* No flash. Indirect, diffused lighting came from three different lamps each with 100watt "daylight" corkscrew bulb. One aimed at the top of the lightbox, and two aimed at either side of the light box. No lights were aimed directly onto the figures.
* Five slightly different pictures were taken. This one was the best as far as the position of the base and both figures goes.

In Photoshop Elements 9, I pasted in the picture and first cropped it way, way down from the original size, and then used in turn the following bits of editing magic: 1) Select > All, 2) Auto Smart Fix, 3) Adjust Color > Remove Color Cast, and 4) Auto Sharpen. I finally saved it again onto my computer desktop as a jpeg file. The original unedited photograph has also been saved.

Later, today, time permitting since we are headed out tobogganing and then to a cafe for warm beverages afterwards, I'll try the same photo with 9"/approx. 23cm and 10"/approx. 25.5cm between the camera and subject, to find that sweet spot as suggested some weeks ago by Der Alte Fritz. Be sure to check back later.

This evening, it's back to the painting table for a while to start either on those Fife&Drum 4-pounder Swedish cannons that have been cluttering the painting table for eons, or maybe I'll start on the next two-figure vignette.

-- Stokes

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Keepin' an Eye on the World Going By My Window . .

'The Nap at the Palace' by Jose Triado Mayol N ot much in the way of hobby-related activity happening here in the Grand Duchy lately. Sigh. And no surprise there really since there are only so many hours in the day, only so much mental and physical energy to spare, and you sometimes simply just have to give in and know when to say, um, "When!" A glass of wine and/or evening yoga by the hearth with the Grand Duchess (who has practiced for over 20 years), and then off into la-la land. Zzzzzzzzz. More immediately, I'm recovering, mentally speaking, from a grueling Friday in which I was involved with three (online) conference sessions, one right after the other, followed by a 90-minute meeting at the end of the day. Also virtual. My brain has been mush ever since, so an easy, completely unproductive Saturday watching intermittent snow fall outside (no accumulation however) and drinking coffee while the visiting handymen completed some repair work down h...

And It's the End of September!!!

Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November. With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important, I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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