Desperately Seeking Creative Connection

Hello, how are you?

I hope well. I'm still fighting the blahs.... pulling inward.... the weather isn't helping... Snow on April 30th...for my birthday? Seriously.....?? I know...I know... it's only a little bad weather...I have much to be thankful for... Yes indeed....

Sigh.....

Two things I know for sure....

I'm desperate for sunshine....and creative connection...... A little face to face chat....  There's nothing like connection to get a person back on track. Quite honestly my real-life creative friends are few and far between around here. I had no idea how important connection was ... until I attended Camp Shutter Sisters in 2011. It was like a whole new world opened up ..so many women... just like me..... I had no idea!! And since then, I've longed for more. A few trips a year is no longer cutting it.

I've been working on my Birthday list (45 wishes)... one of the things on my list is build creative friendships right here at home. I'm positive there's gotta be other creatives feeling the need to connect as well.

But in the meantime.....I thought there may be someone else out there feeling the same way. We are so lucky these days to be able to connect through our screens.

Would you be interested in a little skype chat with yours truly? If so, please leave a comment below. I'm not sure how many may be interested...but I would love to talk with a few of you..... one on one.... via skype.

Let me know if you are interested by leaving a comment below......

Also I have a new course in mind.... a Lightroom creative pro-cessing class.... start to finish edits.....sharing ideas behind the image set-up and my editing choices.... a no-rules approach.... just following the creative heart/eye....What do you think? a possibility? Interested? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Oh dear, before I go... I almost forgot... the winner of the Cloth & Paper Collection is the lovely Kim Stevens. Drop me a note my friend and I will hook you up.

Okay friends.... looking forward to finding my way back here....

If you are interested in a creative connect skype conversation... leave me a comment below.

I'd also love to hear your thoughts on my LR editing class ideas as well.... Do tell!

Always.... a truly grateful heart.

xo,

 

{Texture Tuesday} Wise Words eDition & a Give Away

textured with several layers from the cloth and paper collection......

Hello friends,

Welcome to TT.... The Wise-Words eDition.

This week's TT challenge details are...

Your photo must contain words... either in the photo or added in post..... and as always one layer of any of my textures..... that's it, that's all....

To share, simply add your link below using the inlinkz gadget down at the bottom of today's post.   

It's time we had an official IG hashtag. If you are interested in sharing your TT photos via IG feel free to use the hashtag, #kktexturetuesday.

Before we start linking up, let's talk next weeks TT Theme.

Tuesday, May 7th theme is POP....

What does this mean?

Your photo must POP and contain at least one layer of any of my textures....

I will leave the pop details up to you....whatever comes to mind..... :)

Sound good? 

::

Give Away

How 'bout a little give away?.....  a chance to win the Cloth & Paper Texture Collection.

To enter, simply leave a comment (note: the comment link is now uptop) below with a wish...any wish for your day, your week, your month or your year? :)

Your thoughts always inspire me.....I will announce the winner.... here in a few day...

xo

::
 

Okie doke, let's get this week's TT started.

New to Texture Tuesday? 

To share your photo in the link up you must first post the image on your blog, flickr or a photo sharing site. Once you upload your image you can then add the direct url of the photo to the link up below.

To access the direct url, click on the photo in your flickr stream or the title of your blog post that you uploaded your photo to, then copy the url from the top of your browser address bar by highlighting it, then using the keyboard shortcut command c (mac) control c (pc). Pop back to the link up and click on the blue inlinkz icon at the bottom of the posting. Place your cursor in the image address box and add the copied url using the keyboard shortcut command v (mac) or control v (pc). Complete the rest of the form, then hit next step. Next choose the thumbnail photo you wish to appear in the link up, hit select. You will then have the option to tweet or facebook your link up. Feel free to skip this step if you like. And that's it. Scroll to the link up and your link should be there in just a few moments.

Please note, the TT link up will remain open until Saturday, May 4th...  plenty of time to link up.

xo,

  

Inside-Outside, 2 New Textures & a Few Updates

Hello, 

How are you? Happy Easter my friends. 

I picked up the sweetest pink tulips the other day at the grocery. I haven't had the best luck with tulips lately.... but these are keepers.... really perky.... they seem to have a lovely helter scelter way about them. 

This is a triptych of my world inside.... hopeful...spring like...and light filled....

I went for a walk with Ben... the sun was shining bright yesterday......snow was melting...it really was a treat. So I decided to take my camera on our evening walk... the light the previous few evenings along the river had been amazing..... But gosh darn it...the sun took a hike....and here's what we found. 

Quite the contrast.... from up top..... don't you think? :)

Ben's okay with it though... The deer our thick... coming out to find food... he never catches up to them (wonder what he'd do if he did)... But he loves chasing after them..... 

Here he is...looking out on 'his world'. 

So tell me... what's your world looking like these days? I know we aren't the only ones waiting for green grass. :)

On another note.... I put together the BEST of my 2012 textures...ones I shared here at the Café, in Beyond Layers and a few of my other classes.... 90 textures in all.

If you are interested in filling your texture stash...check it out .... TK members get them free... along with lots of other textures and tutorials...

Also, my crash class, Texturize starts soon.... a Test Kitchen member exclusive.... details HERE.

And last, but not least.... Picture Pro-cess starts on Tuesday. There's still time to dive in.... 2 separate classes...one for Elements 11 and one for CS6. 

Oh and if you are an earlier version elements or cs users.... The Essentials eCourse is now self-paced, on sale.... and access is available for one full year.

Finally... how 'bout a few textures to play with?

Click HERE to download the 3003 set.

Let's end with a give away.... Shall we? 2 offerings.

One - 8 week spot in Picture Pro-cess.

One - 4 month membership at the Test Kitchen.

To enter.... share your favourite  thing about spring....  it's always good to celebrate our blessings.

For me... Spring is a miracle..... It amazes me...the green grass, trees coming to life... tulips, daffodils....always such a gift after our winters.

I will announce the winners here on Tuesday.

I'm off for now.... John's in the kitchen making gluten-free pumpkin pancakes..... I can smell the spice up here...

Have a wonderful weekend.... 

xo, 

Installing Additional Fonts on your Phone Tutorial (Phonto)

Give Away Winners Announced & a Kinfolk Give Away 

looked what arrived in the mail.... Kinfolk Volume Seven.... Yes indeedy....do.

Hello lovelies.... How are you? I hope well.

I'm popping in as promised to announce the give away winners from Sunday's posting.... I also have another iPhone/SmartPhone tutorial.

Have you tried the app Phonto? It's awesome..... It's packed full of fabulous fonts you can use to add text to your photos on your device. I LOVE it. There's a ton of fonts already in the app, but like most font-attics.... I can never have too many at my fingertips.....

So I put together a quick little tutorial..... walking you through a quick & painless way to install fonts from you computer onto your phone or device.

Phonto gives you the instruction for installing fonts using iTunes... But I have another way to share with you.... using dropbox or a cloud storage system. Check out the tutorial for a little Phonto tut and the step by step instructions for adding fonts to your Phonto app.

Sidenote: you will need to know where your fonts are located on your system. This varies from PC to Mac....but a quick google will get you there.... Also be sure to copy not move the fonts to your dropbox folder.

Okie doke.... check out the video below for more details.

textured with desert from the cloth & paper collection

Let's move onto the give away winners.

The winner of a spot in my upcoming Photoshop/Elements class, Picture Pro-cess is: Karla

Karla wrote:

The winner of the Cloth & Paper Collection is: Karin 

Karin wrote:

Please drop me a line ladies and I will get you hooked up.

Thanks so much for all the fabulous apps and fonts you shared below Sunday's posting.... Wow... so many to explore.

And as you can see ... the latest issue of Kinfolk has released. Woo hoo. It's lovely. 

How 'bout a chance to win a copy?

To enter simply leave a comment below.... anything goes...

I will announce the winner in a few days. 

Yay!

So much gratitude.... Until next time....

xo, 

Lightroom Tips, New Textures & a Give Away

Benny got his haircut.... a little shorter than usual... I think he looks more puppy-ish.... 

Hello friends, 

How are you? It's almost Monday here... not quite.... How was your weekend?

I just could not let the weekend pass without a new post. I spent most of the weekend finalizing a new texture set... The Cloth & Paper Collection...I'm wondering if I should call it the Soft & Subtle collection. Oh my, I'm pretty close to bursting about this new collection. I hope to release it Wednesday. 

In other news, my new class, Picture Process is open for registration.  CS6 users, click HERE for all the details. Elements Users click HERE. Can not wait to dive in!

Okay  I know I say this … a lot… but I gotta say it again… I love lightroom….I often wonder… what on earth I ever did pre-lightroom. I'm so excited about my photos and editing…. It's good stuff. As much as I love Lightroom... I will always love photoshop. I honestly NEED them both.  

I know there are many lightroom and photoshop lovers out there….. which means there are many fabulous tips & tricks we could share with one another. 

I thought I would start with a few of mine and invite you all to join in. 

Need a little incentive to share….. How 'bout a give away?

Today I'm giving away a spot in my upcoming Lightroom class, Round Trip to one lucky commenter or a spot in Picture Process (8 weeks access) (winner picks...)

Round Trip begins on March 5th. Click HERE for class details....go quick...there's still time to save on registration.

To enter the give away, simply share a favourite Lightroom or Photoshop tip, trick or shortcut.

Before I dive into a few of my favourite Lighroom tips & tricks…. I do have a little texture-love to share….. 

Click HERE to download the 1402 set. 

New to the black speckled textures (I call them magic textures)? Simply add the texture to your photo and change the blend mode to screen. It can be a subtle effect…. almost like drybrushing… Give it a go.

Textured with 1402 at Soft Light.

Okie doke…. here's few of my favourite LR TIPS.

• In any of the Lightroom modules hit the keyboard shortcut command / or control / to see a list of shortcuts for that module. To close the shortcut list click inside the page.
• Hit the tab key to toggle the side panels on and off and shift tab to toggle the side and top and bottom panels on and off.
• In the develop module hit the \ key to see a before and after of your photo.
• In the library module hit \ key will show/hide the top filter bar. and the T key will show hide the bottom tool bar.
• Hit J to turn clipping warning on and off.
• There are 6 different crop overlays in Lightroom. To access the different overlays hit the R key to activate the crop tool then hit the O key to toggle through the 6 overlays. To rotate your crop, hit the X key.

Okay, must sign off..... 

Just a reminder this week's Texture Tuesday theme is Dream-Like.

Until next time.... big love & so much gratitude....

xo,

 

p.s. wanna see more of Ben? I added a pet section to my portfolio....which should be called a Ben section. 'smile'. Click HERE to check it out.

Update on March 1 by Kim Klassen

The Give Away is now closed. Congrats Kristeen. 

But please feel free to continue sharing your LR & PS tips in the comments if you like. While you are here have a little read... there's some great tips posted.

FAQ Friday & a Give Away

Frequent Questions Answered & a Give Away

Hello friends, how are you?

Can you believe it's February? Where did January go? I remember when it used to drag on and on.... When did that change? How?
Of course if it means warmer weather is on its way, I shall not complain. 

Today, I have a confession.
I can no longer keep up with my inbox. It's so frustrating... I wish I could, but I just can't seem to get to every message. This really makes me sad. 'sigh'

I get lots of amazing mail. People are so kind and generous and I'm so thankful for every single message. Please don't stop. I promise that I read every note and every comment posted. But often I get a lovely, whole-hearted letter and I want so badly to respond. I struggle with being too short...not giving it the time it deserves, so I set the message aside and hope to get back to it...and then before I know it.... I'm 50 emails behind....

I know you know how that goes.... Ugh.

If it's a class or a shoppe purchase question or concern I do my best to reply quickly, but if it's general questions about photography, processing, blogging.... or life stuff... I don't always find my way back to it. 

I thought I'd start sharing some of the most FAQ's here...... and log them together under one link. Perhaps it will be helpful to some....

Here's a few of the most frequently asked questions.

1. I love what you do. How did you get started? I really want to take my business to the next level. Do you offer coaching or one on one sessions? 

I get many versions of this message. To be honest I always feel a little strange about it.... like who me? You want me to coach you?

But with that said, I understand that sometimes people need specific, one on one help with things. A lot of people ask for help with setting up classes, and one on one processing assistance...Lightroom help....some want squarespace tips, others want to talk about creative business and setting goals. 

I haven't ventured into this yet, but I'm seriously considering some form of mentoring. It's like with each email, the universe is telling me ...Kim, this is next.....  and so, for now I will say, rather shyly..... stay tuned. 

2. What breed is Ben. He's so cute.

Yep, this is a very frequent email question. I love when people tell me Ben's cute.... 'smile'

Ben is a goldendoodle. And obviously more golden that doodle.

We adopted him because he was a doodle and we were hoping for a dog that didn't shed. Surprise... He's very golden and we have lots of white hair floating around the house. We do get him clipped, and that helps tons.... But when it's cold we keep it long..which is hard for him in the house, because he finds it too warm, even when I keep the thermostat down.....This means I walk around in Uggs and lots of layers. But he's worth every hair in this house. I think it's all that golden that makes him so darn sweet.... He is my beloved boy. 'smile'

If you are not a dog lover this next statement may sound strange... but this photo makes me just wanna nuzzle my nose right into his furry little head...  Please don't judge me...  hah.

3. I love your work. I'm just getting started.  Can you tell me which editing program you would recommend.

This question pops into my inbox, at least once….. almost everyday… 

I would recommend Lightroom. If you would like to add texture and/or text to your images then I would suggest purchasing Photoshop Elements as well. 

When I first started processing I used photoshop. I didn't know there were other options. Lightroom was pretty new.

I wish I began with Lightroom. Not just because it's image processing capabilities are amazing, or that I can edit video, slideshows, and make gorgeous print layouts super fast… Not because I can edit hundreds of photos in record time or that all my edits are non-destructive. 

But because I would have had a catalog system up and running from the beginning. 

Wow, what a treat that would have been.

I look back on years of images here, there and everywhere… file naming all mixed up…. 4 hard drives full of images! What a mess!

Lightroom changed all of that for me. My files are organized in a clean and easy to access file system. When I open LR my photos are all there....ready and waiting.

This alone would be enough for me to use Lightroom. 

Imagine a catalog system that allows you to find photos based on keywords, the camera used, lens, aperture, date, location....and more!

It really is awesome. Of course it's so much more than that….. 

I do about 90% of my processing in LR. I then move into photoshop to work with layers…add texture and type…all the extra touches.I could never live without Photoshop. If you asked me to pick one over the other, Oh my…that'd be hard. I'm so glad I don't have to choose! 

Side note: If you are not interested in Lightroom, and you own a full version of photoshop CS, then I recommend learning more about ACR and Bridge, which is a part of full photoshop's bundle.
I used to use it, but I discovered Lightroom's magic and I haven't looked back….. it's smooth and clean and the interface is just really fabulous….. (Please don't email me and tell me I'm wrong or that ACR & Bridge is better... I've tried both...and I just love Lightroom so much more... that's just my opinion....) 

There are all kinds of opinions out there. I wouldn't begin to argue them. I just know what works for me, and what I love.

::

Okie doke...that's more than enough about me for today...... 

Before I dive into the give away... I wanted to thank you for your input on a CS6 and Elements 11 class. I will be offering both.... most likely to start the end of February...early March. Registration info coming very soon.

Also if you wanna grow and stretch your photography and creativity... I'd love to see you in Beyond Beyond. It's just getting started and it's really, truly an amazing community. Click HERE for details.

Finally, registration for the next session of my Lightroom class Round Trip is now open. You can get all the details and sign up HERE. 

Give Away Time

I have another Mystery 'Something I love' Give Away today!! It's a good one.. I promise... Surprises are so much fun...What do you have to lose....  Right?

To enter, simply share a question/comment below...
I'd love to hear what you are interested in learning more about? What would you like to see more of here at the Café or maybe in an eCourse. What are your photography goals this year? Can I help in some way? Any questions that you may have...Perhaps I can post the answers in an upcoming FAQ post or on facebook. Share away.

I will announce the give away offering and the winner here on Sunday..... 

Until next time....so much gratitude...

xo,

Stop...Pause...Appreciate

Highlights, Revelations & a Give Away

Hello lovelies,

How are you? It's so good to be here. I love this space... and I'm so very grateful for it and YOU. Such a blessing.....

I wanted to share some highlights from the last ten days or so....along with a bit of a recent creative revelation.

First the highlights.

1. awhile back I asked you all to share a fav movie or tv show...and oh my gosh....  so many of you mentioned Downton Abbey.... I couldn't help but check into it.... Can I just say... THANK YOU... John and I are hooked.... totally hooked. John loves British tele.... So this was perfect. We are now on Season 3..... Sooo soo good! 

2. being featured at Kelly Rae's site as a possibilitarian was such an honour. Thank you all for the kind words. I posted here about Bryce's big 'possiblitarian' adventure.....You all are so sweet and encouraging. You know... I feel sharing our story, here with all of you....has been such a huge gift. I can honestly 'feel' the support coming our way. It's amazing what happens when you open your heart...... Sharing our stories is so powerful!

3. Bryce left on his big adventure last Tuesday. I was so nervous about it.... his first big trip.... it went perfectly. I was completely joy-filled when an email from Jason popped into my inbox at about 10:45 pm that night..... 'the package has arrived.' Deep, deep sigh. (by the way, Bryce is having an amazing time... he comes home on Friday).

4. My final highlight.... I love getting packages in the mail.... oh my gosh I made an exciting discovery....  I can now order from Anthropologie's online shop and play a flat shipping fee of $20.00. And so, I ordered a few things.
I love that buying pretty things and photographing them fits under my 'job description'. Anyhow, I shot a video.... to share with you all.... a little Anthro Love. It's down below....

Okay....

This leads me to my BIG creative revelation....... and of course...I just have to tell you about it. 'smile'

Here goes....Last year I bought an extra fancy dancy nikon..... part of the reasoning for this big purchase was I wanted to shoot lots of video. Well, I did shoot some... but not much.... For several months I've been in a rut... as far as filming goes... I just couldnt' seem to 'dive in' and do it. 

I signed up for Xanthe's Time Capsule class...thinking this might get me back in the swing of things...it's an awesome class.... but still nothing... BIG BLOCK.... paralyzed..... totally over thinking the process... 

12-12-12 came along.... I committed to filming the day... I thought this will do it for sure... this will be my new beginning. I shot the day... but ugh... nothing... no excitement... all the footage is just sitting on my mac.... I feel no desire to put it together.... quite honestly the thought of it... is just plain overwhelming. 

Xanthe and I talked through this.... Her advice has always been..... just to shoot...practice, practice, practice... She reminded me of how I felt when I first started taking pictures....It was hard! It's not immediate... you have to practice... sigh..... I'm sure she was thinking 'just get on with it already.....'

Okay so Xanthe has a new class, A Journey ....last week she asked me to take a look at the content for the first month.... It's good stuff! This got my head spinning...thinking....yearning to get on with it. We talked and talked some more about my 'issues'..... 

Here's the 2 main 'problems'. One, it's not easy..in fact shooting video with a dslr is just plain tricky...quite honestly I find my lack of know-how frustrating.... Two, I was trying to shoot what other people shoot... Talk about setting myself up for a block....

Last week, I came up with this idea to make a video.... the unwrapping of my anthro package. I mentioned the idea to Xanthe...and she was like 'brilliant...DO IT'. And so, I PROMISED I would. And guess what ... I did!! 

Here's why I finally did it...and why I loved doing it... I was shooting what I wanted to shoot... I was filming my life, my way....my passion. I LOVE pretty things... It's that simple! I know if I stick with that... bring it back to my passion, who I am, what I love...and continue to practice....I will find my way.

And so.... Xanthe, are you reading this.... ? Here's my first Journey submission. :) Anthro love.....

I know I have a long way to go... but it's a beginning.... and OH my... the Anthro package did not disappoint!

Friends.... this is true, for all of us. We have to create in order to find our way... our style.... our passion... There comes a time when we have to stop talking about it and dive in! That's how I found my way with my painting....photoshop, photography...and I believe it's exactly how I will find my way with film....... practice...shoot what I love... trust the process.

Give Away Time

Before I go... I ordered an extra red bowl, like you see above. So beautiful, don't you think? I'd love to send it to one of you ....

To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below.... perhaps a highlight from your last week or 2.... maybe your thoughts on creative blocks and how you push through... whatever you are moved to share.

I will announce the winner here...in a few days.

As always... so much gratitude....

xo,