A Return to a Fine Dutch Seller

Saturday, February 22, 2013
      (Sunny, milder, and very very windy)

A Return to a Fine Dutch Seller

   If you read my earlier post today, I wrote about improving my blog. In it, I wrote that to keep writing you have to have a very positive outlook, and always try to improve your blog. A positive mindset is important because you aren't always going to have 500 page-view days and for improving my blog, you definitely have to be motivated. If you search out most toy blogs, there is minimal writing or too much, and the level of photography can vary from poor to excellent. Also, many bloggers will stop writing altogether, or simply reduce the number of posts that they add in a year.

   I've been trying to keep a high level of photography, and I always the ask guest on my blog if I may have their permission to photo-edit their photos. I never change the toy, but I will change the surrounding area around the toy, the colour balance, the contrast and so forth.

    I've written about today's guest, Mr. Frederick Pals before. In fact, his first post that I did was in fact adjusting his photos. Frederick's "trademark" on ebay is to always include a book about antiques, with photos in the background of his toy photographs. When I first presented Frederick's fine toys, I decided to change how I presented the toys. I'd remove the colour from the book page, as well as that of the foundation. For those who don't know, a foundation is a photographic term for what an item (usually a product) is resting on. 

Frederick's original post were added on December 17th and 19th in 2013.

Please click here for the December 17th, 2013 post

Please click here for the December 19th, 2013 post

The above photo is from the current ebay listing.

I didn't do anything to it, but add the description, the watermark, and the copyright notice.

The photo above is another nice photo, 

and again a straightforward screen-capture without any modifications.

Here, I've adjusted the exposure and improved the details 

in the highlights (bright areas) and shadows (dark areas)

Here, I adjusted the details (highlight and shadows even more,

and removed  Frederick's "trademark" book in the background.

And finally, for this photo I darkened the overall image (underexposed),

and then dodged (lightened up specific areas) of the car, 

to simulate light streaking through tree leaves. 

Notice how (unfortunately), the colour in the yellow areas has become more intense.

I purposely left it like that to illustrate that the photo-editing software is not always 100% perfect.

I like this effect, and so I've added the remainder of the photos in this style. I first presented this style recently for an excellent scene builder for model railroads in the O gauge. I felt that his exceptional work would look better under a simulated night mood, as well as enhance certain of his most interesting features of his work.

The photos were adjusted in the photo-editing software, but the same effect could be done when you take the original photos. All you have to use are small little mirrors or reflective silver cardboard that can be purchased at art supply stores. I personally get mine when I buy slabs of smoked salmon up here in Montreal. The silver cardboard is used to keep the side of salmon firm and flat on the board when you remove slices from the board.

Lighting is one of the most important factors in quality photography and you can see how simply adding some brighter highlights, called specular highlights, makes the photo more appealing

 (at least from my point-of-view).

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

You can write to me anytime at:

toysearcher@gmail.com