Shaw Pond in Autumn

October 17th, 2011

Shaw Pond in Autumn; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

The colors seem to be past peak though still beautiful. Topaz’s Simplify filter was used to create a slight watercolor effect.

Ovation

September 18th, 2011

Ovation Standard Elite; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

My new guitar was screaming out to be photographed so I gave in and came up with this.

I owned an Ovation Balladeer since 1973 and I wanted to try a newer model of higher quality. On the Standard Elite, fretting seems far more comfortable and exact while the sound is more even across all the strings with a more defined bass compared to the older Balladeer. One drawback is that there is less projection in the Standard Elite though I do have the option of amplification since the saddle is also an electronic pickup. I’m assuming this has to do with the location, size and number of sound holes in the soundboard compared to the one large center hole in the Balladeer. It doesn’t matter as I prefer the overall sound of the Standard Elite.

Ovation Standard Elite 2; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

This image had a Fractalius layer blended with the original for texture though my reflection in the soundboard is a bit more obscured.

I played drums when I was young, playing in my high school band, but when I married, apartment living put an end to that. I wanted to still play a musical instrument as I had a deep love for music and I thought an acoustic guitar would be a good choice though I remembered the difficulty I had trying to fret chords on my brother’s guitar. A friend recommended an Ovation due to their ease of playing. I believe they were the first to have a slightly curved fretboard that was narrower than most and this combination made it easier for me to form bar chords. I always loved the feel of the roundback against my chest and stomach.

The original Ovation was developed by Charlie Kaman, an aeronautical engineer and a true out of the box thinker.

Grunged Truck

August 25th, 2011

Old Truck; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

This is an older photo taken at the Becket Quarry processed as an HDR image with the grunge effect applied.

A Simple Daisy

August 7th, 2011

Daisy; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

“The daisy’s for simplicity and unaffected air.”
Robert Burns

Unexpected Visitor

June 29th, 2011

Gentle One; copyright © reserved 2011, Richard Lovison

We had an unexpected visitor a few days ago. She came by to munch on some bird seed at the ground feeder and later took a liking to our hostas in the front yard. I was surprised how little fear she showed as I was able to get quite close with the camera. She looked so frail as she was so thin. It’s always a joy to see deer in our area as there population is so small.

I used Pixel Bender to create a more fluid feel to the deer’s hair and to create a more pleasing background.