Photo Finish

The picture at the top of the blog page is one of at least 1,637 pictures we've taken of the fountain on the Rynek. We have at least one shot in every kind of light, at every shutter speed imaginable, with subjects and without. The same holds true for pictures taken from our front balcony of the Tumski - and the Odra River that passes just in front our our apartment (or flat if you want to sound European).

Because of our shutter-happy fingers we are now faced with the daunting task of making sense of all of our pictures.

First things first...set up keywords for rapid-fire searches. Word to the wise...when setting up keywords it is essential you think it through carefully or you will end up with a mish mash of nonsense. For instance, "Flowers and Trees", "Birds in Trees", "Landscapes" vs "Cityscapes",

"Berlin w/ Michael", "Berlin w/ the Girls". Let's face it, Berlin is Berlin regardless of who I was with. So I then embarked on round two of keyword Twister. Because of user error and user stupidity this repeat process took up the majority of at least a full week.

Now we sort through and trash pictures that really aren't of historical or artistic value. Another word to the wise...you can do that process during the keyboard Twister phase to save yourself yet another week, i.e., user stupidity.

You then move into the crop and photoshop phase to make each picture not only a lasting memory but one worthy of inclusion in the Guggenheim. Therein lies another problem. I could do simple cropping and lighting adjustments but I've discovered all the joys of Photoshop so when I run across just the perfect picture I have to do things like this...

Not satisified with just a picture of Michael feasting on a Polish barbeque I have to merge two pictures into one and add a frame. Being somewhat new to Photoshop that requires periodic review of multiple reference books. There goes another hour of interruption to the once simple crop and trash phase of the picture sorting process.

Because Craig and I prefer to capture angles, or features, or flowers or building reflections how does one handle pictures like these:

(Taken in Berlin - but does it really belong in the Berlin folder)??

Or what about this one:

(Don't you love the canvas texture?) This was taken at the Botantical Garden in Wrocław on the aforementioned Tumski. Oh my gosh...I just realized this picture was placed in a photoframe - there goes another 15 minutes!

With 500 pictures taken in Paris alone I think you might be getting an idea of my picture dilemma. But first is another great example of pictures we love to take but make my feeble brain crazy trying to categorize them.

This was taken during our Paris Photography tour. Isn't it great? Since I'm sorting / editing / trashing pictures chronologically it will be awhile before I get to this shot. I'm still working on Berlin (with Michael) and that was July 2008. Paris was May 2009.

This weekend a person new to Wrocław asked me how I keep busy. Hmmmmm....taking pictures of fountains, churches on the Tumski, angles and flowers and trees AND THEN trying to make sense of it all. Any bets I will be done by October? Bear in mind I just discovered something real cool in Microsoft and it might tear me away from my photography sorting.

Life Lesson number one: When walking barefoot, carrying a glass bottle of some cheap wine or beer on the cobblestone streets of Wrocław it is wise to not be insanely drunk at the time.

Yesterday during one of my walks Oliver and I happened upon a very drunk, very bloody "street" person begging for money from people enjoying their lunch at an outdoor cafe. Good thing the alcohol numbed the pain.

This is actually a picture of a street artist in Berlin and not any part of Life Lesson number one. Not edited....what folder does this one belong in???

Spread some sunshine today!