hello.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

i know many photographers are adverse to using actions on their photos, and in many cases i quite agree, but sometimes it’s great to play with effects to enhance the mood of a shot.

i especially love to play with actions and other PS effects when i’m feeling less than inspired. it can be quite encouraging to take a photo that you originally find okay and turn it into something that you really find interesting.

if you are looking for some interesting actions to download, Smashing Magazine recently posted a rather comprehensive list of useful photoshop actions.

we stayed up all night to watch the results today and we were not disappointed! we are so thrilled that Obama will be the 44th President of America. admittedly, i was worried. i’d seen what happened 4 years ago when i was so sure that Bush could never be re-elected. this time around though, the results did not only excite me, but allowed me to let out a deep sigh of relief. thank goodness!

thank you to all Americans who voted for Obama. thank you for giving me, a non-US citizen, hope for the future of the US and the world in turn. thank you for restoring my faith in America again – the America i dreamed of as a child.

now, it’s time for bed.

since i am not a US citizen i can’t vote. however that doesn’t mean i haven’t been following the US elections closely (and some may say even obsessively), nor does it mean the votes cast by the american people don’t affect me. the fact is that america is a powerful nation and it has a huge affect on the rest of the world – whether the rest of the world likes it or not.

if i had the right to vote in the US, without a doubt, my vote would be for Obama. so i’m sitting, with my hands tied, and hoping that the american people will get it right this time (i’m sorry, but you guys made a rather big boo-boo 4 years ago) and vote for the best candidate – Obama.