After writing "Mall Makeover" and figuring out that I needed to start with an image, I went right to Google Image and searched for 'sexy secretary'. Oddly enough the picture of the guy is one of the first to come up. As a goof I decided to add that in. I later found the sex little image at the bottom. It was perfect as both images were set on a white background. I go the idea of having the text wrap around the images instead of being locked up in their own block'o'text. At this time, I didn't have a good way to do this, so I manually typed in each line, and added spaces in to push the text around. I now have a much easier way to to this in Photoshop using the custom text path, but at the time that took forever. The nice thing is that I could get the text EXACTLY where I wanted it. I hate to say it but I'm particularly proud of the way the text wraps around both his and her feet.
I can see I was still playing around with font styles. This isn't a font I generally use as I find it a little more difficult to read. Once the text was in place, I just added the border and called it a cap.
The response was funny, as Dementia immediately called out my use of Vandelay (from Seinfeld... yes that episode was on the TV as I wrote this and I stole the name from there!). I figured her calling me out on that deserved another fun cap so I quickly made the sequel:
I didn't search for these images as I had copies on my hard drive from earlier... use. But I really wanted them to look like poloroids. Being that I didn't know the exact proportions of a poloroid, I searched on google images to find a picture of a real poloroid photo. I then just pathed it out in photoshop and dropped the photos into the blank space.
I also had a comment about DeeDee taking 'Dictation' so I just had to add that last line in.
You were one person that REALLY stood out in my mind from the 1st caption you had posted. I know you aren't as prolific as many on here, but that is due to how much of a perfectionist you are and how everything has to be "just so" before you'll post.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you decided to make a blog and show the rest of the people who aren't on Rachel's Haven how awesome your work is. Just make sure that you continue to be involved in the discussions on MY BLOG. I don't want to have to put you over my knee or anything!
Thanks Dee!
ReplyDeleteYea, I let that 'perfectionist' aura get in the way to often. It doesn't stop me once I start making a cap (there it helps me make the cap be everything it can be!), but it does stop me from starting a cap fairly often. I still struggle with it.
I wish I was as prolific as many are on the Haven. I'm not sure it is just that aura, but a combination of not feeling inspired, real life issues (school/family/work/friends...) and other things.
And if you want to ensure me posting more on your blog, then you really shouldn't entice me with a spanking for NOT posting!
Sweet and to the point. Of course, I like good miniature stories too. But this cap didnt need anything else. Nice.
ReplyDeleteVery nice cap Caitlyn! I have to go to the Haven later and comment on it. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't want to repeat what Dee said but I completely agree with her. Your very first cap already showed a very clean style and a perfect story.
I think what really shows is that you make the caps unique and absolutely fitting for the receiver. When you made the first cap for me I was like "wow ... did we have a beer together last night and I told you only about what I like in caps recently?"
I always have to go look when there is a new Caitlyn-masked cap. :) By the way, this cap is awesome. Perfect style, perfect story ... awesome. :)
And Dee. I saw you never commented on MY BLOG. I guees you are the one that has to be put over the German ladies knee! ;)
Martha
@ Martha
ReplyDeleteSince I sort of helped bring Caitlyn into the Haven, I've been very protective of her. HENCE, I am encouraging her to come out of her shell. Commenting is one way to do that.
You however, you Teutonic tramp, need no inducement to let your inner slut out in all its glory!
@Dee
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest I still find commenting to be a little hit or miss for me. Sometimes I can do it, but most of the time I can't.
When I started in photo school, I was introduced to 'The Critique'. It is nothing more than critiquing someone's work to help them become better. I had a group of friends that got together and the day before a project was due, we would all show off and explain our work (just like we would have to do in front of our instructors). We quickly learned that we needed to be completely honest, and almost harsh in our critiques. It wasn't enough to just say "I like it"... you had to be ready to explain WHAT you liked about it. And unless you thought it was completely perfect, you had better be able to say what you DIDN'T like about it. Again "I don't like it", or "it could be better" wouldn't cut it.
The first time I had one of the teachers lay in to me on an something that I thought was good enough... well I damn near came to tears. I couldn't believe the way he ripped apart something that I had thought was good enough. There was no detail spared. No mistake was small enough to not warrant him pointing it out, how I made the mistake, how I should have done it, and why I didn't pay attention to it. When I walked out of the class (oh... did I mention that this was in front of the entire class?) I was sure that I was going to fail. I had just set my sights to high, and photography was not for me.
I got an A.
He later explained that work that could pass as a professional's effort, would get a good grade. But at no time would that mean they are perfect. There is no piece of art that can't be improved upon. And the more that philosophy was beaten into us, the more our work improved. My friends and I (wanting to be better) decided the best way to help ourselves was to mimic "The Critique" in ourselves, but also each other. We got really good at catching things before the film was even exposed because we knew if any little mistake or sloppiness showed up, we would get hit in the critique.
The sad effect is, that now a days whenever I look at anything artistic, I am mentally going through "The Critique". And my initial reaction is always to let that out. When I became a manager at a photo company, I figured my employees could really use "The Critique". Not that their work needed improvement, but if they could improve it they would feel better about themselves, and our products would get that much better.
After I inadvertently made the first gal quit, I realized that "The Critique" isn't for everyone. I love it. I need it. And I have made it part of myself. But not everyone can use it, and most people take it as a bad thing.
When I look at caps on the Haven (and I look at almost every single cap made in the 'you cap me i cap you' area), "The Critque" is what is going on in my head. My first impulse is always to post with that. I know better than to do that with someone that I don't know in person, and who is making caps recreationally. So I hold off. But without that I am left with 'Good Job', and 'I like it'. I can only post that so many times before I feel that I am lying. That's the insidious part. It wouldn't be a lie at all. If I hit the reply button at all, then I already like it, and think that they did a good job.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the caps I've seen, I have exactly ZERO that I don't like in one way or another. Photo, story, layout.... something piques my interest and makes me happy to have seen it. But I just can't keep saying 'Good job' and 'I like it' without feeling that I am letting the artist (and myself) down. So more often than not, I just don't post.
Plus as you probably noticed.... When I write, I don't stop until I am sure that everything I intended to say has been said. That generally means I get really wordy. REALLY wordy. That too is something I avoid on the Haven, and therefore tend to avoid commenting.
But I'll keep trying.
Speaking of wordiness... I had to break this comment up into two separate comments, as it was to long!