I’ve made a concentrated effort this week to look at non-selfportrait photos. Being in the 365 days group on Flickr, that can be difficult to do. But it seems to be worth it.

16 favorites, 03/16/07nichole_e.


1. Running for the Plane. Rockford loves Legos, which has given me a soft spot for the little plastic fellas. I love how travel-weary this guy looks as he rushes to make his flight.

2. Behold the power of monkey cake. The expressions on those boys’ faces is priceless. The one on the left looks almost frightened of the cake monkey.

3. Day One Hundred Fifty-Three: Connection. I like the way the intimacy in this photo is apparent even while the camera maintains its distance. And the angle is cool, too.

4. 9. This one has great colors, and there’s something about that barrel that I like.

5. Untitled. Poppy loves balloons, and I really liked the vibrancy of this.

6. 36: Time to get serious. This is an older self-portrait from one of my favorite Flickr folks. Reluctant Suburbanite’s photos are always dramatic and well-framed. And she’s lovely and nice to boot.

7. Once again. I love the treatment on this. It looks like a painting. I’d love to know how he did it!

8. …middle of the road, you see the darndest things… This is just too cool.

9. 141: Dance like nobody is watching. Another Reluctant Suburbanite. I like the lines and the sentiment.

10. nightlight.jpg. This is a great, romantic fairytale set-up. I’d imagine it took some time to put together.

11. Spatz’s. My Aunt Judy makes some great garlic toast with Spatz’s. Mmmmm… garlic toast and cheese dip …

12. Old Flint (HDR). Great, dramatic sky.

13. Saginaw Train Bridge. Again, I love the sky here, and I love the composition.

14. sharpie_m!ffy. The story behind this makes me laugh.

15. desert.wind. I want to make a tutu like this for Pi.

16. Day 96: There’s a reason for the world… Officially a Mom is another one of my favorites. Her photos — particularly the family shots — have so much heart.

I’ve been having much fun with my new Photoshop actions from Nichole V.

(Hello Rockford! I bought those Photoshop actions I told you about! Wheeee!)

I’ve spent Poppy’s entire naptime today playing with them. I’m far from proficient with them yet, but they’re still producing pretty awesome results.

The first example is a picture I took of Amy in the summer of 2005. Amy’s hair was (and is) red to begin with, but I love the way the “color pop” effect made it so very flaming red.

My first day of school

This photo is from my first day of school. Aren’t I adorable? Anyway, the picture on the left is the original, taken by my mom (I think). The one on the right is the processed version. I’m not much taller than that today.

Sleepy J, 1983

This photo is the only documented case of my brother, Justin, actually sitting still and not talking. The photo on the top is my dad’s original (nice depth of focus, Dad!), and the one on the bottom is what I did to it today. I might try to do a little color processing on that one later. I think it loses its warmth in black and white.

Boat, two ways

And this, as the title suggests, is a boat. I took the photo last summer in Baudette, MN. I liked this a lot before I processed it. I like it even more now.

Alison from Musings of an Accident-Prone Chicagoan tipped me off to an excellent way to manufacture a secret identity. If we should ever disappear and you’d like to find us, just look out for Crusty, Goober and Stinky Lickinchunks.

The following is excerpted from a children’s book, Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants, by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names.

1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:

a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:
a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = dotty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle

3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g = pan ts
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice