stuff123

To create different moods in my blogs, I find myself adjusting photographs to be used as a better match for the template or subject matter. Having spent some years working in the marketing department of a large paint manufacture, I learned enough about the colour wheel to know what I like better.

The graphics you see below are arranged in the reverse sequence in which they were altered. The original is at the bottom.

Using Microsoft Office Picture Manager (Photoshop and others will be an even better choice), we first reduced the image size to 400 x 300 pixels and cropped if necessary to get this size (the actual images here were uploaded using a setting of small-centered in another editor which reduced them to 200 x 150 and used a minor adjustment in HTML to shift the images up 30 pixels).

The second image, from the bottom, was achieved by adjusting the colour to the orange range and increasing both hue and saturation.

Number 3 is the result of increasing contrast and reducing mid tones.

Number 4 is repeating the procedure in the second image but shifting the colour to the red range.

Number 5 is repeating the procedure in 4 but shifting the colour to red.

Number 6 is repeating 2 in the blue range.

The last image, here at the top is the result of increasing contrast and mid tones. Virtually all of the detail is gone. The levels are all a matter of personal taste but usually extreme shifts are required to get a dramatic change.

As an experiment in seeing how importing graphics into this editor from another, note the following. No matter what setting we tried they aligned hard left. The shifting of each graphic was done by adjusting horizontal spacing settings by 30 60 90 60 30 0 (sequence from top to bottom). The original photograph was changed to a size of 300 x 225 and given a vertical spacing of 30 and a border of 20. This may help you in positioning a graphic if you use this editor which I believe is wordpress via Today.com. Experimentation is the best way to handle shifting. In another article, we will take some photographs and attempt a collage effect by adjusting the horizontal and vertical settings and also experimenting with HTML.

Here’s some ways in which these graphics can be used. Firstly, a lot of them can be imported into Paint and overlay bold type or webdings to change the title approach from the template.

The template in this blog is somewhat conservative—navy, grey, orange, black and white. That makes 3, 6 & 7 more suitable. (Numbering from bottom to top).

If you were writing a story about global warming, then 3 and five might make a good choice to help set the mood. Writing is nothing more than painting pictures with words. Selective use of the proper picture helps set the tone just as the right colour helps set the mood in a painting.

Go ahead and try it. It’s not very difficult. Just remember to save with different names. A simple way is to just add a number on the end for each change.