There really isn’t anything quite like a new camera to move me to venture outdoors in cold weather as I’m not a fan of the cold. 2016-11-23-145935-editHowever, I traded in my old camera body for an updated body this past weekend and just had to test it in the field. I must say this camera is much snappier in speed with a better focusing system. The new menu organization is clearer and having a joystick now for moving the focus point is fabulous. The image quality is excellent. 2016-11-19-151611The photo on the right is straight out of the camera. For me, the small size of a Fuji X-T2 mirrorless APS-C camera is perfect. In celebration of my new equipment I created a scrapbook page with one of my first photos with the new camera. I was going to write “my new toy”, but that didn’t sound even remotely reflective of how serious I view my role as an amateur photographer.

I have been focused on creating pages for a book with most of the photos that I capture. However, I do enjoy creating artsy pages too.

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I began this page with a beautiful paper from a mini palette that Anna will be offering free with a $10 purchase this weekend, artsy paper 2 from ArtPlay MiniPalette Opacus. I duplicated the original paper which I had set on normal blend mode and changed  that copy to multiply at 25%. That added just a bit more intensity to the color.

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Next, I used the paper as a mask and blended my photo into the paper using a layer mask and brush 12 from AnnaBlendz Artsy No. 3. Anna’s artsy brushes add texture that I cannot get with a soft round brush. I changed the blend mode to linear burn allowing the texture of the paper to bleed through the photo. I duplicated that photo and applied a filter with Topaz Simplify before changing the blend mode to normal at 25%. I pieced a second photo below just enough to extend the grass to the texture border of the paper. Basically, the entire paper is the mask for my photo.

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For interest, I added the layers of psd file 3 from MultiMedia Branches No. 8. I warped the branch and shadow with the warp tool to fit the texture line in the paper. I also switched out the button and added the string and blue bow from the mini palette. I also stamped a camera brush from ArtsyCameras No. 3 and placed it at the bottom of the multimedia branch layers. With the pen tool, I created a line to follow the paper’s line and added my text.

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I don’t often have pages that come together so quickly. In this case, I think limiting myself to an artsy paper, a photo, one art play palette and psd multimedia file really helped speed my process.