Arranged Delirium

I’ve posted previously about my love for the new content-aware fill and healing brush features in Photoshop CS5. I’ve had some time now to work with them, and I have a bit more knowledge about what works well and what doesn’t. Of course, there are many tutorials online that have great examples; but what if you want to do something a bit more challenging?

I’ve had an image I’ve wanted to improve for years now - since 2004. It’s a photo of Shiprock on the Navajo rez in NW New Mexico. Here it is:

If you look closely, you’ll see the image is marred by a fencepost as well as a series of high-capacity power lines. (I admit, they are harder to see at this smaller resolution - but they are there if you look for them.)

Anyway, I increased the resolution of the image and used the content-aware fill feature to address the power lines. I also did a bit of work on the fencing, but addressed that primarily through cropping and re-compositioning the image. Here’s the end result:

The content-aware fill feature works remarkably well in some environments, but not necessarily with the dramatic gradations of these storm clouds. I was able to make it work though by selecting and filling smaller sections, and then using the healing brush tool to blend the modifications. In the end - and at a screen resolution - I think it works well. And, I think the content-aware feature is still amazing. But it doesn’t magically fix any photo as some Web content would have you believe : )

I’ll add this image to my gallery collection which is now active and accessibly via my web site and this blog.

One nice thing about being an academic is that every seven years (hopefully) we get to enjoy a sabbatical. This is a time away from teaching where we get to focus on our other work: research, course development, reading, etc. I’m fortunate enough to be entering this period right now. So, I won’t be teaching again until January of 2011. Sweet!

What will I be working on, you ask? Well, I have a number of projects I’d like to finish - too many really. So I need to try to focus on limiting my work. Aside from finishing a few things that are hanging around, I want to take my new work in three directions:

• Publications - I have several articles I need to wrap up and an edited text I’m hoping to start work on.
• Web Design Text - different than my research, this is a title that would be useful for web development courses
• Course Development - specifically, I’m going to develop a mobile applications design/development course
• Photography - I have thousands of images that need my attention, and I’m looking to spend some time with this creative work

So what does this mean for Arranged Delirium? A couple of things. First, I’ll likely post about fun things more than regular technology developments; and second, I’ll probably post less often for a bit. I’ll also likely take this time to re-design the site and update the server software on the back end.

As a follow-up to my earlier post and a display of my Geekdom, I present to you the soliloquy of Sir Patrick Stewart. (a.k.a. Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise during the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. Five Stars.)

OK - technically it’s not a soliloquy, but an interview from the PBS documentary Digital Nation...but still. I agree with absolutely everything he says, and that is an extremely rare circumstance. He must be brilliant! In all seriousness, I appreciate his critical views on technology, along with his exuberant appreciation for the positive elements it brings.

I’m often asked to recommend image editing software, especially given the expense of Photoshop. My answers vary depending upon what is available when I’ve been asked; but Pixelmator has been a fairly consistent recommendation. It’s matured nicely. Truthfully, it would be my editor of choice, with the exception of a few strategic tools (like healing brushes) that makes Photoshop something I just can’t live without. Oh, and it’s Mac only, which means it isn’t an option for many…

But if you are looking for an affordable image editing application, you can’t beat it - Pixelmator is available for $59 online, and less if you buy through Amazon. Michael Roach has authored a review here of what’s been updates in the new version.

While the Oil Spill (yes, it deserves to be capitalized) in the Gulf is a horrendous tragedy and not something to make light of, I have been able to find some comfort by making fun of BP. Here’s a funny video from UCB Comedy that does a good job of relating how we all must feel (warning - you might want to keep the volume down on this one due to language at the end):