FX
I’ve been hearing sirens annoying close since 4:00 AM this morning. There are a lot of problems. I think the best solution is to stay home and stay naked.
Plenty of times, I’ve had to do a shoot with less-than-optimal resources. I’ve shot against bare concrete walls, in dim light with a single bulb, and in places where we all needed a shower afterward. I usually can make almost anything work. That doesn’t necessarily mean I like all the photos. Seven (really? seven?) years ago, we did a shoot here at the house because it was cold, wet, and rainy outside. I hung up a couple of sheets to use as a backdrop, and then, for reasons I really don’t recall, I asked the model to hang from a chin-up bar. For the few images I processed, I simply smoothed out the color of the backdrop and ran with it. The results were, in my opinion, boring.
This is where I feel AI makes a good addition to my bag of tricks. I like the model and I like the poses. She did a great job and given that she moved to Florida and had a baby, I’m pretty sure I’ll not get to work with her again. AI gives us the chance to replace the boring background with one that is at least a bit more interesting.
For comparison, here’s a RAW, unedited image from the set:
While AI gives us a lot of choices, I chose to go with fantasy-styled themes that invoke a lot of vines. This, hopefully, gives the impression that, even though you can’t see her hands, she’s hanging from something solid and not just running around with her hands in the air. Of course, that means doing a lot of post work to make sure the model and the background work together. Ugh. Nothing ever comes as easy as one might think. This certainly isn’t a one-button solution. Still, in my opinion, the images are more interesting than a plain background. Let me know if you agree.
Sure, it’s supposed to be the Spring (Vernal) Equinox but does it feel like it? No, of course not. Even though the air temperature is 52 degrees Fahrenheit, the wind in Central Indiana is so strong that it stings. My eyes were watering just letting the dogs out for a moment. I can’t imagine even the hardiest of fae dancing around a fire in this weather. In fact, it’s really not safe to have an open flame with this wind. There will be other days for nudity and fire. This is one to stay inside wrapped in a blanket. The only fire should be in a fireplace with a big ol’ hound dog on the rug in front of it.
And what is an equinox? It’s when the hours of daylight and hours of night are twelve hours each. Kind of. Not really. Let Neil deGrasse Tyson explain:
Morning Update: 04/24/24
Before you ask, no she’s not smoking, and those are giraffe spots she colored onto her arm. Her Grandpa asked what she wanted for her birthday and it arrived yesterday. She’s beyond excited and plans to wear it to some luncheon at school. This is the reality going on inside my daughter’s head. There’s not a damn thing anyone can do to control it. They would be fools to try. She is unique and chooses to express herself through what she wears. Anyone having a problem with that needs to talk to me.
The rain kept me in a very blase mood yesterday. I had enough to write another post, but I couldn’t make myself do it. I did look at some apartments and made arrangements to look at a couple of them tomorrow, but they both expect one to make 3X the rent, which is absolutely laughable. Everything else about them is workable, but Social Security controls what I make. I don’t get any say in the matter.
The Senate passed the ban on TikTok last night, so now it will be interesting to see if the President puts an imaginary danger in front of free speech. Let me repeat: there is ZERO evidence that the owners of TikTok have any method for transferring user details to the Chinese government. And who the fuck is posting such information on TikTok in the first place? Actually, I could ask who in their right mind is posting on TikTok at all. However, I know a number of brands are deeply invested in the platform as part of their marketing plan. This is going to be another matter that drags its way through the courts, taking up time over an issue that has no viable evidence behind it.
The Senate also passed the funding bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The wars will go on because the US just doesn’t know how to exist anymore without being in the middle of someone else’s war. We’ve been this way since the end of WWII. Our government saw how war is an economic boon and decided to make it part of our existence. We went from Germany to Korea to Vietnam to the Persian Gulf to Iraq to Afghanistan to Ukraine, and now Israel and Iran. None of it makes any sense. We now do incredible amounts of business with Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. The mission for the latter two was never achieved. Communists are still in power. In fact, one could argue that the Korean situation is worse now than it was in 1954. But hey, it makes money, so you can bet our government is going to make sure peace never actually arrives.
In another round of “Politicians Be Stupid,” Georgia’s governor signed a bill yesterday stating that parents must consent for minors to sign up for social media. They also copied the Texas law about showing proof of age for porn. Shall we note the number of Constitutional and realistic problems with this stupid law?
Politicians have never been the brightest bunch of low-watt bulbs in the box. Yet, we seem to have elected a group that would rather yell about their moral expectations of others and follow those morals for themselves. And would should all be extremely mindful that, as of this week, this Congress has passed fewer than 60 bills, whereas the average for this time in the process would normally have more than 350 bills to its name. They have no sense of why we elected them, why we sent them to Congress, and what the fuck they’re supposed to be doing up there. None of them deserve to be re-elected, but I don’t think we, as alleged adults, have the common sense to elect anyone any better. All any of them are going to do is stand there and babble like baboons.
Meanwhile, I need a new place to live. Do you think I can rent a small parcel of land and just dig myself a hole? I’m beginning to think that might be a better idea. Or, perhaps the world will just blow us up to get rid of this invasive species.
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