Video: Requiem For A Day Off

This has got to be one of the best mashups i’ve ever seen. Be sure to watch the entire thing, it’s completely changes the feel of the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Brilliant!

As first seen on Kontraband.

GAME: Bingo Bango! Photoshop your buddy

Here’s how the game works. First, and foremost, there’s a certain sense of boredom that plays a huge factor in the conceptualization of the images. Secondly, there’s also gotta be a lull in work, or a downtime. Lastly there’s that silent “wait until they open their e-mail” factor you have to be ready for… or in some cases when it’s just too good to be true, a little prod of “hey, buddy, you should probably check your mail” will suffice.

Rules:

Rule 1: All images must be SFW (Safe for work), unless you plan on sending these to a personal e-mail address of the Bingo Bango victim.
Rule 2: Search, scour and google creative keywords to find the funniest pictures.
Rule 3: Build a network, share the images you create in the workplace with other co-workers, just keep the spam to a minimum.
Rule 4: No holds barred. Be creative!
Rule 5: BE LIGHTHEARTED! This is just to help the time in the day pass, and it’s a great way to learn some quick photoshop tips and tricks!
Rule 6: And the most important rule of them all… do NOT neglect your work. Thanks!

Artist: Luke Hodsdon (e-mail)
Title: Art Director
Company: Churm Media (link)

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Artist: Brandon Jaime (e-mail)
Title: Graphic Designer
Company: Churm Media (link)

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Please, feel free to comment this page with your own workplace Bingo Bango’s! Some comments may await moderation, but i will be sure to get them up! (sorry, had a bad spam problem so i had to moderate)

Play Balloonacy!

»ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALL BALLOONANCY PARTICIPANTS: I’m going to be frequently checking my page, if your balloon happens to be on my page at the time i’m checking i’ll be sure to give you a 5x boost! Good luck, and good race!

Tutorial: Using Black & White points in Photoshop to clear up an underexposed picture

Tutorial - Photoshop Levels trick - Black and White point photo enhancementsAt my current day to day job I use this technique religiously. It’s fast, easy and extremely effective when trying to achieve better quality photos for print and online. In the following Adobe Photoshop tutorial I’ll walk you though a quick (less than a minute once you learn the steps) process on how to brighten up those dull, dark photos you’ve been sent from your clients… or in my case, taken with your poor digital camera.

The following tutorial was done in Adobe Photoshop CS3, but 80% of the process can be used on just about any program with a “Levels” function (such as the freeware, open source image editing software, GIMP) while the last 20% can be done all the way back to Photoshop CS1 (this is the black overlay feature achieved by holding the ‘option’ or ‘alt’ key in levels).

» TIP: IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO MAKE DUPLICATES OF YOUR LAYERS IN CASE YOU NEED TO GO BACK IF YOU MAKE A FATAL MISTAKE.

Tutorial - Photoshop Levels trick - Black and White point photo enhancements

Step 1:

Open the file you wish to adjust and open the Levels adjustment window » SHORTCUT: COMMAND+L (pc users: CTRL+L). This will bring up your image’s histogram and the palette where this tutorial will focus. Locate the white point slider as seen above.

Tutorial - Photoshop Levels trick - Black and White point photo enhancements

Step 2:

One of the best features of this tutorial is built right in to Photoshop CS1+. While on the white point slider, press and hold OPTION (pc users: ALT) and begin scrubbing the bar left and right. This will give you a black overlay over your image. If you’re using an older version of Photoshop or a different program you can skip to step 4.

» NOTE: THIS FEATURE WILL ONLY WORK IF YOUR IMAGE IS IN RGB MODE.

» TIP: USING ADJUSTMENT LAYERS IS A GREAT WAY TO INSURE THAT YOU DON’T RUIN YOUR ORIGINAL FILES. THIS IS CALLED “WORKING NON-DESTRUCTIVELY”. IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL FILES INTACT FOR FUTURE PROJECTS, OR TO RETURN TO A PREVIOUS STATE IF YOUR ADJUSTMENT LAYERS AREN’T WORKING FOR YOUR DESIGN ANYMORE.

STRIKE in Orange County premier opening

Luke and Kristen at STRIKE bowling alley - Photobooth, Take 1Luke and Kristen at STRIKE bowling alley - Photobooth, Take 2Hey look! It’s a me (the man) and a Kristen (the occasional woman) behind the ninethreestudio posts! The man, and sometimes the occasional woman, behind these lovely blog posts. (EDIT: After re-reading this, i realized this almost made it sound like i was an occasional woman. It made me laugh, so i decided to leave it in to show you just how my hamster-on-a-wheel brain works, enjoy.) Where you ask? Ohh, in a photo booth…. okay, okay. STRIKE bowling alley in Orange County had some hoopla event grand opening thing hosted by Lauren Conrad. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Lots of people, free food, booze and bowling… ho hum ho hum…. and now the good stuff. Justice, from American Gladiators… yeah, he was there. I’m not the shortest guys in the world, and he still towered over me. I got all giddy and told Kristen, “Look, there’s that huge dude from American Gladiators!”, then the glaze over of uninterest, but i didn’t let it phase me. haha.

Photo of the… #14

Kristen Schott and FrankieWell, sadly i didn’t quite make it to the 2 week, 14 day straight mark. I had to go out of town this weekend and my job has been keeping me pretty busy. So, in hopes to get back ON the wagon, or ride the white snake as the kids are calling nowadays (source: unfounded), i’m posting a new photo of the day that yours truly actually took. Lazy sunday lying in bed. Kristen with Frankie. Yes, Frankie is a girl. i named her after Frank “Old Blue Eyes” Sinatra.

My childhood, revisited!! Legos and NES!

Lego NES - Duck HuntRemember that whole thing about me being kind of a geek… well this is like my holy grail. As a kid i always used to play with Legos, i never bough the pre-make stuff, it was always the bucket. So i was never short of imagination (clearly short of friends though). When my fingertips hurt from pushing against all the sharp corners it was cleary time to go massage them on an old NES controller. Something about the 80′s and their block, non-ergonomic designing. Enjoy… just as i did!! THANKS GEEKOLOGIE!!

Lego NES - CastlevaniaLego NES - Excite BikeLego NES - Mortal KombatLego NES - Contra

Submit: How to create a CD cover.

Abduzeedo has added an awesome post about a fun, creative way to create a CD cover. After i read this post i got addicted, neglected work, and did about 6 of these things… 3 of which actually came to fruition.

Here’s the steps….

Do you know when saw that new band cd and thought: “how in the world did they think of that”? Well, someone out there figured out the equation, and man, it’s really fun.

And what equation is that? Simple:

1. Click HERE. The random article title will be your band’s name.
2. Click HERE. The last 4 words of the last quote will form the name of your album.
3. Click HERE. The third picture, whatever it is, will be your cd cover.

Done! Now you got the formula to make some funny, yet great albums. I’ve actually made about 6 last night, and my favorite, by far, is this one.

So. following these easy steps, Here’s what i came up with.
PLEASE feel free to follow these steps and submit your own. it’s addicting, and fun! see what kinds of covers YOU can come up with!

CD Cover - City Upon A HillCD Cover - Moor ParkCD Cover - Sophomore Jinx

Photo of the… #13

Ohhhh how fitting that my #13 photo of the… would be on a night when i’m just thoroughly run down… need sleep… need sleep…. (i had to correct about 10 typos in this tiny tiny sentence)

“and now we dance…” ohh Mike Meyers, you so crazy….

Stuck In Customs - Ocean Cave

Another perfect photo from my default, go to guy, amazing photographer… Stuck in Customs!

Photo of the… #12

Jill Greenberg - The ManipulatorI was doing some browsing of my blogroll and got stuck on Jill Greenberg – The Manipulator’s website… again.

The portraits are so perfect.

Her portfolio is completely stacked with huge named actors and actresses that she’s worked with. This particular image just struck me. The framing is perfect, the colors are vibrant and the lighting is stark and crisp. Great contender for my Photo of the…

To the next big thing…. onward!

Blogging from da streets, yo!

Blogging Gang SignsI thought this was one of the funniest things i’d seen in a while, granted i’m kind of a nerd… i even signed them over the cubicle at my co-worker to describe to him what i was looking at. I didn’t want to spoil it with just SHOWING him the picture!

Thanks SwissMiss via one+infinity

The “Cans” Festival 2008

The Cans Festival 2008 - Sidewalk ViewHarumph! Europe gets all the fun stuff! This year’s “Cans” Festival was help under Waterloo station and was an orgy of art. Artist from all over could come and leave their mark on the walls and sidewalks. Take up a paint bruch, spray can, markers, pretty much anything you can find and go to town. There was even a guy playing a piano in the tunnel! Art is a boundless medium.

Thanks Justin for another great post over at Big Head Design. Next year we plan the trip to Euoropeville and get OUR mark on the streets… literally!

The Cans Festival 2008 - Arial Sidewalk ViewThe Cans Festival 2008 - Mindcontrol artThe Cans Festival 2008 - Piano player in the tunnel

Photo of the… #11

Flickr - CTRL-F5 Black EyeFeeling in a destructive mood, i decided to post this nice little shiner for the photo of the day. Yup, one more for the books. Buying myself an exotic sixxer when i get a full 2 weeks worth. then i’ll have some quality posts. HAHA.

Great image from Flickr user CTRL-F5. Thanks.

For some reason this is the only photo i like of myself, i think its the colors that i like. I use this pic in most of my profile photos on all the sites i am a member of, and to answer everyone’s question.. No it is not photoshopped, it is real.
I gained this magnificent shiner just before xmas 2002, which isnt the best time to get facial bruising.

A drunk guy tried to start an argument with me on my way home from work (i was sober). After walking away from him he (or a friend) hit me with his car, my head hit the windscreen and this is the result. Fortunately this was the only damage i got.. I think i must a thick head and legs.

And a follow up five days later (after a shave)

Artist Spotlight: Andrzej Dragan

Andrzej Dragan, a quantum physics expert, from Warsaw, 30…. yeah… he’s 30! Getting multiple accommodations and prestiges, this young artist if spilling from the brim with skill. His photography has a very unique quality to it that’s sure to be emulated, replicated and stolen. But isn’t that when you know you’ve made it as an artist? The point where people want to have “your style” and their works are just “Dragan-like”. I know it’s my goal as an artist. Maybe i’m a special snowflake… nah!

Dragan uses and extremeness quality to his photographs, capturing extreme contrast while maintaining quality of light and shadow. Most of these works look like some sort of HDR hybrid, not quite HDR, but all the qualities of lighting found within them. Busyboo has posted a quick 10 step tutorial showing how to try to emulate this process for use on your own photography (see, once you’re good, people want to look like you)

So, if you’ve got an extra couple thousand dollars lying around littering the very ground you walk on, you too can be the owner of your very own Dragan print. Hell, at that price tag he’ll probably even sign it and seal it with the blood of his firstborn. Well… maybe just the signature.

Ohh, and P.S. his website is AMAZING! runs a bit slow in full screen, but other than that it’s one sick display of photography!

Thanks Abduzeedo for the Best of link!

Photo of the… #10

HDR - Blue Lagoon - Stuck in CustomsThanks again to another stunning HDR photograph from Stuck in Customs. I can’t seem to get enough of the photos on Trey Ratcliff’s website.

10 for 10. Looks like someone’s butter… because he’s on a roll…. crickets…..

Realistic human vector images

Here’s a small collection of what WallpaperHD.net has to offer in it’s “Vector Images” section. These are some photo realistic vector renders of people! Which means they could be lossless up to any size, IT’S VECTOR. With the use of Illustrator and a ton of time, i’ve come up with some pretty photo realistic stuff, but these look flawless to point. I wish i had contact into for each artist so we could get them on here for an Artist Spotlight, but the site i snagged them from is a bit clunky and a little tough to navigate clearly.

Design then and now: Playboy covers

Playboy 50\'s CoverPlayboy 50\'s CoverPlayboy 50\'s CoverPlayboy 50\'s CoverPlayboy 2000\'s CoverPlayboy 2000\'s CoverPlayboy 2000\'s CoverPlayboy 2000\'s CoverThrough a little bit of link surfing I came across a page called Xpozio and tripped onto these above Playboy magazine covers. I thought it was so interesting to see how our culture has changed so much in just a short 50 years. The old covers at their time were probably considered risque and exposing, but compared to the covers of the 2000′s they seem like a child’s paint by numbers!

Working as an Art Director for Churm Media and designing covers for OC Family magazine and IE Family magazine it’s part of my job to stay up to date and current with magazine design, so when i see something as extraordinary as this national magazine undergo such huge changes it makes me take a look back at the short 10 years that Churm Media’s Family publications have been around and how much they’ve grown and evolved (to come in a later post, it’s on my to do list)

Photo of the… #9

Albino PeacockAlbino Peacock by unknown.

I didn’t even know there was such a thing. One more new wrinkle for my brain i suppose. It’s comprised of a lot of useless knowledge already. I just tell myself that I’m training for the World Series of Pop Culture, others just say i have way to much time on my hands.