Ilustrator Project #2: Stairway to Eternity

Stairway to Heaven? Well...no, not really. It's a montage of a stone stairway and red covered bridge, both found along Forbidden Drive in Fairmount Park.

This is an example of using a clipping mask in Illustrator versus masking in Photoshop. I was really drawing a blank on this one in class that evening, so I know that it needs a lot of work. I will re-upload a better shot at a later date.

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Photos from Forbidden Drive, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. All images c. 2008 by Fiorilla Designs.

Illustrator Project #1: Fairmount Park Postcard

Test using Adobe Illustrator to combine photo with superimposed colored bitmapped images. I need to fix the trees on the right, but did not have time to do so in class. I will fix and upload a correction later.

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c. 2008 by Fiorilla Designs.

Photoshop Project #4: East Coast Penitentiary Postcard

The assignment from our Photoshop professor was to create a postcard, albeit a cheesy one. I chose to work on one of my favorite urban naturescape subjects, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.

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Postcard collage example of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA done in Photoshop CS3. Central image at 50% luminosity from internet source. Right inset pictures c. Fiorilla Designs 2007.

Photoshop Project #3: Coney Island Postcard

This postcard was made as an homage to my father, Albert Belfiore, who used to be a ticket seller for the Cyclone roller coaster in the Coney Island amusement park of Brooklyn, NY. The photos are unfortunately undated. I used posterizing and a warming filter on the roller coaster image at left. I used general warming filters and text effects to add to the montage.

Albert "Abbie" Belfiore selling tickets on the Cyclone Roller Coaster, Coney Island, NY, circa 1947. Photos undated. c. Fiorilla Designs Manipulation in Photoshop CS3, 2008.

Photoshop Project #2: Dude, Where's My Eucalyptus?

Photoshop manipulation of disparate images to make a convincing final image. Example of masking in Photoshop CS3. Sources: internet

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Photoshop Project #1: Wolf Baying at the Moon

Collage of three independent images in Photoshop CS3. Background by Ansel Adams. Photos of wolf and moon from internet.

New Design Postings

This blog is being modified to include lots of interesting new subjects. We will expand the urban naturescape series to include a Fairmount Park, Philadelphia series. In addition, we will be featuring some works from photoshop class being undertaken at University of the Arts in Philadelphia http://www.uarts.edu.

Please be patient as our previous posts will be updated to our new Photobucket account.

Fiorilla Designs

Stone Petals

Laurel Hill Cemetery, Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - July 27, 2006

Perhaps the most historical cemetery in Philadelphia is Laurel Hill. It is full of heores and the formerly wealthy Philly citizens who have now gone on to the big Flower Garden in the Sky. It was one of the first cemeteries in the US to be modeled after the French design of graves among beautiful gardens. As such, it is a great source of inspiration for photographers. I was fascinated by this modern tomb with its stark, yet striking marble bouquet.

Here is a reference shot of the tomb:



For more information, see the Laurel Hill Cemetery Site:

Laurel Hill Cemetery

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Nothing Like Nectar on a Spring Day

Jacob Kelter House, Wissahickon Avenue, Germantown - Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - April 19, 2006

This shot was taken outside of the historical Jacob Kelter House alongside the Wissahickon Creek in the Germantown section of the city. The bee is happily wiggling and spreading pollen while sucking up nectar on a beautiful spring day.

Reference: Jacob Kelter House

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Another Weed in the Wall

Parking lot of the Trolley Car Diner, Germantown Avenue, Mt. Airy Neighborhood -Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - July 27, 2006

One of my favorite subjects is the co-existence of plants and man-made structures, and how nature never fails to sprout life in the tiniest and most unexpected of places. I am a regular customer of the Trolley Car Diner, and obviously to me, either they are afraid of pulling weeds or they might, just might, feel the same as I do. The weeds have been there all summer long! Long live rogue nature!

If you are in the Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, be sure to check out the Trolley Car Diner and Ice Cream Stop! Good food for reasonable prices. They restored a green SEPTA #23 trolley car to serve as an ice cream stand, which makes for a fun (and historic) treat.

Trolley Car Diner

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Hobo Weeds

Septa R7 Mt. Airy Train Station, Gowen and Devon Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - August 10, 2006

Like I said before, I have been very remiss about taking photographs and updating the blog. However, I have found some inspiration again in local subjects of nature, and I hope to update much more soon with the advent of Fall to Philadelphia.

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Roadside Pansies

Roadside flower garden, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - April 30, 2006

I have been very remiss about taking photographs and updating the blog. Last weekend, I finally got out to do some shooting in my neighborhood. I really like the way the owners of this house carved out a mini-garden at the base of a tree trunk by the roadside. (See second shot for context.)

Happy spring!

D.

Winter Branches Series (3) - 2006

Views from my window, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - February 11-14, 2006

We had a huge Nor'easter that dropped 15+ inches of snow onto Philadelphia. I was able to catch some of the snow as it was falling, and then took some shots of the sunset over the winter trees.

I am experimenting using the manual settings on my digital camera. I love being able to see the results immediately instead of waiting for a contact sheet from standard film. :-)

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Golden Sky Ferns

Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - November 11, 2005.

It's always a risk with a camera, and a digital one at that, to shoot directly up into the sky. Luckily, it was an overcast day and I was able to shoot this without sun flares. I love the fern-like patterns these leaves create.

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Hearts and Pods 1

University of Pennsylvania campus, 36th and Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - November 11, 2005.

Some of my earliest photos in this blog are taken at the same location - in front of a fine arts gallery building with beautifully reflective windows. I am very bad at horticulture, but I love this tree with its heart-shaped leaves and long pods.

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And the Walls Come Crumbling Down...

Covenant Community Church campus, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - October 29, 2005.

I live on a street with cobblestones and trolley tracks, and in the rain and snow, drivers frequently go out of control. Well, yet another one did, and smashed into the stone retaining wall which circles the campus of the Covenant Community Church (formerly the home of Spring Garden College, and the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf many years ago). This is not an urban greenscape, nor a flower, but I was drawn to the image of the broken and crumbling wall. (Cue up the John Mellencamp song...)

Here is a reference photo:



ETA: This wall has now been repaired as of mid-November. I'm glad I took the shots when I did...

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Vines of Germantown Avenue

My House, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - October 29, 2005.

Yes, I admit it. These are weed vines snaking their way up my downspout. I have been too lazy to do my (much needed) gardening. But the artist in me had to take time to photograph them, LOLOL.

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Vines of Allens Lane 1

Allens Lane, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - October 26, 2005.

As part of my exploration of urban greenscapes and flowers and plants on the edges, I happened upon some vines overgrowing a fence. Coming closer, I was intrigued by the patterns and textures of leaves and berries against the grey corrugated metal of the train trestle. The changing of the fall colors adds to the depths of color in ways that make these shots much more interesting than they might be in spring.

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Oak Leaf Curtain

Allens Lane Train Station, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - October 26, 2005.

Yesterday, with at least a half-day's worth of much-needed sun, I took advantage of a few free moments to snap some fall leaf shots. I really enjoy working with the changing colors of the leaves - it is a privilege for me to have grown up and lived my life on the eastern coast of the USA for this reason. Fall is my favorite season of the year.

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Spring Ahead, Fall Behind...

Allens Lane, Mt. Airy Neighborhood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - October 26, 2005.

As the old saying goes, "Spring Ahead, Fall Behind..", to remind us how to change our clocks for Daylight Savings and Standard time here in the U.S. Unfortunately, with the changing of the season from summer to fall, I feel that I have definitely, painfully, fallen behind. Philadelphia has been suffering from days and days of rain and darkness. There is a chill in the air, and with it comes a foreboding of a winter much colder and darker than anyone realizes. Due to the high winds, many trees have lost their leaves. Slowly, the ones remaining are changing color. I LOVE the fall, but today I feel merely chilly and numb, inside and out.

Yesterday, with at least a half-days worth of sun, I took advantage of a few free moments to snap some fall leaf and urban greenscape shots. I hope that you enjoy them.

D.