Advice.

[Idaho Cairns]

I am looking for an image to use on self created note cards that I want to have made. I am going to the most expert folks I know for some opinions. The image is a highly manipulated photo that I took of Sammi, Zoey (my daughter's Cairn), and Bonnie this week. What do you think? Does it look like a pen and ink drawing or am I just not being objective? Is it suitable to get the idea across--does it represent Cairns? Need honest appraisal. Thanks.

[Idaho Cairns]

Sorry, this is the final image--with script at top. Thanks.

[Rohnda]

It's wonderful! Viewing it from my computer screen it looks like a painting. Good job Idaho!

[KShep]

Holy cow! I've been looking at cairn notecards on the Internet for about three days now. Strange coincidence!! I really like this. Gorgeous picture.

[Tuesday]

Very nice!!!!

(will your cards have one of those recording things you find in the Hallmark books so you can get the Cairn screech of death recorded to make it even more realistic?)

[hheldorfer]

Beautiful!

[Dempsy's Mom]

I agree it looks like a painting. Really nice - they are anticipating playing in that snow. The only thing you need to do (not really) is pull the first ones tail out.

[kjwarnold]

That's great! It looks more like a painting than pen and ink, but it's beautiful regardless. Good job!

[bradl]

I like it. The feeling it invokes for me is a very Cairnish one. A sort of companionable quietness with focus on the outside world; a period of calm but you know that should anything interesting or important occur in the field of view that these three amigos would dissolve into a blur of action. The color are lively and the texture makes me want to pat a dog

[Sam I Am]

What a great picture! How many times have I seen Jock sitting in the same pose looking out of a window watching the world go by

[sanford]

Hi Idaho Cairns,

You're always giving such good advice. It's a pleasure to return the favor for once and respond to you for a change!

I agree with the unanimous reactions... You definitely captured the "cairnish" feeling. The technique looks convincing as artwork. On my screen it looks like it could be any type of media...Ink, colored pencil, paint, watercolor. What I really admire are the wonderful color highlights in the cairn's coats, particularly Zoey, in the middle. Very nice!

P.S. This is nit-picking, but I think you should lower the word, "Cairns" very slightly. The "C" in "Cairns" looks a bit uncomfortably close to the top border and almost touches it.

Great job!

[Kathryn]

I like it. You can tell they are scanning the yard for squirrels...

WIll you ever have any available for sale?? (hope hope hope)

[bradl]

WIll you ever have any available for sale?? (hope hope hope)

Ahem.

[Idaho Cairns]

Thanks everyone! I was hoping it just wasn't my own ego working here. Actually this is one of those happy mistakes one gets when playing around with programs. If anyone wants to use the photo to make their own cards, please feel free, I have no pecuniary interest in the photo--I just like to have blank cards around to send notes to folks for all sorts of occasions and like to tout my favorite dogs when I do.

Actually the girls were focused on an accomodating squirrel in the berry tree outside the door--some sort of staring contest which I guess, in their minds, was an attempt to psychically compell the squirrel to come down and walk into their kill zone. This went on for several minutes without a sound being uttered. They studied the squirrel while I studied them--always fun with this bunch.

Zoey is an interesting Cairn--lovely coat, mostly black with mottled highlights of gray, red, and wheaten in her coat. She is a sister to Bonnie one year younger--same breeder same parents. She is probably the best mannered Cairn, most layed back, quietest Cairn I have ever been around. I keep wanting to steal her from my daughter but am having no success--they have gone back to California after a three week visit and we all are missing them. This picture gives an idea of how sizes vary in adult Cairns--Sammi is tall and rangy, Zoey is, well, ahem, a bit overweight, and Bonnie is right at the ideal weight but around the other two, looks like a midget!

Anyway, thanks for the input, I'll adjust the banner down a bit and see where I can get the cards made without breaking the bank. Have a great day, appreciate you inputs and opinions.

[Lynn in TN]

I love the picture! It almost has a watercolor effect but with a lot better colors. Sitting in front of the door is where Kelly is most of the time but the bottom half of our door is metal so to see out she has to stand on her hind feet and she does this often.

I think the pictures is a perfect example of 3 beautiful Cairns and will make gorgeous note cards!

[KShep]

What program did you use to make this?

[Idaho Cairns]

It was Picasa's premium Piknik photo shop program. Picasa is discontinuing it in April so if you are going to use it, you have a couple of months. It is a really neat program that is easy to use. You have to download Picasa and then you automatically get the Piknik version with the download. I have tried to use Gimp but it is too technical for me to even understand or manipulate and I have resisted buying Photoshop because of the cost. Piknik is now free so any of you can use it for the time being.

BTW, Picasa is a Google add on but I think it might be a stand alone product--not sure since I use Google/Firefox as my browser.

[KShep]

Neat! I've never tried it. I do like Picasa and web albums though. I really like Paint Shop Pro. I find Photoshop confusing....I'm not splurging on it anytime soon either. Lol

[TazTalk]

Love it. Portrays the Cairn(s) in a beautifully artistic way.

[pkcrossley]

great texture, great mood

[Meggie]

Hey Idaho, can you post the original so I can have a go? I love editing other people's stuff!

Also my only nitpick is the dog on the left's rump is closer to the edge of the frame than the dog on the right's.

But I'm also a photography nerd so most people wouldn't notice such a small detail.

[Idaho Cairns]

Here you go Meggie, I cropped out the edge of a piece of furniture in the original which offset the trio. Now I'm trying to figure how to get this into a 5x7 or 4x6 format for note cards without distorting the whole thing. Enjoy.

[Meggie]

Oh that's tricky.

I would add a border to compensate and hope for the best!!

[Meggie]

Oh my goodness...I could have done a dozen variations on this! Pardon there being 3...I'm editing today and needed a "break" from my own boring stuff.

I took your lead, Idaho and tried to get the pups to look as painted as possible.

I wish I had an easy way to make your original a 4x6 but I use LightRoom (which doesn't do that intensity of editing) and am TERRIBLE at photoshop!

What a great photo!!

[jo_]

Nice work Idaho! I think it looks like an oil painting.

Since you're picture isn't proportionate to a 5x7 or 4x6 layout you'll have to compensate for the difference, as you don't want to distort the image. I'm a graphic designer and use Photoshop every day and couldn't resist doing a quick mockup of a suggestion (note: I agree with Meggie's suggestion about compensating for the extra space on the right with the border). Here's an option...