chuckography

The Invisible Man? His car?

No, wearing sunglasses does not make you disappear.

I know, I know, in the movies - and on television - people who want to hide usually put on shades.

They dye their hair (I'd also have to do my 'brows).

Or grow a beard if there is enough time.

Dressing differently is also part of a disguise we see in films.

Some people use plastic surgery to alter their looks. A different nose. Puff up cheeks with injections.

Hmmm. Never have seen a person's ears changed.

They're pretty prominent and unique but usually  not included in a nip & tuck by the surgeon.

But that's all about looking different.

Basically just details.

I'm talking about disappearing.

Like driving a stealth car during a recent road trip up to Charlotte.

When you come up behind a shiny truck, and watch the reflection, you expect to see yourself. Mirror-like.

You and your car looking back. At you and your car. Well, technically, I was in the passenger seat. Kind of creepy when you're NOT there.

It had already been a strange trip.

I went to Charlotte to celebrate the Blues.

To see Eric Clapton in concert. A Legend.

I could tell I was really getting into the music genre when I saw a picture a friend took of me when we got to town.

The Avatar in IMAX 3-D? Poppa Smurf?

The Blue Man Group?

This had happened before.

Changing colors around I mean.

The green was close to March 17 so I can understand that happening. It's an Irish thang.

This whole topic about changes and appearances revolves around the lack of reflection on the back of a milk tank truck.

As I recall instances when "I wasn't myself," these images came to mind.

And there are others.

It all goes back to my love of photography.

And tools that change things when you use them in post-production. That's the time period after you've put down the camera for the day.

In my youth, they were called "darkroom tricks." Now, they are named "Topaz plug-ins" that you use with your computer to change reality or, at least, to enhance it.

Of course I had erased the image of the car from the rear of the shiny truck and I had shifted the whole color spectrum to BLUE, using various plug-ins in combination with my basic photo software called Photoshop Elements 10.

Another example of the fun and diversity of using these creative tools is the treatment I made of a shot of twin oaks.

Here is a BEFORE and AFTER of the beautiful moss-draped twin oaks. With several signs.

I saw and snapped this image during a Photo Walk last Saturday down in Rockville.

About 17 of us went there with our cameras a week before the 123rd annual Rockville Regatta.

I won't say which is which.
(Click on the photos to see more detail.)

I bought a new Topaz enhancement tool today called Camera Lenses. It lets you go back and create effects that could have been done if you had a different set of lenses. A "fisheye" look added later.

A shallow DOF (Depth Of Field) that makes the object in front really separate from the now-blurred background.

This will help me fill the gap between my small digital camera and those biggies that the big boys carry around.

And I still have a camera that fits in my pocket.

Size matters.

Labels: Blue Man Group, Charlotte road trip, King of the Blues, March 17 green, milk tanker truck, mirror-like, nip & tuck, Pappa Smurf, plastic surgeon, reflections, Rockville, S.C., stealth car, Topaz plug-ins

posted by chuckography @ 9:21 PM 4 Comments

They Added A 4th Show....

The Blue Man Group came back to Charleston a few days ago.

Here's one of the three. Or it might be one of the others.

They basically all look alike.

And they ARE very blue.

Even their ears and lips.

(But, they don't play the Blues.)

I saw them years ago in their Chicago base theater and was blown away.

Such creativity.

Such coordination.

Such fun.


They were part of the season ticket Broadway Series at the Performing Arts Theater (PAC) and I had trouble finding a good seat.

Then they added a fourth show - a Sunday 2:00 pm matinee,

Got the 2nd row seat I wanted.

It came with a warning: plastic ponchos would be issued for the first 3 rows.

To protect us from flying paint.

And other things thrown into the audience.
Yikes.

 My kinda show.

Last time there at the PAC, Wanda Sykes singled me out with her  "Hey Mr. Camera man, you got your shot yet?" comment.

That was when I sat in the first row.

With no protection.

This time, you'd think Gallagher was going to smash watermelons onstage.

I figured no Blue Man would target someone in the SECOND row.



But they did roam around the hall - even walking over seat backs - and found victims, er, I mean participants, for various interactions.

A sweet young lady joined them onstage and was seated at a dining table for an interesting meal.

She was covered in a protective outfit which was fortunate as things got squishy and messy pretty quickly.

An overhead camera looked down to show us the white plates and the various items introduced as "food."

Let's just say TWINKIES are still part of this show.

The finale included giant lighted "beach balls" that were blown into the audience.

We got to reach up and push them back into the air and it was total audience activity.

Then white rolls of paper were shot from the stage.

Huge rolls of paper - like crazed TP - zoomed out, fell and enveloped the laughing crowd.

The trio called out the band, the helpers and others in the traveling show.

They all took a well-deserved bow.

Then the bright colorful lights started flashing behind them and they waved a "Thank You Charleston."

That concluded their 4th show in three days.

The crowd quickly moved to the exits but I took one look back.

The PAC staff were getting into their part of the Business called Show.

(Click on the pictures for more details.)

Of course the sign in the lobby said "No photography or recording allowed."

But I DID wait till nearly the end before I edged out my camera.

I didn't want to get thrown out too soon.

The BMG was a big hit in Charleston.

When they come back...go see them.

Labels: Blue Man Group, BMG, Business of Show, giant beach balls, giant rolls of TP, marshmallows, PAC cleanup crew, paint balls, protective ponchos, Twinkies

posted by chuckography @ 11:13 AM 0 Comments