 "Name Brands" Outside Salvation Army Thrift Store Odessa, Texas |  "Dorothy's Favorite" Inside Salvation Army Thrift Store Odessa, Texas |
You can see I had a little fun with this pair. ("Pair," get it?) Which photo do you prefer?
On her blog, Bev recently shared some images and stories of her local thrift store and her favorite items within. I love thrift stores and was all goo-goo over seeing what one looks like across the pond. (Turns out, thrift stores look pretty much the same where ever you go, apparently.)
I have gotten so much enjoyment and many a laugh from a peek into Bev's world and her stories from the UK that I wanted to do a little something just for her. As of today, Bev has even posted some of her own hilarious cartoons. A series she calls "The Guinea Pig Pleasant Surprises" and it's completely adorable and funny in that unique Bev way.
The theme to This or That is pretty straight forward: Thrift store shoes with a Photoshop manipulation. First, I selected the part of the image I wanted to leave in color ("Name Brands" I used the magic wand and in "Dorothy's Favorite" I hand outlined with the lasso tool). Then, I then reversed the selection and desaturated it. For you Photoshop users, you know this is an easy little hack.
P.S. Thank you everyone for the encouraging comments and for placing your "vote" yesterday on the first installment of "This or That." I wasn't entirely sure this was a good idea, but you've made me enthusiastic about its possibilities.
13 comments:
I like "Dorothy's Favorite". It is orderly enough to please me :) lol, this is an insider joke as I am known as the family neatnick. Seriously, the red shoes just pop out among the black/grey images and makes a perfect shot. I did get a kick out of "Brand Names" though.
p.s. Did you think about putting a quiz up for these? That way we could vote :)
Yay! Debi, thanks for this! LOVE IT.
You are right, they do look the same. Another small piece of global unity in charity shops. All nice quality shoes in the charity shop though. I like the play on brand (because they are not brand new)and the fact that people find it necessary to buy name brands out of some misplaced consumerist driven pressure. I love the red shoes. Was the Dorothy the previous owner or the beady-eyed shopper? It doesn't matter, and I like the point that things have great personal meaning outside the proscribed limits of consumerism, where things always have to be new anyway.
Just thought of the Wizard of Oz reference. WOW !!
Name Brands! What a great topic for photography Debi.
I like both shots, the red shoes amongst the black is very nice but given a curve over a straight line I nearly always choose the curve. I love the jumble! the white boots really grab my attention, they look so playful and happy. If boots can look like that!
Oh and Ditto what you said about my blog! I am realy enjoying/inspired by yours also :)
Brand names. But I'm tainted.
I love the composition of Name Brands and would have liked it very much if the boots had been in color, red or green or purple. Even brown. But it is a good picture and very informative. You can see immediately that whoever made the arrangement had a clear message in mind. "I am selling shoes and I know what I am doing. I am not just an ordinary shoe salesman, I know my shit."
This is really lots of fun, Debi. I look forward to doing this little exercise. Can't wait to see what Bev is doing now.
Sorry - still trying to catch up - i did check the post yesterday, and was weighing my options when someone had a meltdown here and i had to stop ignoring reality...
I definitely prefer Dorothy's fave - it's a great concept, and a great image.
i'll go vote on the first one now
I definitely like the first one, it reminds me of my visit when I was a teenager to Carnaby street. There is something lovely in that clutter and I do love the writing elment too. Kudos for that lovely red pair inserted in the 2nd photo (can't see Dorothy though:)
Hi Debi,
I am voting for "Name Brands" - I like the composition better ... altho both are very nice.
Feels more dynamic ... and you can always go in and do a little Photoshop to add color.
~ Diane Clancy
www.dianeclancy.com/blog
The second no doubt - I love that picture. dunno why, and sleepy so can't intellectualise.
I have to go with the second photo - like the whimsical look of it.
Thank you everyone for taking time to vote!
Mom, I had to chuckle. Yes, you like things orderly and you know what? That's a good thing. Wish I had gotten more of that from you! I thought about a voting widget, but if people care to make them, I'd like to hear their comments, too.
Bev, um. I'm not sure how you voted, but I am tickled pink (or red, or blue) that you liked this post. I had fun thinking of you while I took the pictures.
Lisa, ahh, I learned something about you in your post -- the curve comment. Contrast that with my mom (Bobbie)'s comment. Funny, eh? And, as always, I'm a muddle. I like orderliness and jumble! (My home attests to that. Sadly, mostly jumble.)
Audrey, LOL. Aw, honey, I'm sorry. Maybe if I had titled it something different?
Irene, LOL. Yep. They know their shit. But I'm sure a shrewd shopper could still wrangle a bargain. ;)
Rima, sounds like Mama could use a NEW pair of shoes (and a babysitter, and a day to herself, and wallet filled with cash, and ...) Sorry about the distraction from reality. Or maybe I should say with two little ones at home, I am happy if I can provide you a moment's escape. However temporary.
Neda, there is something nostalgic about this photo -- I guess jumbled sales racks are not exclusive to West Texas or thrift stores.
Diane, good idea. I took out the color, but I could add it back. And then saturate the fire out of it! That would be interesting too.
Frances, Don't worry about intellectualizing it. You can like what you like. So there.
Nelda, truth be known, I think this technique (b&w with one spot of color) worked best with the second photo. Like you say, the whimsy worked easily there. The other one was more of a stretch.
And today's battle of the photos winner is: Name Brands, by a toe.
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