Close-Up Photo ABC ATC's..Part 1

The "T" above is from a rusty and crusty water main cover. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions...

Hi, Mandy! Looks like fun. I have some questions:

1) It looks like we'd be making 7 ATCs (one for each of the letters A-G) for each of our 2 partners -- 2 sets of these same 7 letters -- right?

2) What about finding accidental letters, such as tree branches that cross to form an X, or manmade objects that happen to form a letter when viewed a certain way? Would those be acceptible as long as the letter is plain to see?

I saw something like that in one of the kids' nature magazines years ago -- a lot them were patterns on animals, like on a snake or something. [. . . opens new tab to do a Google search . . . ]

No, wait, here it is, I found it. It's called butterfly alphabet:

I don't have the type of camera (let alone the skill!) to do something like that, but I just mean the idea of finding letters like this, that weren't created as letters.

1)Accidental letters would be cool if you could find them. I didn't do the "accidental" letters photo swap because I couldn't find enough of the letters and I was getting frustrated. Honestly I would love to find all "accidental" letters, but doing it this way would give us options (and maybe fewer frustrations). I also love advertising and old peeling paint so I thought it would be fun to see what bits of signs are used for individual letters.

2) Yes, 7 ATC's to 2 partners

C'mon..let's play!

Of course Sharon, If you are able to track down and photograph a butterfly alphabet that would be awesome! I don't think those butterflies live near me (hee hee).

This swap is specifically for the letters A-G though, right? (Sorry, but the example for the letter X got me slightly confused)

Yes...A-G this time. X will come up later..I'll edit that so it doesn't get anyone else.

Hi All, I created another photo ATC swap...

http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/3225

Thanks for playing!

hI FarStarr, does this mean we take a close up of the letter and then cut that letter in 1/2 to make the 2 act's?

Hi Kathleen, each ATC should have the letter on it. If you take a picture with 2 letters from a sign or whatever, you may be able to get 2 out of each picture.

I'm the one who used "x" as an example, my bad, sorry.

As for the butterfly wings photos, I'd do it, of course, if I could get the butterflies to sit still and pose for me! Oh, and if the "letters" included a comma or a question mark, since those are the only butterflies we are likely to get in May in Minnesota!

I see your point about how finding "accidental" letters could be a bit too challenging. I guess I will hedge my bets and got for the obvious letters and if I happen to come across the other kind, I'll photograph it too (just my luck it'll be when I don't have the camera with me).

I'd been dragging my feet on signing up for this one, but I guess I'm in now!

I ALWAYS see fantastic pictures when I don't have the camera. Last night it was neon letters that I didn't get pictures of...aaarrrgghh

I took my camera with me when I went out on my bike this evening, but I got going so late it was already getting dark and so I didn't take any photos -- but I did "spot" some good letters that I can go back and photograph tomorrow (I hope). I'm making mental notes, so now we'll see how good my memory is!

I would have loved to have a go at this one but.....I'm away on holiday for the two weeks between signing up and completion. Just my luck, I bet I find some lovely examples while I am away too.

So, i'm running all over Lancaster, taking pictures of signs, letters, etc, stopping on the street, pulling over fast at weird places, taking pictures at red lights . . . then i come home and realize i hadn't even signed up yet. DUH! Dianne

And I thought I was the only one who looked strange out on the street! I did explain to someone today who was unloading a truck why I needed to take a picture of the "A" in Kahlua on her truck...Okay maybe it still sounded crazy ;)...I'm trying not to be self-conscious when I take my camera for a walk. Maybe I'll just tell people that I'm on a secret mission...FBI...CIA..but then I'd have to kill them..;]

And before I end up on the "psychotic swapper" thread of the forums...I was just kidding...

okay, today came up with a great idea while walking with one of my patient's who lives next to a graveyard - now there's a plethora of letters in cool textures in a graveyard, so of course i had to tell her about swap-bot and what i'm doing. Dianne

Hey Dianne, Great minds think alike! I was down at the cemetary on Saturday taking pictures of letters. I got some great ones with lichen all inside the carved out letter. Did your patient think you were nuts? I've been walking around with a stuffed giraffe taking pictures for the toy voyager swap and I know people think I'm nuts!

actually, it came up because she was saying how she took her kids over there to play and that's how they learned their letters. she was afraid i'd think she was nuts so i told her about the cemetary near where i grew up (one of the oldest in philadelphia) and that i hung out there all the time checking out the headstones and mauseleums and stuff. that's when i started talking swap bot. but i have all my letters now (for the first part) but sometime next week i'm going to go visit her cemetary and check it out. it's really cool with lots of crypts and such. Dianne

I actually live 2 houses away from the oldest continuosly maintained town cemetary in the country. The stones are great! Many have been preserved with copper coverings that have weathered to a beautiful green. Both John Alden and Myles Standish (pilgrims) are buried there. I do have one picture of a gravestone carving on Flickr. I should upload more.

I sent my letters out to be developed. I'm excited to see how they look when I crop them down.

i just finished mine, but about the cemetary - we had betsy ross's great great grandneice and a native american buried with his horse. that's a plain marker, you wouldn't know what it was if you didn't know. all the streets in the neighborhood are named for people buried there so it's like walking the neighborhood. also, there's a soldier, killed in one of the wars, and the monument was smashed halfway down to signify that his life was cut short. interesting stories.

Hi All, I just set up the second part to this ABC swap. Keep taking those pictures!

http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/3618

Mandy

Sharon P and bavarian I mailed yours this morning. Ain't this fun!?

FarStarr and Belle the Cat, your conversation about cemeteries has been really interesting! I too have sometimes taken cemetery photos. I think their appeal is partly because they are such rich repositories of local history, and their weathered stone markers (in the old ones) give us a sense of connection to the past. Plus they're often aesthetically beautiful and serene places, with just the right mix of manmade (markers, etc.) and natural elements.

I, too, will have to check out some of our local cemeteries for letters for the next round!

One of my friends took a fantastic picture in an old Boston cemetary last spring. The focal point was a beautiful flowering tree surrounded by old stones. The beauty part though is the sun shining into and illuminating the tree. It is such a photo of death and rebirth. Beautiful!

O.K. that's it. I'm heading to the nearest cemetary.

received ingenius cards from Angi today, so cool, thanks. Dianne

I mailed mine today, thinking I was getting just under the wire before US postal rates go up, but then read that the rate for envelopes weighing more than an ounce is actually going down! So I paid the 63 cents and if I had waited til Monday it would have been 58 cents! LOL

Gosh, that means I'm out a whole dime! Well, I like to support my local post office.

HI FarStar and Starwatcher, I have such sparkly partners, your photos are winging their way to you from New Zealand, enjoy :D

I received ATCs today from Rhonda aka sewcool72. Thanks!

Letters are on their way to Starwatcher and Paisleybabe.

Hmm Sharon, my Post Office clerk who doubled checked the weight of my envelopes said they were fine at 39 cents. Now I'm worried...I should've made her put it in writing!

I was out taking more pictures for the next one today. Also we went to a garden store and I got some FANTASTIC flower pictures...and my daughter got me a giant allium for Mother's Day...and we went to the Brazillian barbeque for lunch...Happy Day!

rcvd my first set from Belle the Cat.... they are great

mine are going out tomorrow 5/14 to Angel Faery Kathleen and ddmaree

Sharon P. and Kelly - your ATC's are on their way now, hope you like them, i found some really cute Signs that where written in old bavarian Letters as we have been to a museum ... Greetings Ingrid PS: i load them up in the Gallery, too ...

Hey bavarian, Those are cool. Mine are on my Flickr site cuz I never seem to have much luck with the gallery. Thankd for sharing!

Cards are on their way to West Virginia and Germany! Yay!

Emily PostPunk and PaisleyBabe, envelopes coming your way from Oregon.

FarStarr, Your arrived today. Thanks! They are great!

FarStarr - I received your fabulous ATC's yesterday (5/16). My favorites were A & G. I also loved the paisley card that you put them in! Thank you so much! :)

I recd awesome letters from ddmaree today. Thank you!

I didn't have ddmaree's cards in front of me when I wrote the above note..so I have more to say...I love the "B" on brick, the "D" (is that a typewriter key?), and the espalier tree "F".

Angel Faery Kathleen, Your wonderful letters arrived today. I especially like the "A" and the incidental "D" from the coffee pot. Thank you so much!

Lauren, your cards arrived today, really nice work. love all the different textures and the found letters too. Thanks Dianne

silverfish studio... got your cards yesterday... they are great... thanks for the nice note too..nice to another variety of your talent, different than the other swaps we have been in together. :-)

I got my first set today from PaisleyBabe and they are AWESOME! I love them all.

DDmaree, your great cards have arrived in New Zealand, wonderful, thanks :-)))

FarStar, Happy you like my cards and that they arrived all OK.

Another great set from Starwatcher - thank you!

Hi Mouseybrat, your great cards arriven in New Zealand yesterday, Thursday, and thay are great, thank you. Hugs :-)))