One of the most challenging aspects of designing ponds and
waterfalls is trying to convey my ideas to my client.
Coming up with award-winning pond designs or implementing
them using adequate skills and experience is not a problem.
My challenge is getting my client to see what I see.
Drawing and painting are not my forte; it is next to
impossible for me to draw a rock, not to mention water. The
hardest part for me is drawing perspective. Prior to
discovering the art of digital design my most common phrase
used was, "Just trust me." Wait till your pond and
waterfall is finished, I promise you'll like it.
Unfortunately, "trust me" are the most common two words
spoken by used car salesmen! Thank goodness that most of
my clients were referrals from other satisfied customers
and already knew what I was capable of creating.
A few years ago, I discovered a computer program called
"Photoshop" and realized I could use it to create virtual
photos of water features. I learned how to cut an item from
one picture and paste it into another. Actually, that was
nothing new for me since I did that in third grade. It's
called cut and paste. Only now I'm using a mouse instead of
rounded scissors and edible white paste. (I hear the
manufactures are adding vitamins to it now. :)
I started out scanning dozens of photographs into
"Photoshop," which converted them into a digital image
capable of being manipulated in hundreds or thousands of
ways. The Photoshop program has a large learning curve,
especially for someone who is unfamiliar with graphic
design techniques, so I started searching for a solution
for my pond design department.
DIGITIZING PHOTOS
Microsoft has developed a user-friendly software (small
learning curve) for working with photographs.They can be
scanned into the program or digital photos from a digital
camera can be downloaded into the program. Then each
picture can be enhanced through a variety of processes such
as brightness, contrast, blur, tint, etc., all with a
simple click of the mouse.
Once the photo is finished, I can then cut out objects from
the picture, such as rocks, groups of rocks, plants, or
portions of the waterfall and pond. Which I did from
several thousand photos of waterfalls and ponds I have
constructed over the past 26 years.
I gathered these jpg images into an indexed library.
Using this process with pictures from hundreds of my
projects, I was able to build a substantial library of
objects for pasting into the "before" photo of a client's
yard for a pond design.
Now I can take a digital picture of someone's yard and
download it into Microsoft's "Digital Image Suite "
program. (This is not an endorsement, it just happens to be
the product I use. I do not sell Microsoft products and
have no investments in the company) Next, by dragging
various items from my library, I can construct a waterfall
and pond of any shape, size or configuration onto that
picture.
So thanks to the arrival of the digital age, I can
construct on paper a virtual image or idea that was in my
head. As a result, my clients can see exactly what their
pond and waterfall will look like when finished. Now a pond
design takes only minutes.
Whether you are building a waterfall and pond for yourself
or for a customer a pond design or waterfall design can be
a marvelous thing. Simply marvelous! Happy koi, Peace &
Joy.
For more details on digital design, read Koi Pond: Digital
Masterpieces-Virtual Water Features Part II
----------------------------------------------------
Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, freelance writer
and author
designer, architect, inventor, engineer and builder of over
1,900 waterfall and ponds in California or the past 26
years. Read my other articles at:
http://www.ezinearticles.com Have a question?
http://www.askdoughoover.com
waterfalls is trying to convey my ideas to my client.
Coming up with award-winning pond designs or implementing
them using adequate skills and experience is not a problem.
My challenge is getting my client to see what I see.
Drawing and painting are not my forte; it is next to
impossible for me to draw a rock, not to mention water. The
hardest part for me is drawing perspective. Prior to
discovering the art of digital design my most common phrase
used was, "Just trust me." Wait till your pond and
waterfall is finished, I promise you'll like it.
Unfortunately, "trust me" are the most common two words
spoken by used car salesmen! Thank goodness that most of
my clients were referrals from other satisfied customers
and already knew what I was capable of creating.
A few years ago, I discovered a computer program called
"Photoshop" and realized I could use it to create virtual
photos of water features. I learned how to cut an item from
one picture and paste it into another. Actually, that was
nothing new for me since I did that in third grade. It's
called cut and paste. Only now I'm using a mouse instead of
rounded scissors and edible white paste. (I hear the
manufactures are adding vitamins to it now. :)
I started out scanning dozens of photographs into
"Photoshop," which converted them into a digital image
capable of being manipulated in hundreds or thousands of
ways. The Photoshop program has a large learning curve,
especially for someone who is unfamiliar with graphic
design techniques, so I started searching for a solution
for my pond design department.
DIGITIZING PHOTOS
Microsoft has developed a user-friendly software (small
learning curve) for working with photographs.They can be
scanned into the program or digital photos from a digital
camera can be downloaded into the program. Then each
picture can be enhanced through a variety of processes such
as brightness, contrast, blur, tint, etc., all with a
simple click of the mouse.
Once the photo is finished, I can then cut out objects from
the picture, such as rocks, groups of rocks, plants, or
portions of the waterfall and pond. Which I did from
several thousand photos of waterfalls and ponds I have
constructed over the past 26 years.
I gathered these jpg images into an indexed library.
Using this process with pictures from hundreds of my
projects, I was able to build a substantial library of
objects for pasting into the "before" photo of a client's
yard for a pond design.
Now I can take a digital picture of someone's yard and
download it into Microsoft's "Digital Image Suite "
program. (This is not an endorsement, it just happens to be
the product I use. I do not sell Microsoft products and
have no investments in the company) Next, by dragging
various items from my library, I can construct a waterfall
and pond of any shape, size or configuration onto that
picture.
So thanks to the arrival of the digital age, I can
construct on paper a virtual image or idea that was in my
head. As a result, my clients can see exactly what their
pond and waterfall will look like when finished. Now a pond
design takes only minutes.
Whether you are building a waterfall and pond for yourself
or for a customer a pond design or waterfall design can be
a marvelous thing. Simply marvelous! Happy koi, Peace &
Joy.
For more details on digital design, read Koi Pond: Digital
Masterpieces-Virtual Water Features Part II
----------------------------------------------------
Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, freelance writer
and author
designer, architect, inventor, engineer and builder of over
1,900 waterfall and ponds in California or the past 26
years. Read my other articles at:
http://www.ezinearticles.com Have a question?
http://www.askdoughoover.com
