In the studio with Michael Powell

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Bearded irises in my garden

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

My 2022 Global Stamp Debuts!

Today’s the day!

It’s the first day of issue of the 2022 Global Stamp (with my photo of an African daisy) in Kansas City, MO.

Look for it at your local post office, or you can order online here:

https://store.usps.com/store/results?Ntt=african%20daisy…

This round Global stamp can be used to mail a one-ounce letter to any country to which First-Class Mail International® service is available. As with all Global stamps, this stamp will have a postage value equivalent to the price of the single-piece First-Class Mail International first-ounce machinable letter in effect at the time of use.

Global Forever® Stamp for 2022!

The USPS issued their very first Global Forever® stamp in 2013 (and it was a globe, appropriately). The USPS sends mail to over 190 countries, and guess whose photo of an African Daisy is going to be on the 2022 Global Forever® stamp? Drum roll, please…..

MINE!

I just got an email informing me that the news of the debut was released to the public today, so I can share the exciting news here!

USPS Reveals More Stamps for 2022: https://about.usps.com/…/0111-usps-reveals-more-stamps…

You can send 1 oz letters or postcards around the world with one Global Forever® stamp, which currently costs $1.30 and never expires, even if the postage price goes up. For large envelopes (flats) up to 15.994 oz, postage prices vary based on weight and destination.

The African Daisy stamp is being issued in self-adhesive panes of 10. This stamp will be released in Kansas City, MO, without a first-day-of-issue ceremony, on March 14. Sometimes the Postal Store will allow you to pre-order stamps from their website. I think they sometimes put issuances on pre-sale 30 days before issuance, so you might check out their site mid-February: usps.com/shop and then go to Stamps and search for African Daisy.

This is the 11th image I’ve had published as a Forever® stamp. Previously, I had images for: Ferns 2014, Water Lilies 2015 and Kenilworth Park (as part of the National Park Service 100th Anniversary 16-stamp panel) in 2016.

Hearing Life Magazine: 2021 Recap

It’s time for my annual recap of Hearing Life, which I design for the Hearing Loss Association of America. This year the magazine went from bimonthly to quarterly, and the issues are available for nonmembers to access now as well!

WINTER 2021 ISSUE

Allyson Welch explains how challenging it is to communicate as a mommy/daughter duo with hearing loss in Birds of a Feather—Better Together. In Hearing Dogs: What They Are and How to Get One, Allyson explains what an invaluable resource a hearing dog can be to help people who are deaf or have hearing loss. Kathi Mestayer explains the perils and pitfalls of technology and running meetings remotely in Telework: How’s That Working For You? Katie Byxbee, a young teenager from Connecticut, explains how she has the superpower to shut out any or all sounds in My Life Beyond Hearing Aids. Michael Harvey encourages a patient to correspond with her doctor about her tinnitus via a fantasized conversation in Doctors, Please Care That There’s No Cure. In Plunged Into Silence, Gloria Raskin realized how lucky she was to having hearing aids after hers were zapped during an MRI procedure. And finally, musician Wendy Cheng shares her journey with hearing loss and pursuing a music degree in I Hear You, Beethoven.

View here: https://ygsgroup.com/pubs/HLAA/2021/winter/

SPRING 2021 ISSUE

In this issue of Hearing Life, we celebrate the joy of music. For many of us with hearing loss, the problems we encounter when we try to enjoy music are among the hardest to accept. Composer Richard Einhorn shares what’s going on and what can we do about it in Music to Our Ears. If you’re a music lover, you’ll be inspired by nine diverse musicians who have refused to allow hearing loss to rob them of their enjoyment of music in Notes of Inspiration. Dr. Raymond Goldsworthy writes about Enhancing Music Appreciation for Cochlear Implant Users. Kristen J. Van Dyke shares the benefits of Music Education for Tiny Tots to Ten-Year-Olds. In Managing Hearing Hazards in the Workplace, Pauline Dinnauer explains how to work with your employer to ensure hearing safety in the workplace. Jackie Gayer shares her story of tinnitus and hearing loss from an ototoxic drug in The Dark Side of Cancer Treatment. And finally, Teresa Gonzales reveals how being born with hearing loss has made her more compassionate and given her better communication skills in A Gift in Disguise.

View here: https://ygsgroup.com/pubs/HLAA/2021/spring/

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE

In this issue of Hearing Life, we celebrate thirteen remarkable people who work tirelessly to educate, inspire and advocate for people with hearing loss. Psychologist Michael Harvey shares the story of a patient navigating the journey of grief and acceptance of her hearing loss in The Myth of Acceptance. In My Life as a Spy Kid, Katie Byxbee explains how her FM systems allows her to eavesdrop on top-secret conversations among teachers, earning her the nickname Spy Kid. And finally, we catch up with entrepreneur Hayleigh Scott in Leading a Charmed Life.

View here: https://ygsgroup.com/pubs/HLAA/2021/summer/

FALL 2021 ISSUE

In this issue of Hearing Life, Army veteran Katherine Yocom-Delgado shares the story of her hearing loss in Serving My Country. Hearing Loop advocate Stephen Frazier sings the praises of New York City and its dedication to providing hearing access with hearing loops, neckloops and telecoils in New York City—One Helluva Town for People with Hearing Loss. In A Sound Approach to Sports, golf pro Herb Rubenstein explains how listening carefully can enhance our enjoyment of sports and our performance in sports. David Seligman discusses the trying moments between a husband with hearing loss paired with his wife with no hearing loss in Listening for Two. Casey Bloom shares seven tips to help you navigate your way through the employment process in Tips for Job Seekers with Hearing Loss. Alison Freeman explores the issues of identity and hearing loss in Who am I? What am I? Identity Issues of the College Student with Hearing Loss. In Back Together Again! HLAA 2022 Convention in Person in Tampa, Amanda Watson shares some details about next year’s convention. And finally, Omoba Clement Aladeloye presents his poem about hearing loss—An Idiot, One Year After.

View here: https://ygsgroup.com/pubs/HLAA/2021/fall/

Shawna of the desert

These are just a few of the shots I did of my friend Shawna Coronado when I visited her on my “Arizona or Bust 2021” road trip that began on Thursday, October 8 and ended when I returned to northern Virginia on October 25.

So before I embarked on my long road trip, Shawna texted me, “How do you feel about Annie Leibowitz? Would you feel comfortable doing something over-the-top creative?” She wrote the magic words every artist wants to hear.

(Behind-the-scenes notes: The velvet dress was purchased online for $30; the fabric was $4 a yard and I bought it just a few hours before I drove over to her house…I had no idea what I would do with it, but with that sunset-southwest-ombre palette, I knew I had to have it. Shawna brought the cool lattice chair from her house and we shot just after sunrise in a local park. Shawna calls her curls “wild child hair” and I thought it mimicked the wild cholla cactus behind her quite well.)

I did lots of promo shots for Shawna for her business and then we spent this day doing more “fantasy/experimental” shots for fun. These are two of those shots.

Isn’t that ombre fabric just perfect for this shot?

Who’s next? 

© Cindy Dyer. All right reserved.

Pixel in the spotlight

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. (iPhone 12 Pro Max)

Dad

My friend and neighbor, Rebecca, just colorized a photo of my dad that I had posted yesterday on FB. I told her I work in PS daily and haven’t ever had the opportunity to do colorization like this. She did a beautiful job. Thanks, Rebecca!

This is my father (center, staring intently at his beer) when he was in the Air Force. He entered very young (barely 17), and I imagine he was maybe 20 years old in this photo. I see my resemblance to him a lot in this photo.

Lovely Scout

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 8Plus

A few weeks ago, we had this beautiful girl as a houseguest for a week.

 

Sad puppy dog eyes

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 8Plus, Snapseed app border

Lobo shows up to entice me to feed him. I try to avoid his sad, puppy-dog gaze. I tell him I’m working and I’ll be with him in just a minute.

He goes away, and then comes back a few minutes later. Apparently he can tell time.

Re-post: Celebrate Home Magazine, spring issue

It’s almost spring and I thought I’d share the spring issue of Celebrate Home Magazine again. Barbara Kelley and I created this magazine in 2012-2013 as a personal project and had so much fun doing it! Click on either of the links below to download your FREE pdf copy of this issue.

This issue is jam-packed (and there’s even a jam-making feature with my friend Sophia Stadnyk!), so download today and get started reading.

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Spring 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Spring 2013 Spreads

Order a print copy (at cost, plus shipping):

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/540569

You can also view it on issuu.com here.

On the cover: What says “spring” more than colorful tulips? I was photographing this bed of flowers and was standing on the edge of the wall when this little girl, clad in a princess skirt with sparkly shoes, came running around the corner. I got this one shot and she was gone. Serendipity!

Time to get back into the garden with your camera!

It’s that time of the year again. Time for garden photography! Learn my tips for capturing beautiful shots in gardens with Nikon’s Learn & Explore series:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-grow-your-garden-photography-skills.html

In the studio with Mia Elise

Mia is the granddaughter of my friends James and Irma in San Antonio. Their daughter Tess and son-in-law Chris left Mia with them for the weekend and we were able to do a quick photo session after dinner tonight. She was the best model. These are just a few of the almost-500 shots I did in less than an hour. She has such an expressive face!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Nikon D800 / Nikkor 85mm lens / LED lighting and ringlight

And here’s the look one gets near the end of a session…the Churchill stare:

 

 

iPhoneography: Freeway sentinels

Playing with Snapseed and Distressed FX apps

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.  iPhone 7Plus

 

iPhoneography: Nite nite, Queso

Curled up next to mom (wearing her $5 Walmart nightshirt, adorned with cats, of course)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 6s / Snapseed app border

Thanksgiving 2017: Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Quest awaits the dinner bell!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 6s / Snapseed app border

iPhoneography: Saturday sky

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 7 Plus / Snapseed app border

 

iPhoneography: Love me some clouds

Ah, those skies. My, how I love me some purdy skies. This was the sky in Northern Virginia on July 30 of this year. It was out of this world. All of these shots were made with my iPhone 6s from a shopping mall parking lot!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 6s / Snapseed app border

 

These are a few of my favorite rings…

My friend Camilla and her sister Cathy started a ring-swapping tradition years ago that has grown into a fun collection for both of them. Read all about it in the winter issue of Celebrate Home Magazine, still available for digital download in the links below. Click on either of the links below to download your FREE pdf copy of this issue. The first links is for single-page viewing (perfect for printing off your favorite recipe!); the second link is set up for “reader spreads,” so you can see the magazine in spread format (my favorite!).

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Winter 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Winter 2013 Spreads

You can order a print-on-demand copy of the magazine (at cost, plus shipping) here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/513977

Click here to view on issuu.com.

Design, layout, photography and interview by Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

 

Re-post: Celebrate Home Magazine, fall issue

In 2012, Barbara Kelley and I launched Celebrate Home Magazine, a quarterly lifestyle publication. Visit our website at www.celebratehomemagazine.com. We published four issues (fall 2012, winter 2013, spring 2013 and summer 2013).

Click the link below to download a two-page spread pdf of the magazine:

CelebrateHomeMagFall2012 Spreads

Click the link below to download a pdf designed for single page printing:

CelebrateHomeMagFall2012 Pages

Want to order a print copy of Celebrate Home Magazine? Click here, then sign up for a free magcloud.com account. You can download the FREE pdf or purchase a print copy on this link.

Last week to see my exhibit at Green Spring Gardens!

Be sure to sign the guestbook to enter your name in the drawing for a free gallery wrap canvas photograph from my exhibit! I’ll have photos from the reception in the next post.

Criss-cross

I like the graphic qualities in this composition with the tight cropping and criss-cross leaves in the background, so I thought I’d share.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

iPhoneography: Cats, Installment #2

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 6s / Snapseed

iPhoneography: Cats, Installment #1

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved. iPhone 6s / Snapseed

Celebrate Home Magazine: Spring!

It’s almost spring and I thought I’d share the spring issue of Celebrate Home Magazine again. Barbara Kelley and I created this magazine in 2012-2013 as a personal project and had so much fun doing it! Click on either of the links below to download your FREE pdf copy of this issue.

This issue is jam-packed (and there’s even a jam-making feature with my friend Sophia Stadnyk!), so download today and get started reading.

Single pages version: Celebrate Home Spring 2013

Reader spreads version (my favorite!): Celebrate Home Spring 2013 Spreads

Order a print copy (at cost, plus shipping): http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/540569

You can also view it on issuu.com here.

On the cover: What says “spring” more than colorful tulips? I was photographing this bed of flowers and was standing on the edge of the wall when this little girl, clad in a princess skirt with sparkly shoes, came running around the corner. I got this one shot and she was gone. Serendipity!

Staff portraits for Hearing Loss Magazine’s special convention issue

These are the interior shots I did of the HLAA staff members for our annual convention issue of Hearing Loss Magazine.

Congratulations, Michael Powell!

My dear friend/neighbor (and fellow photographer) Michael Powell just won a second place ribbon for his “Baby’s Got Blue Eyes” photo of a Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly in the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park photo contest this month. (To the left of his winning entry is his eagle photo and to the right is a bluebird photo he also entered; two of the four entries allowed). I helped him prepare his four photos for exhibition and am so proud of him for placing. He’s finally getting his stuff on display! Next up—convincing him to exhibit an entire solo show of his nature photography. Thanks to Walter Sanford for sharing Mark Jette’s photo of Michael’s winning entry.

See more of Michael’s work here: http://www.michaelqpowell.wordpress.com/

Design Studio: Photoshop Collages

I love the challenges and creativity of compositing photo illustrations in Photoshop! I combined my original photography, stock photography, words, borders, vector art, typefaces and textures to create these illustrations for editorial clients such as Hearing Loss Magazine, Municipal Lawyer Magazine and the AAHAM Journal.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

iPhoneography: Botanicals

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

iPhoneography: Landscapes

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.