#fully clothed in case that distinction was important

[pia55tri]

finally watching the last episode of DTS s06 and i was not prepared for all the carlos thirst traps or how pookie oscar is in this 😭

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard info compilation Post 3

[Part 1] [Part 2] Post is under a cut due to length.

There is a lot of information coming out right now about DA:TV from many different sources. This post is just an effort to compile as much as I can in one place, in case that helps anyone. Sources for where the information came from have been included. Where I am linking to a social media user’s post, the person is either a dev, a Dragon Age community council member or other person who has had a sneak peek at and played the game. nb, this post is more of a ‘info that came out in snippets from articles and social media posts’ collection rather than a 'regurgitating the information on the official website or writing out what happened in the trailer/gameplay reveal’ post. The post is broken down into headings on various topics. A few points are repeated under multiple headings where relevant. Where I am speculating without a source, I have clearly demarcated this. if you notice any mistakes in this post, please tell me.

Character Creation

All armor and clothing options will scale and mesh to any body type [source]

The character creator has lots of sliders for body parts and overall shape, none of which are tied to the voice or pronouns (she/her, he/him, or they/them) that you choose [source]

"Epler took special care to show off the extensive curly and textured hair options in the game, including several versions of braids and locs, noting that increasing these options in particular was very important to the team" [source]

You can change your character’s physical appearance at any time during the game, but not their class or backstory [source]

"Each individual class has some variability, too; even the mage class has some up-close-and-personal attacks, since a mage player character could still conceivably have an assassin backstory and would therefore need to have some attacks to accommodate that sort of career path" [source]

" "We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about skin tone,” Corinne said. The character we made, a Black elf, seemed to glow in the bluish light of a nighttime scene, and under bright sunlight, I could see the richness of his color. Corinne: "We want to make sure that skin tone is reflected authentically" " [source]

" “We have dozens and dozens of hair types,” she said. “And they’re fully affected by physics.” The quality and variety of choices I saw delighted me. The rows of bouncy, luxurious-looking hair of all curl types and textures (and yes, the annoyingly ubiquitous “Killmonger cut” was among the options, what can you do?) brought the biggest smile to my face in the hour I spent with Busche and The Veilguard." [source]

Story and lore

NPCs will remember when you chuck a shopkeeper through a plate-glass window [source]

" The game’s story sees Solas intact a plot that will result in the deaths of thousands. When his justification that “people die, it’s what they do,” falls on deaf ears, you and your merry band of misfits have to stop him " [source]

" “Early in the demo and in the trailer, you’re in a part of the world you’ve never been in – Tevinter,” Epler tells me. “Tevinter is known for being a place of high magic; visually, it’s different. Obviously in Origins you’re in Ferelden, which was grubby, muddy, and very visually different and distinct. That said, it’s the first hour of the game, so we’re only seeing the prologue. As you go deeper, you’ll find that the game can be just as bloody and just as grim as Dragon Age Origins, 2, and Inquisition. For us, it’s that feeling of contrast. You get moments of higher fantasy magic coming back to the world through Solas’ ritual, but also things get pretty grim, and things get pretty dark in some spaces for sure.” " [source]

"Snappy dialogue" [source]

The game is really about each of the companions [source]

Narrative narrative narrative! [source]

The Shadow Dragons are an underground resistance that engages in guerrilla warfare against the corrupt mage rulers of the Tevinter Imperium [source]

"Varric has created the group called the Veilguards, recruiting a veritable group of weirdos to pursue Solas, who’s carved a path through the magical empire of Tevinter" [source]

"There’s intrigue to the game’s tale already, with Varric hoping he can convince Solas to stop his plan of tearing open the Veil: a wish by the dwarf to save a dear friend. There’s a fascinating relationship that's already being set up, Varric and Solas as opposing narrative forces, with your character, Rook, pulled between them" [source]

"There’s extra context to flesh out dialogue, with short descriptions that help give a vague idea of how things play out. The example we were shown was Rook trying to take down a gang leader inside a bar. We could choose to defuse the situation with either words or weapons, but the catch is you don’t know how effective those approaches will be" [source]

" Busche explained that the team wanted to give players a game where locations were imbued with just as much personality as the characters. “That meant making contrast from the areas that are dark and decaying to the areas that are illuminated with magic,” Busche said " [source]

" “This is a part of the world where magic has been embraced,” Busche said. “It is a society of mages and magic in this world is inherently colorful. So whether we’re seeing them use magic for everyday purposes like signage or using them as spells, that color really comes through.” " [source]

We will visit the Necropolis of Nevarra [source]

Gameplay, presentation, performance etc

There are dozens of abilities and spells [source]

The game has an easy mode [source]

There is a setting where your character can't die in battle [source]

"The Rogue class in our demo had a bow with recharging arrows for ranged attacks, and dual blades that could unleash a furious flurry of instantaneous blows" [source]

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

[pendwelling]

Hello!

Have you seen the art for the new season of the TWSB webtoon?

Someone made a comment about how the new artist made the difference between the styles of Venetiaan and Riester are more obvious, and I remember you mentioned you wished that would happen, so I'm really curious about what you think.

Hope you have a nice day!

YESSSSS ABSOLUTELY

I was outdoors when the chapter dropped (which was additional torture in its own way bc I was literally counting down live hours and minutes till the season launched with some friends LMAO) and went so crazy taking screenshots while walking..... I've seen all the available chapters so far and YEAH. YEAH!! IM REALLY REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE CLOTHING..... OH MY GOD............... THE ARTIST RLLY KNOWS WHAT THEYRE DOING!!!! They even admitted to being a fan of the original novel and you can tell!!

Jesse has such a distinct fashion and visual culture to his wardrobe that the Riesterians don't have and it singles him out as a foreigner in another country so so so well. When the webtoon was initially announced, the fashion was one of the biggest things I was anticipating and I'm glad the new season is able to tap into this (surprisingly very!) important detail of the novel!

Some minor?? not really but just in case spoilers for future events (im pretty sure? I talked about this subject before BUT IM DOING IT AGAIN BC I JUST LIKE THIS ASPECT OF TWSB SO MUCH LMAO, SORRY IF THIS ENDS UP BECOMING LONG NONSENSE)—but the clothing that characters wear is pretty significant in the story in terms of symbolism, provenance, culture, and/or allegiance, particularly with characters like Prince Jesse Venetiaan and Sir Johann Geens who come from the Divine Kingdom of Venetiaan. The most obvious of the cultural differences between countries of the continent can be seen in little things like how Johann greets Jesse in the style of the Divine Kingdom upon first meeting him [ch69][in ep48 of the webtoon, is depicted as a bow at the waist, with the arm folded at the elbow and tucked near the stomach/torso], which even Jesse remarks is completely different from what is done in the Empire. When they are first getting to know each other, Johann actually switches with how he addresses Jesse, from calling him" Your (Royal) Highness" [(왕자) 전하]—unlike the Riester characters, who refer to Jesse as "Prince-nim" [왕자님] (which is what Johann also uses when he isn't slipping up with his addresses)—which is similarly what Riester citizens would call Cédric, who is their own nation's prince: "Your (Imperial) Highness" [(황자) 전하]. There is a very clear denoting/admission of allegiance and nationality in the way people address important titled individuals (tho Johann is a bit of a peculiar case for very specific reasons), and in the way they DRESS!

When Johann finally becomes accepted as one of Empress Frédérique's men, he notably starts wearing Riester outfits instead of Venetiaan ones [ch121]. Previously, since he came from Venetiaan, he would usually dress in that kingdom's style (the webtoon, however, shows his first appearance in an attire that is a bit more ambiguous..? Personally, it looks Riesterian, but I can give it a pass since he's currently ragged LMAO and also dispatched from the Vatican in the Neutral zone, not to mention theres also the possibility of Jesse's wardrobe just being fancier since he's royalty so he might not be the best example of Venetiaan fashion wkskks [depending on how the webtoon artist will further take this]). But in his character profile from the author, it is distinctly mentioned that he initially starts out wearing Venetiaan-style clothing (until, again, ch121 where he makes his first appearance in imperial attire, ft. a summer coat)!

///ch100+ territory/// — As for Jesse(Yeseo), even when he is granted the title of "Marquis Sérénité", he is still not fully considered part of the Empire due to his extremely complicated position as a friend of the Crown (he even refuses naturalization himself), yet also as the diplomatic hostage from the opposing kingdom. People may call him a Marquis and may respect him as so, but he is still referred to as Prince-nim, and as Moon of the Kingdom (and as other perhaps less than tasteful titles from time to time), and is still generally dressed in what his staff believes to be the familiar clothing of "his" home country. It isn't until much later when [REDACTED IYKYK] happens that this association of "Jesse Venetiaan" with the Venetiaan Kingdom switches over to that of the Riester Empire—to where the style of address used to refer to him then changes to be respectively associated with RIESTER, and his wardrobe also changes to match this.

It might not seem important at first glance, but the clothing in the series is a detail that I really really love and one that I find adds so much more layers and meaning to the world, especially when paired with all these other nuances. It also marks significant shifts in statuses and relationships!! "Jesse Venetiaan" is no longer just a diplomatic hostage Prince from a foreign country, the lone resident of the Cold Palace—"Jung Yeseo" is a dear friend of the Crown, the Marquis of Sérénité, the Palace Lord of Juliette, the Little Moon of the EMPIRE! and his gradual shift in clothing reflects his position in his environment, in his status, in his identity, and in the trust and affection that the people around him have for him.

AND GGHUHAGAHHHHHH DOES THE NEW SEASON OF THE WEBTOON DO A REALLY FUN JOB WITH HIS CLOTHING SO FAR 🥹🥹🥹🥹 I like how DIFFERENTLY he is dressed from everyone else!!! When he stands beside Cédric and Christelle he really sticks out! Jesse is wrapped in long pieces of fabric that drape across his torso, wrapping around the waist and pooling down to his legs—his sleeves are loose but wrapped snuggly at the wrists (large sleeves are particularly a staple of Venetiaan noble fashion [ch447]) and his collars are round and taller like that of a cheongsam (not to be confused with imperial uniform collars tho), without any neckties in sight, and he wears very obvious knotted buttons as opposed to the more simple round ones!!!!! It's neat, it's really really neat! Riester costumes take a more militaresque/uniform kind of look for characters like Cédric and Élisabeth, but outside of formalities, they and other characters clothe themselves in dress shirts, button-ups, vests, coats/justaucorps—and most distinctly THE NECK ACCESSORIES.... The accessories between the Riester and Venetiaan characters are so distinct haha! It definitely comes down to their differences in collars—Venetiaan's round cheongsam-like collars wouldn't pair with cravats and ascots, after all. Season 1 often dressed Jesse in outfits that felt more Imperial than Divine Kingdom, so seeing this new change is very cool. (Oh I feel like I should also note that while I often use Johann as an example, he's admittedly a bit of an outlier bc he's noted to not care for neatness and, like many others in the cast, often leaves some top buttons popped open. He's really suited for Riester costumes in that sense haha!!) Yeseo, unlike the Original Jesse, isn't much one for some excessiveness for Yeseo's fashion, while fancy, is less on the eye-catching side, but I do hope to see some fur robes and hats one day from other characters if not him!!

In all the webtoon chapters for Season 2's launch (ep46~51), Jesse hasn't gone through that many outfit changes (there are about 3), and while it's a small amount, it's still really cool to see how different his attire is from the Riester characters, which really hammers down how much of an "outsider" and foreigner he still is at this point in this story—still trying to set himself apart from the tidal waves that are the Main Characters—where the kids are still getting to know each other and are figuring out what they want from one another. FASHION AS A NARRATIVE TOOL........ I JUST FIND IT NEAT.....

Early TWSB is very fun, and I'm glad I get to experience it all over again through the webtoon!! I hope you're enjoying it too 🥹🥹 And I noticed I really went off on a tangent wkdjkdkd sorry about that.... I'm just so so so excited for the visuals of this season, and knowing that the adaptation team (the artist in particular) is a fan of the original source material gives me some hope that this story will be in safe hands, alongside that of the writer, who I will be cheering on too. Season 1's HGN has a very cute and pretty style that is really well suited for modern-day story settings (evident by the art posted on their socmeds!), and I wish them luck in any future endeavours!!!

I think I'm gonna head to bed soon.... I've been drawing and thinking about TWSB the whole day bc of the webtoon wkdjkkdk and I think it's time to pass out :') Anyway YES CONGRATS ON SEASON 2!!! (I WILL BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT ON THE CLOTHING! IM HAVING LOTS OF FUN!!)

I hope you've had/are having a nice day too!!!!

[fayannah]

The Three Suits to Rule Them All

its real! edgeworth suit essay is real and available to read below the cut or on ao3!

An analytical essay on how Edgeworth's various suits/eras express his opinions and desires. From replicating Manfred von Karma to Gregory Edgeworth, Miles's suits tell a lot about how he viewed these important people in the games and his life.

Introduction

You may be wondering why the Genius Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth's suit matters so much. Well, Dear Reader, that is what I hope to explain. Edgeworth has three distinct eras in which his suit is different. The changes often show how he views and takes after key figures in his life, such as Manfred von Karma and his father, Gregory Edgeworth. This may sound like an over-analysis and it most likely is, but these are details that I noticed and I care too much about Ace Attorney to let them go.

The Cravat Drama

Miles Edgeworth doesn't wear a cravat. I know right? Crazy. Multiple times in the games, he refers to it as a cravat when it is actually a jabot. This distinction doesn't matter for this essay but who gave it to him does.

In Sound the Turnabout Melody, episode 6 of season 2 in the anime, Miles Edgeworth receives his first cravat from Manfred von Karma. The overall episode is very sweet but it's the ending that matters for our purposes. (The dog is named Napalm :'''') At the end of the episode, after Miles confronts Goldy Gerwitz, Manfred is impressed with Miles's deductive skills and takes him on as a protege instead of sending him to an orphanage. The cravat/jabot is a mark of being under Manfred von Karma's tutelage.

Both Manfred and Franziska have a variation of a cravat on their clothes. When Miles receives his, it also represents Manfred accepting him as part of the von Karma family and therefore part of the von Karma legacy.

The cravat is an important symbol overall but where it is placed is also significant. Miles's cravat is (kind of) over his heart so you could say Miles is carrying a piece of Manfred with him wherever he goes.

Brathworth

The next time we see Miles, he is 20 (going chronologically by in-game time) He's dressed in a suit that is in one word, pompous. Miles has definitely continued down the path of imitating Manfred (in his sprites too but that's not what we're talking about) From the detailed waistcoat to their matching black collar and suit cuffs, Miles reeks of von Karma. The cravat is still in its usual place over his "heart" Miles's first case(s) don't go so well but he makes sure to remind everyone who he studied under.

This isn't to say that Miles isn't his own person. He wears a suit so magenta, the only way to describe it is…distinctive. I like to imagine Miles designed this suit with "a nod to the future and a thank you to the past" in mind (because he's honestly really annoying and pretentious.) He looks like himself, just not fully himself, in the fancy suit with fancy gold detailing on it.

This is fully not relevant in any sense of the word but in one of the anime bloopers, the judge upon Miles's entrance exclaims, "Oh, your suit is loud." I feel like that fully encapsulates this era of Miles Edgeworth as a whole. He calls Mia Fey a "novice bimbo" while wearing a suit that screams "I'm too good for you" Overall, this is not his best look but it's certainly entertaining and telling about his relationship with Manfred von Karma.

Edgeworth

This is how we first see Edgeworth in the games. Clad in his iconic burgundy suit and cravat, this is how most people imagine him. This section happens to be jam-packed with references and the representation of Manfred von Karma in Miles's life because as I stated before, Manfred was one of the most important people to Miles.

A notable difference between Bratworth and Edgeworth's suits is the lack of the obnoxious gold detailing and bright blue waistcoat. It represents Miles becoming his own prosecutor and redesigning his suit to fit his tastes, not Manfred's.

Miles still carries around a piece of von Karma with him though. His cravat is more or less over his heart and a reminder of who gave him this life.

After Turnabout Goodbyes and Rise from the Ashes technically but the timeline is a little confusing, Miles "chooses death" It isn't the choosing death part that I want to focus on but his return. Miles's stated reason for leaving is to find out what being a prosecutor meant and reinvent himself. In his dramatic reappearance in Farewell, My Turnabout, he arrives wearing the same suit. The same suit with the symbol of Manfred von Karma and the von Karma legacy squarely on his heart.

On his year-long gallivant around Europe, Miles says he thought about what it meant to be a von Karma. Why then, would he carry around a symbol of his mentor, a convicted murderer, Manfred von Karma? Subtracting all of the murder, Manfred could have been a good mentor and possibly even father to Miles. One thing that is canon, is that the von Karma legacy is extremely harsh and both Miles and Franziska struggle under its weight. Manfred is hardly the first von Karma and who's to say he didn't struggle with achieving perfection throughout his life?

Another fixture in Miles's life is his office. Aside from my personal favorite item of his, the chess set, Miles owns a frame of his old suit from his Bratworth days. This frame is present throughout the series, leading into investigations. In the timeline, the first case of Ace Attorney Investigations when we see the suit, is a full two years after Turnabout Goodbyes. That suit is most likely a huge reminder of Manfred. Miles was not back in the US for a year but he still had time to remove it when he was back. There must be something positive that he gets from this suit because it also represents a lot of horrible things, from his mentor to unknowingly presenting fake evidence and possibly killing the innocent.

As you can tell from the sheer size of this section, there is a lot to unpack in terms of symbolism for this era of Edgeworth. AA2 is mostly about the von Karma legacy and how it affected others. Since it takes up so much space in the games, it takes up even more space in my mind.

Chiefworth

AAI2 is about Miles's internal conflict about his job and whether to stay on the "prosecutor's path" The next time we see him is in Turnabout for Tomorrow. He is the Chief Prosecutor and sports a pair of glasses (not in court though) Looking at his official artwork, you can see his coat is longer and a lot more similar to his father's. A natural conclusion is that after the events of AAI2, Miles re-evaluated his position as a prosecutor and how he could bring more of his father into his life.

Overall, this era of Edgeworth isn't very interesting in a narrative sense. It signals the end of a character arc and doesn't leave much to speculate about how his suit may change in future games.

The actual game play when Edgeworth appears in-game, is some of my favorite. The nostalgia in Turnabout Time Traveler and the general banter every time Miles and Phoenix interact comes of really well despite other issues I have with AA5-6.

Conclusion

Throughout the entire game series, Miles wears his cravat. A symbol of the von Karma's. Every single time we see him in this god-forsaken game series, he wears the symbol of the canonically harsh von Karma legacy of perfection. Miles admits multiple times that he doesn't feel like he deserves or wants to be a part of this legacy, yet he still wears the cravat.

At the end of his narrative arc, he wears two symbols, his cravat and his coat. Both are representations of the two mentors in Miles's life, Gregory Edgeworth and Manfred von Karma. By AA5, he has learned to show the two most important inspirations in his life on his personage.

Miles Edgeworth is a character that this fandom loves. I've seen many an analysis about him and his actions but never on his suit. I don't think that the character designers for Ace Attorney were thinking this much about his suit. I definitely do think there was thought put into Miles's different outfits (the resemblance to his father and Manfred is not a coincidence) Honestly, I have no clue why this essay spawned into the eldritch horror it is now but I hope it made some sense.

[tobiasdrake]

Interrogating Worst Pupper yielded some surprising results and more questions. Let's see if Kurumi has any context to offer about it.

GODDAMMIT KURUMI. I turned my back for five minutes. Did you get kidnapped, eaten, or hungry? All three of these options are viable.

Hard to make out the clothes from here. Is that supposed to be Kurumi or one of the Master Detectives? It looks like another Halara to me.

Oh hey! Congrats, Vivia. Either you or a version of you finally got what he wanted!

Yeah, my money is on Kurumi getting hungry and wandering off to find some flesh to eat. She'll probably be feral for a shocking WTF next time we see her.

In any case, what do we have for intel on Vivia's body?

That distinction is important. It's why bodies have to be disposed of quickly from Kanai Ward.

Okay so that would naturally follow why the homunculus guy is their lead weapon designer. I'm following.

Whole-ass physical reset upon death. Yeah, that'd definitely give the game away if the bodies weren't removed fast enough.

One day, however, is a reasonable timeframe. That's more than enough time to dump them off in the Restricted Area and keep up the cover.

I wonder if we could reset the ferals to factory settings as easily as killing them and letting them regenerate?

I hope our friends are homunculi. I don't want them to be dead-dead.

That's. Interesting. So then it might not be possible for everyone in Kanai Ward to be homunculi. Huesca himself can't be a homunculus. Neither can old man Margulaw from the Resistance. I thought homunculi would naturally age and then regen when they died but no. Anyone that's elderly must be human.

Still haven't met Yakou. Maybe he was human. :(

So you wouldn't even know that you're a homunculus.

I'm going to laugh if this is the explanation for pink blood. "Anyone with pink blood is a homunculus. Nobody ever notices this discrepancy for some reason."

Oh look, there she goes. Kurumi has a rumbly in her tumbly. We should go see how if she's found anyone to snack on. We might find her gnawing on Fubuki's bones.

This looks an awful lot like a driveable road. Bet you this is where the truck bringing the "corpses" of deceased homunculi comes down.

If there are real humans in the city, they might bring those for the ferals to snack on too.

Looks like something smashed through it from inside. That's. I have no idea. Nothing we've seen thus far adds up to HULK SMASH PUNY DOOR. Well, let's go in and see what horrifying behemoth made this hole.

The Food Processing Plant wasn't the secret secret lab. It was the Food Processing Plant. We didn't get to fully explore it but I still think that's where the kidnapped outsiders get processed into KANAI WARD SIGNATURE MEAT BUNS.

So this might be the secret secret lab instead. Man, Kurumi shambled fast for a feral.

OKAY NEVER MIND I GUESS OLD PEOPLE CAN BE HOMUNCULI. Maybe if you were already old when your homunculus was made, you're stuck that way. No backwards-aging for you.

Huesca does not think highly of his own homunculus project. Makes sense since, if Blank Week means what I think it does, he fucking killed everybody in Kanai Ward. Including himself, as we can see here.

Huh, no wonder Yomi couldn't let him escape the city. Just like Icardi, things would have gone downhill real fast and in a hurry for the homunculus secret if Huesca inadvertently and publicly cut himself off from the sanity-preserving meat buns.

Huesca was motivated to rush his work and cut corners to try and win the arms race against UG's experiments. So, of course, he fucked up and everybody died.

No wonder he has a terrible reputation even within Amaterasu.

It was gentrification. There was never a toxic gas leak. That was the excuse used to move everyone out of the village so that Huesca could carry out his work.

Oh look. Zilch's interrogation ended abruptly when he began looping the conversation. I think Huesca's looping all the way back to the beginning. This is when he first woke up as a homunculus, after Makoto remade everyone.

I don't think we need to ask Kurumi about Blank Week anymore. It's pretty obvious what it was at this point.

[david-schmid-photo]

How to Capture The Perfect Black and White Portrait

© David Schmid

Black-and-white photos, while widely known, are often misunderstood. Some view them as an afterthought — a way to edit a color picture we’re not fully happy with. 

With that mentality, we miss the true beauty that black-and-white portraiture can bring. From evoking emotion to highlighting certain features, there is a lot you can do with a black-and-white portrait.

This article will discuss the whys and hows of capturing beautiful black-and-white portraits. So get your camera ready, find your muse, and let’s see how you can bring your black-and-white photography to the next level.

Color vs. Black-and-White Portraits

This might be a matter of personal preference or pure practicality. Black-and-white typically leads to more dramatic portraits.

With portraiture, there are specific considerations to bear in mind when making this decision. The first one is your subject and whether the use of color is essential. Is their hair a vibrant shade of color or do they wear clothes that stand out?

Secondly, consider the setting or backdrop. Does the color scheme play a significant role in the shot you're capturing?

Black-and-white portraiture could be an option for you if you answered no to these questions. Most importantly, this is because it eliminates background noise. Additionally, black-and-white portrait photography brings out the subject's best features.

Lastly, the significance of mood and ambience is another key factor to think about. Although black and white portraits are commonly thought of as having a somber or depressing tone, that is not necessarily the case.

6 Tips for Capturing a Beautiful Black-and-White Portrait

© David Schmid

A lot must be considered with black-and-white images, and these are my top six tips for you when shooting a portrait.

1. Make Black-and-White Your Mindset

Using black and white as a post-production experimental decision is something that many photographers incorrectly do. Black-and-white portraits have their own particularities, therefore it is important to start your photoshoot with black-and-white in mind.

Rather than treating black-and-white as an afterthought, adopt a perspective that is consistent with black-and-white portraiture. Think ahead and choose if you'll be shooting in color or not. When you go into making an image with the intention of turning it black and white, you can ensure it has all the makings of a great monochrome shot before you even click the shutter. 

You have to change your strategy when dealing with black-and-white images because they are distinct from color photos. For example, the most striking black-and-white pictures often showcase striking lighting, distinct facial expressions, and a wide range of tonal contrasts. 

For the greatest effects, plan to shoot in black and white ahead of time because these elements are hard, if not impossible, to adjust after the fact.

2. Set Up Proper Lighting

Lighting matters a lot in black-and-white portraits. It's not just about brightness; lighting shapes how the picture looks and feels. Light and shadows highlight the face, making features more noticeable. 

When done right, it also brings out textures and gives the photo a timeless quality. In black and white, there's no color to grab attention, so lighting becomes crucial. It sets the mood and captures emotions, making the photo more about the person. 

Without good lighting, a black-and-white photo might look flat or dull. It's like the secret ingredient that turns a regular picture into fine art.

3. Choose The Right Pose

When experimenting with black-and-white portrait photography, it could be tempting to go for a more dramatic and atmospheric approach. But there is an option to get a more candid shot of your subject if you choose.

Black and white doesn't have to be all film noir; in fact, it may bring forth humor and enjoyment. Just as much as color portraits may bring out a subject's smile, black-and-white photography can do the same.

4. Use Tethering

Simply said, tethering is the process of linking your camera to a mobile device or computer. With this easy setup, you can view your images on a bigger screen right away, giving you a better idea of what the final image will be like.

Tethering is a lifesaver when shooting with a camera that doesn't have an electronic viewfinder with a high pixel density. The large screen allows you to see the exact effects of your black-and-white settings as they happen. Instead of winging it, you may now make calculated modifications while shooting.

5. Use a Wide Aperture

Using a wide aperture, such as f/1.4 to f/2.5, in black-and-white portrait images will create a bokeh effect and draw attention to the subject's eyes or other focus points.

With a wide aperture and a sharp focus on the subject's eye, you can also blur their facial characteristics. This can also be striking in monochrome, which forces the viewer to actively choose how to distinguish between foreground and background elements in the absence of color.

6. Consider High ISO

Generally speaking, you should aim to avoid using a high ISO setting. At extremely high ISO settings, it can also reduce an image's sharpness, contrast, and clarity by producing noise.

Nevertheless, when shooting black-and-white portraits, using a high ISO isn't necessarily an issue. It may even be something you decide on. Changing a noisy, high-ISO color image to black and white can make it easier to work with. It has the power to transform an ordinary photo into an artistic masterpiece.

Final Thoughts

As any portrait photographer will tell you, when done right, black-and-white portraits can convey much more than you’d first expect. By following these tips, you can shoot your own black-and-white masterpieces.

If you’d like your black-and-white portraits shot professionally, don’t hesitate to contact me about your photoshoot!

[lacasadel]

How Do Cats Recognize Their Owners?

Have you ever wondered what your cat thinks when it looks at you in the eyes? Cats have different perspectives on people than most people do. Understanding their feline viewpoint might help you get to know your cat better.

Cats do not acknowledge humans as their superiors or masters, unlike other domesticated animals. They don't even recognize their owners at first glance, which has given them an unjustified reputation as a reclusive species. Cats cannot tell their owners apart by gazing at their faces while sleeping. Instead, cats use sound and smell to distinguish between humans.

Cats can know their owner's voice and detect a distinct aroma on human skin, regardless of whether the owner is wearing perfume. It is a myth that cats don't recognize or care for their owners because they can form strong emotional bonds. Simply put, their perception and comprehension are different from ours. In today's article, we will talk about how cats recognize their owners. But before we begin, please don't forget to like this article and subscribe to this channel to get more awesome content. Now let's get into it.

Contrary to popular belief, cats can identify their human companions, despite what you may think about their personalities and dispositions. When they come across their owners, they can tell one human from another and will recognize them. This is feasible because cats form strong emotional bonds with the people they live with, regarding them as members of their family. Even though they might not seem as expressive as dogs, it can be trickier to read their body language. Cats simply express themselves differently, as anyone who has formed an emotional attachment with one will attest to. Cats will reciprocate when their guardians meet their basic needs, establish security in the home, and show them the right amount of affection.

Let's look at the ways cats recognize their owners. By fragrance and marking, cats have up to 80 million scent receptors in their nose, 20 times more than humans. Every person also smells distinctively different to cats. Through the use of synthetic fragrances like shampoo or perfume, people can identify with one another. This facade is cut down by a cat's nose, which detects the scent of human skin. The cat will be intrigued if you switch up your fragrance. Your cat might glare at you while opening its jaws, lolling its tongue, and curving its upper lip. This is referred to as the "Flehmen" reaction. On the roof of a cat's mouth is the vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson's organ. Cats respond with the Flehmen when they smell something new because they fully absorb and minimize the fragrance. Cats remember good and bad things that are important to them, so they'll be keen to memorize a new smell associated with their owner.

Before you say anything, your cat will sniff you for any markings. Cats, as noted, won't identify their owner by sight. As far as a cat is concerned, until you speak, you may be anyone. Cats can recognize their siblings right away thanks to their sense of smell. Your cat will continually make its mark on you and will leave a scent behind every time it rubs its head or paws on you, designating you as a source of pleasure. Consider it to be the cat version of a "note to self." Your fragrance suggests that you are the source of food or entertainment. Your cat will search for these scents when it initially notices you. When it realizes that you don't pose a threat after detecting them, it will come closer to you. However, your aroma will make it feel better. Your cat is additionally sniffing around for different scents. Cats are naturally inquisitive creatures, and they are curious about your whereabouts when they are not around. Smells from the places you've been will be on your skin and clothes.

Talking to your cat will make it clear that you are who you say you are, which may cause the cat to begin rubbing up against you. If that's the case, it's refreshing its scent to mask these fresh smells. Your cat knows that other felines use scent to recognize you, so rubbing is your cat's way of claiming you and sending a warning to other cats that you have been claimed. By listening to the owner's voice, kittens respond to their mother's voice. A queen will attract her young with a distinctive meow or chirp that will alert them to impending danger or a feeding opportunity. When a cat matures and separates from its mother, its owner assumes control. The cat will react to your voice the same way it did to its mother because it expects you to protect them from harm, provide food, and provide shelter. A cat will distinguish voices other than their owners and even the other noises you make, such as breathing and footfalls. Your cat may be waiting at the door when you get home from work since it has remembered your gait and grown accustomed to hearing your footsteps. The cat, with its hearing, had you coming from a distance.

Cats can identify human respiratory patterns. Do you ever catch your cat gazing at you when you first wake up? It may be because it has noticed changes in your respiration. The cat hasn't stayed in this position all night. Cats can tell whether you're sleeping deeply versus being practically awake, possibly because you've stopped snoring.

Cats can see in color, but they presumably have a different perspective on us and the world than we do. The world seems blue, gray, and yellow to cats because they have a minimal number of red-sensitive cones. Cats cannot distinguish between red and green, thus your cat probably won't notice if you have brilliant red hair. A new study found that cats and some other mammals can see colors that humans can usually only see under a black light. The world of cats might be extraordinarily vivid, considering that many things in our world, like birds and flowers, have UV coloration. Whether or not you are glowing, if you are too far away from your cat, you can appear to be a giant blur. Cat's eyes lack the muscles that allow humans to adjust the shape of their lenses to concentrate on objects at various distances; therefore, they are limited to focusing on objects that are between 6 and 20 inches distant. Cats are, therefore, colorblind, nearsighted, and likely to see the world as being illuminated by a black light.

By treating humans as big fellow cats, it should be no surprise to any cat owner that cats can distinguish between humans. Most felines have a particular person they prefer to be with over other people. However, the cat cannot recognize this individual by sight. Cats treat us as if we're big, clumsy fellow cats. A cat will greet you the same way she would greet another cat when she rubs up against you and lifts her tail. They could consider us to be family. Kneading is a kitten's way of requesting milk, so when a cat uses her paws to knead you, she is treating you like a kitten with its mother. On the other hand, if your cat frequently tries to groom you, she may be behaving in a kitten-like manner towards you. We could conclude that cats sometimes see us as other species.

Cats can recognize their owners and other humans, but not based on their appearance. Voice and scent are critical factors in feline recognition. So speak to your cat regularly and encourage scent landmarking.

If you liked this article, subscribe to our channel and explore more interesting facts about cats with us. Also, don't forget to drop a comment in the comment section and feel free to check out the other articles on this website.

[audreyhardmeyerbloh]

Blog #4: The Sexualization and Objectification of Women and its Effects on its Viewers (9/23)

Next, I'll be talking about the sexualization &objectification of women in the media, the message it's sending, and its effect on its viewers. More times than not, I've seen advertisements, billboards, TV shows, films, magazines, and commercials objectifying sexualizing women for their own profit and the male gaze. Remember, a conventionally attractive naked body will bring in profit, money, and power, reinforcing this negative cycle of objectification. The majority of film makers or corporations that create movies are controlled by men. [Don't even get me started on the sexualization of women in video games, treating them as nothing but a sex trophy, seen as something to be won]. This leaves so much space and control for men to depict female characters and use women as they please. AKA allowance for sexism to run rampant! The sexualization of women online can translate to real-world violence and suppressive norms. I also think that the forceful sexualization of women in digital media and films takes away from women's choice to show their bodies, which can be self-empowering and showcase their own agency to use their bodies how they want to use them.

According to graph by the Annenberg School of Journalism, “over the past 10 years, top films have shown more than 40 percent of young women in “sexy clothes and 35 percent with nudity” (Smith et al., 2017). While women are already underrepresented in many careers, leadership roles, and specifically films, they are also objectified and used to evoke sexual desire in consumers. Many female characters and films don't get to show their personality, have an opinion, or have control, or power. Instead, they are given roles as a sexual “sidekick”, to keep people watching the films. As portrayed in Disney, many female characters exist primarily to serve the male protagonist storyline, such as Jasmine and Aladdin, Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Meg from Hercules. For example, in The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot Robbie is used as a sex pawn and has no other big role in the movie other than to be sexy and objectified. In a movie about scamming and life on Wall Street, there is no objective reason as to why her character should be naked, it is only for the male gaze and to push the agenda that it's OK to objectify women. Giada Gavazzi says that “ her main contribution to the film is aesthetic: we see her fully naked in one scene, topless in another, and otherwise clad mostly in lingerie and tight dresses” (Gavazzi, 2022).

Women are hyper-sexualized in the media, and it is everywhere. There will be commercials or digital advertisements that are trying to sell things that have nothing to do with a woman's body, but they use a woman's body to sell the product. And in this case, women's bodies are being used as sellable commodities and objectified via sexualization of them. I've even seen a soap commercial that uses a naked woman in the commercial and for what? To use women as a distraction or an object – the woman is the object getting as well. Elizabeth Gonzalez, in a presentation, made a really good distinction. She explains that sexualization occurs in four components. To paraphrase, women are first sexualized when their value is determined by their physical or sexual appeal,  not their personality. The second is when young girls are treated as sexual or sexualizing children. The third is when a woman is held to a standard that only equates their attractiveness to being sexy, naked, or hot, rather than being smart, kind, or intelligent. The last is when a woman is made into a tool for others' sexual desires, rather than treated as a human person who has agency and independence. All of this exponentially is occurring in the media, specifically, films, and examples are shown in many of the classic Disney films.

It happens in politics, rallies, and other important events. What I also want to mention is how the sexualization of women takes away from the fights that they may have to battle. For example, in Pocahontas, the young Indigenous woman is sexualized and romanticized in a way that takes away from the historical event that is happening in the film. Pocahontas and the rest of her tribe are fighting for their lives, their land, and their agency. At the same time, Disney is creating a character who is seen as sexy and in need of a husband, to gain happiness. Sexualization here is being used to mask the reality of a brutal and cruel situation, which is colonization and genocide. This classic message is that life can be fixed with a man and that a beautiful, sexy woman will not have any issues if they have a man who is sick and shown in a sexualized narrative. Pocahontas does not need to be shown in sexy clothing that is not at all representative of Indigenous tribes, etcetera. This type of sexualization, on a broader scale, serves as some type of distraction from the deeper issues and battles that women face, such as inequality, systematic violence, and dehumanization. By focusing on a woman's breasts, no structure, cleavage, or waist-to-hip ratio, it honestly dulls conversations about women's rights, agency, and independence that women still fight for. In this case, it also masks the reality of the situation in the movie Pocahontas; Pocahontas and the rest of her Indigenous tribe are fighting for the land that they own.

To bring the Disney corporation into this as well, there are far too many examples of the princesses being sexualized and objectified. Just to note, many of the Disney princesses are very young, I'm talking 11 to 14 years old --some of them are dressed up in very revealing shorts, busty shirts, showing cleavage, and being half naked. Why do young characters need so much revealing clothing, if the Disney corporation is not trying to send a sexualized message about women to the consumers? Unfortunately, Disney sexualizes adolescent and preteen princesses, because they have An audience of not only young children, but parents and adults. How do they get older people to also watch these classic Disney films? Well, they make some of the women look sexy, flirtatious, and stunningly beautiful, to attract the male gaze and male viewers. Although on one side these princesses are idols for young girls and boys, they're also sex symbols for adults and older individuals. Pocahontas tells the story of an 11 to 12-year-old girl, who is romantically involved with a man. Jessica Rabbit is shown as a very voluptuous sexy symbol. Esmeralda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Ariel from The Little Mermaid only wears a bra and shows 75% of her entire body, and she's a young girl. Hanes found that even “ The Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media found recently that even animated female characters tend to wear sexualized attire: Disney's Jasmine, for instance, has a sultry off-the-shoulder look, while even Miss Piggy shows cleavage” (Hanes, 2011).

Once again the prominent sexualization of women in films or digital media helps to shape perceptions of how women are valued and seen. From Coca-Cola advertising campaigns to the Friends TV show and the classic Disney Princess films, women are often depicted as mere objects of sexual desire, which do not attain agency, control, or power, and don't even get me started brains or intellect. This type of representation and sexist stereotype that prioritizes conventional beauty, bodies, and physical appearance is extremely harmful. The agenda is pushed that a woman's worth is linked to her body or sex appeal, which can have effects on both girls and boys, who view films that portray these messages. For example, if young girls and women view movies where women are constantly sexualized or used for their bodies, this can lead women to think that they are only as good as their bodies. Or that they need to achieve the unattainable beauty standards that the male patriarchy portrays through Disney films, such as a thin waist, a button nose, voluptuous hair, fair skin, etcetera. This can tank self-esteem, and create body image issues, and mental health disturbances. On the other hand, for young boys, it teaches them that it's OK to only look at women as inferior objects or as simple bodies come up rather than recognize them as individuals with agency and independence.

Persistent viewing of sexualized images holds the potential to desensitize young audiences, which creates the normalization of objectifying women.  Swagata Sen says that “men tend to internalize that message, and it influences their subconscious biases of how they view women… they legitimize violence, harassment, and anti-women views” (Sen, 2019). The more this happens, the more people believe this is how socialization and society should function. Men have created dominant views in the USA because they are seen as the ones whose decisions and views should be taken as "facts." This includes perpetuating the idea that women are just objects that can be used and paraded around for men and their happiness or that when we have to look sexy and hot to even gain an ounce of respect or attention from our male counterparts. Furthermore, because the devaluation of women has become ingrained in daily life via digital media (AND DISNEY MOVIES), the widespread adoption of such imagery and characters fosters social acceptance of sexism and sexualization.

In the Disney movies, the female characters were way more sexualized than the male characters. They were wearing clothing that was revealing of a sexualized body part or physical feature and treated as objects, in a way. One person even said, "Ariel’s cinched waist and round derriere reminded me of Kim K, which is a little disturbing to see…” (Dockterman & Stampler, 2014). according to Disney, she's a 16-year-old girl. She is one of the youngest daughters of King Triton but is portrayed in such a way as to make her look much older and more developed. She has a seashell bra that is very provocative, shows 80% of her body, has perfect hair and skin, and a tinier waist than the length of her eyes. To me, this is outright sexualizing a young teenage girl, which has even broader implications to women in general Sexualization does include making young childlike girls look more adult like and sexy. I think that it's very twisted and pushes a certain agenda to make women look a certain way, via the way they portrayed Ariel in The Little Mermaid. In this short clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG6zL909y_o&t=99s ) much of the focus and shots are on her body. Even I am watching back the film, couldn't help but stare at how beautiful and perfect she looks. It makes me feel bad about myself! I'll never have the waste of her, or the voluptuous lips, hips, breasts, and etcetera. Disney showcases but a perfect and conventional woman looks like, which is aerial, which sexualizes women in a negative way. I don't know if I know one woman who naturally looks like that, and women who do look like that are sexualized. Women who are beautiful, get catcalled, sexually harassed, and objectified for their looks, which is instigated via digital media and Disney films.

We also see this in Jasmine from Aladdin. Jasmine is supposedly around 15 or 16 years old. She wears a tiny crop top, and flowy pants accentuate our tiny waist and big size. She has perfect eyeliner, huge eyes, perfect hair, and tiny wrists and feet. Again, she looks breathtaking and stunning but focuses on her body rather than what she wants for her life and decisions. She even says in the movie that she is not an object or a prize to be sold or won. Jasmine says in this small clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_WRPz-arFA ), “ …all of you standing around and deciding my future, I am not a prize to be won.” They outright objectify and sexualize Jasmine in the film, her father, the Sultan, Jafar, and other men who are begging for her on their hands and knees. Another point that I want to point out is the dominance of the sexualization of women of color in the media in general. Women of color are often sexualized and objectified and stereotyped as exotic, sexual, or erotic -- which stems from racist and gendered depictions. The intersection of race and gender can be seen here in Jasmine or Esmeralda. Jasmine is a woman from the Middle East, unsure of her actual ethnicity. Women from the Middle East are often sexualized and exoticized when portrayed in white contemporary films, more so than if a white character is playing the same role. Back to my point, many women in the Middle East do not regularly wear revealing clothing because it's a part of the culture or religion. There is no good reason that a young 16-year-old Princess named Jasmine should be sexualized in a way where she's wearing ‘suggestive’ clothing(or written into the storyline as such) because it's not representative of who she is supposed to be.

There's also a scene where Jafar imprisons Jasmine. Again, she is dressed in the sexiest attire, with, well, I'm sure, his hair, beautiful jewelry, a tiny waist, and revealing clothes. So far, then says very sexist and stereotypical verbiage associated with sexualization, “a beautiful desert bloom like yourself should be on the arm of the most powerful man in the world.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW95aHWcwQM&t=34s ) She's then seen talking in a flirtatious and sexy tone and using provocative body language towards Jafar. Disney explicitly made her look like a sex object in this scene, but again, she's only 16 years old. I don't understand the intent behind this whatsoever. This also creates the narrative that women can only get what they want or get out of a troubling situation if they sexualize themselves for the male gaze. Many times, I've been in this scenario or have seen others in a scenario where they have to objectify themselves to a male to get what they need. This may mean, in a way, using your body, flaunting your hips and waist, and being flirtatious to get out of the uncomfortable situation, get what you need, get safety, or anything in between. Jasmine has to flaunt her body and pretend that she is sexually desired by Jafar to escape his imprisonment. This is such a bad thing to teach young women that they have to use their bodies to be paid attention to or even respected in a way.

Citations:

https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/the-future-is-female.pdf (Smith et al. article)

https://prezi.com/mhlnspaqxzma/the-sexualization-of-women-in-the-media/?fallback=1 (Elizabeth Gonzalez presentation)

https://thematthewrome.com/2022/03/15/male-gaze-and-female-objectification-in-contemporary-cinema/ (Gavazzi article)

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0924/Little-girls-or-little-women-The-Disney-princess-effect (Hanes article)

https://www.rightsofequality.com/objectification-and-exploitation-of-girls-and-women-by-the-mass-media-and-the-social-media/ (Sen Article)

https://time.com/3586569/sexist-little-mermaid/ (Dockterman & Stampler article)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG6zL909y_o&t=99s (ariel clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_WRPz-arFA (jasmine clip)

[anhdong]

An example of rhythm in a publication design: The packaging design of the granola bar displays rhythm through its repeating patterns and dot sequences, which creates a dynamic flow that guides the eye across the package. Additionally, the arrangement of elements, such as the logo, product name, and key information, guides the eye in a rhythmic movement from one part of the packaging to another.

Typographic Hierarchy Example: The Career Handbook at MSU Russell Palmer Career Management Center serves as an example of typographic hierarchy. The page's design prioritizes the main topic of "Resume Help" by using larger or more prominent text for critical information such as utilizing VMock, making appointments with coaches and advisors, taking advantage of drop-in hours, and submitting documents for review. Details are presented in smaller text, establishing a clear order of importance on the page.

Letter with an Ascender: The packaging of Finish Powerball prominently features letters with ascenders, such as "f" and "h." Ascenders are the parts of letters that extend above the main body of the letter (the x-height), contributing to the readability and stylistic aspects of the typeface.

Letter with a Descender: The "f" in "Swiffer" on the Swiffer Heavy Duty Dry Cloths packaging is an example of a descender. Descenders are the parts of letters that extend below the baseline of the text, playing a crucial role in typeface character and legibility.

Letter with a Counter: The "e" in "Reese’s" on Reese's chocolate packaging illustrates a counter. Counters are the fully or partially enclosed spaces within letters, which are essential for letter recognition and aesthetic appeal.

Letter with a Crossbar: The "A" in "Dragon" on the Sambazon Organic Dragon Fruit packaging showcases a crossbar. A crossbar is the horizontal stroke in letters, connecting one side of a letter to another, or in the case of an "A," adding structural stability and stylistic flair.

Large X-Height Font: The Lindt chocolate packaging uses a font with a large x-height, where the main body of the letters (excluding any ascenders or descenders) is tall relative to the ascenders. This characteristic enhances legibility, especially in small print.

Small X-Height Font: The phrase "ultra concentrated ultra clean" demonstrates a font with a small x-height, where the ascenders are notably taller than the main body of the letters, giving a distinct visual hierarchy and emphasis.

Modernist Design: I found two examples for this: The first cover (9.1), featuring a subway map design, uses a clear and functional visual language with a structured layout, which reflects a modernist aesthetic. The second cover (9.2) uses bold, flat colors and geometric shapes which also align with modernist tendencies. Both covers emphasize simplicity and a structured, functional approach to design, hallmarks of the modernist movement.

Font Connoting More Than Text: The "Chanel" and "Eau Tendre" uses a font that not only says Chanel Perfume but also conveys elegance and luxury. This is an example of how font choice can evoke certain feelings or associations beyond the mere textual content, aligning with the brand's identity and the product's perceived value. Additionally, this font serves as a legacy element, consistently used across Chanel’s branding to maintain a strong and cohesive visual identity.

[hxdrostorms]

// Don't reblog this post, I don't want it being spread around!

Kiki awakened his cosmos at the age of 3 years old. So, for about an year or so, Mu and Aldebaran really assumed he was a "common" muvian. Dohko was the one who first picked up on the hints, of the baby's hidden potential.

With that said, as a muvian, he started showing signs of his natural special abilities much sooner. Something that is expected, for his kind. His first accomplishment came in the form of levitating small objects, and even teleporting himself to short distances.

Muvians start developing memories a lot sooner than humans. Which means, Kiki HAS really vague memories, of taking his first few steps. And even his first word ever spoken.

It's important to remember that the shtick of master/pupil came to be, as an attempt to cover up the fact, Kiki was actually taken in/adopted as Mu and Aldebaran's son. At the age of 4 Mu started subjecting him to the Gold saints training, with the same severity that Shion did to him. However, given the nature of their bond, he was actually struggling to maintain the harshness like that for long. Aldebaran definetely had a hand in Mu, toning down a notch, with the lessons. Given how uncertain their future at the time was, there wasn't a necessity to rush through things, in the same way their former masters had to do things with them.

Although Kiki was able to manage and handle the gold saint training. He would be liying, if he ever said he took everything well and smoothly, without any hitches. As a very young kid, he couldn't fully grasp why his own father would demanded him to treat/address him as a master. And some time later, fall back to the role of tender and affectionate master. It confused him a lot. And in a way both of them, convinced themselves it was necessary. It was a turbulent training to say the least, which just so happened to pay off in the end. Kiki concluded his training at the age of 13, which meant Mu truly changed his approach to his formation as a whole.

In a way of speaking, Kiki and Genbu were the last ones to receive proper traditional training and lessons, directly from an actual gold saint. One quick look at the 21st century's line of gold saints (at least those that didn't perish in the battle against Mars), and that distinctive detail becomes blatantly obvious.

I'm aware that in canon, the process of fixing cloths is an entire magical process. Something that is mainly tied to the use of stardust and blood sacrifice, in specific cases. BUT, I love the idea of cloth repairers actually having to do, some real iron smithing work. As such, Kiki has shown a natural talent for it very early in his life. He always enjoyed watching Mu work on it, and it was the first thing he mastered.

While Mu's smithy in Jamir's tower may have been VERY antique-esque in style and vibe. Kiki had no problems in modernizing it, when he inherited it and became its primary user.

[philivista]

When Online Shopping is Not Ideal for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

There are a number of distinct advantages to online shopping, especially during events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of these advantages include the ability to shop at a convenient time, a potential for cost savings with special discounts and promotions, the ability to shop at stores around the world, and the ability to find rare collectible items at discounted prices.

While these advantages draw many consumers to online shopping during these special shopping events, there are also some situations in which shopping online is not the best option for all consumers. This article will discuss some of these situations, such as shopping for clothing online, shopping for decorative items, and shopping for used items, even during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Shopping for Clothing Online

Shopping for clothing online is often difficult, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales where there may be exclusive deals. This is because consumers are used to being able to try on items in traditional stores before making a purchase.

welcome 2024

The ability to try clothing items on before making a purchase is crucial because it allows the consumer to evaluate the size, fit, material, and color of the garment before deciding whether or not to make the purchase. Although some consumers may be able to make decisions about purchasing clothing items easily without trying the item on, the majority of consumers will not be able to make these decisions easily based solely on an image and a product description.

While shopping for clothing online is not always easy, the upside to this type of purchase is making returns on clothing is usually a fairly simple process. Clothing is light and relatively easy to ship, so as a result, there is usually not a substantial cost in returning clothing items. This ease of shipping often makes consumers more likely to make clothing purchases online even though they are not sure how well the item will fit, especially when there are Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals involved.

Shopping for Decorative Items Online

Shopping for furniture and decorative items online is another area in which consumers may wish to avoid online shopping, even during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. They may browse online retailers to get ideas about the types of products they want and the costs of these items, but in many cases, it is wise to make these purchases in a traditional store as opposed to an online retailer. Consider purchasing bulky pieces of furniture such as couches, beds, or tables. These items can be rather expensive to ship, and the cost of having these items shipped can significantly add to the overall cost of the item. Although the consumer may pay a delivery charge when purchasing furniture from a traditional store, this fee is usually considerably lower than the cost of having the item shipped. Also, consumers have the option of avoiding delivery fees if they are capable of transporting the item themselves.

Shopping for furniture and decorative items online can also be difficult because the consumer may want to see these items in person before making a decision. This is important because seeing the item in person enables the consumer to see the color, feel the texture, and make any necessary measurements, which will help ensure the item is a good fit for the home, even during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Shopping for Used Items Online

Shopping for used items online can also be difficult, even during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. This is because the consumer may want to evaluate the item carefully for wear and functionality before making a purchase. Although the seller may provide photos and a description of the item for sale, these images and words may not fully describe the product for sale. Although this may be completely unintentional on behalf of the seller, there are also situations in which the seller will attempt to misrepresent the item deliberately to deceive potential buyers.

Online shoppers may find a variety of great used items for sale at excellent prices during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but care should always be taken with these purchases to ensure the item is described accurately. Consumers who purchase used items online are advised to ask questions and ask for additional photos of the item if necessary, even during these special shopping events.

[aj2adventure]

V&A Museum: Photo Series

Jo Spence (1934-92), Rosy Martin (born 1946)

Libido Uprising 

1989

This series of photographs really stood out to me. I believe that it aims to challenge conventional perceptions of women in society. In the picture on the left, we see a confident housewife holding a vacuum cleaner, ready to tackle her responsibilities as a woman. On the right, the same woman is portrayed as a seductress, wearing fishnet stockings and red high heels with the vacuum cleaner passionately wrapped around her leg. Through these photos, we see society's expectations and ideals of femininity. The series connects these images by featuring the same woman and vacuum cleaners throughout. In the left photo, the woman is modestly dressed, in contrast to the more provocative right photo. Clothing speaks volumes in this series. Both images are illuminated from the right side, casting a shadow in the frame. Notably, both photos are framed against a plain white background, isolating the subject as the focal point. In the left picture, the entire vacuum cleaner is visible, while in the right, only the part entwined with her leg is shown. There are rectangular shapes captured in both photographs, suggesting a deliberate choice by the photographer to emphasize the woman as the central subject. Shapes are very important in photography as they help create balance and structure in the image.

V&A Museum: Week 2

Vinca Peterson (born 1973)

Riot Girl

1998

Lighting plays a crucial role in every photograph. We must consider whether it is natural or artificial? Is it soft or hard? Is it from above, below, or the side? In this case, the intense orange radiance emitted by the flames immediately caught my eye. I find the motion in this photograph to be interesting as the woman looks as if she is running, which we can see being described through a blur effect. This blurred effect softens distinct lines and shapes in the image. When we shift our focus to the perspective, it's evident that Peterson is standing directly in front of the subject, capturing the precise motion of the girl running between the two flames. Framing also holds value in this image as placing the girl in the middle of the frame allows her to fully take center stage, cropping out the larger group of people in the background. The various lines and shapes in this photograph work together to create this type of framing. The image presents a stark contrast between darkness and fiery illumination, which directly affects the mood. It's interesting to try and interpret the story behind this image, but the mood is definitely quite exhilarating and charged with adrenaline. This sort of thrill is illustrated as it freezes a moment when a girl is urgently fleeing from two burning cars. After taking a deep dive into this image, I am left with notions of escape and freedom. Those are the symbols that I feel reflect the photographer's work best.

[longing-for-rain]

Your art is so great! What program do you use? Curious because I would love to know how to replicate that water color vibe. Unless it's traditional art, in which case- wow!

Hi! Thank you very much! It isn’t traditional art (I’d be amazed too lol) and I want to be up front about that. This is going to be a long answer but I hope the explanation helps!

I played around with a variety of programs, but the combination I found worked best was these two:

Sketchbook: Free iPad app that allows you to upload reference images and freehand anything in a variety of styles. The layering feature also makes line art and colors a lot more convenient.

MidJourney: This is a discord plug-in that does a wide variety of things ranging from fully AI generated images to image editing. I use it for editing, because as I’ll explain in more detail below, 100% text prompt based image generation does not work if you’re trying to create a specific character. It costs a subscription fee, but I was already using it for a side job of mine so I thought I’d try applying it to this.

To basically summarize the process I use, I first create line art with flat color in Sketchbook, then upload these images to MidJourney and play around with settings until I’ve created something I like. I’ll explain in more detail below because it’s a little complicated.

The Sketchbook part is pretty basic, but for this purpose the most important thing is to make basic art (flat color works best) that emphasizes specific features you want. This can be the character’s hairstyle, clothing, pose, or distinct facial features. Flat color and basic background elements will also help establish the vibe.

And once you start playing with MidJourney, the need for this part becomes apparent. For example, if you just open up MidJourney and type “Katara sketch” you get something like this:

Which really doesn’t look like her at all, and looks pretty whitewashed. So, reference images are very necessary if you actually want something resembling the exact characters and scene you’re trying to draw.

You can somewhat narrow in on features with text, but the more text inputs you give MidJourney, the more confused it gets and you get some wacky stuff. Especially if the picture includes more than one character. For example, I tried using pure text for some Yue x Mai art, and got things like this:

Even though I was specifying a dark haired woman with pale skin and a white haired woman with dark skin, it switched around the traits and got them confused. Plus, no iconic Mai hair (unacceptable). So again, it really needs image input for specific characters.

It definitely takes some playing around with too, but here are more tips:

Use a combination of text and image prompts. Reiterate key features of your image inputs in text. You can also use text inputs to specify the style you want.

Use variation tools. MidJourney will give you 4 different variations with each prompt, and will allow you to choose one of these variations to either slightly or majorly vary for even more options to help narrow in on the right design. There is even an option to select a certain region of the image you want to vary while leaving everything else the same.

Play around with other settings (still figuring all these out). Probably the most useful one for fan art is reducing the amount of “stylization” MidJourney does to the image. --style raw gives you an output that draws most literally from your inputs, but there was an update recently that I believe allows even more fine tuning.

I hope that helps! I also want to reiterate that I never claimed to be a great artist and that this is a hobby I’m not profiting from, so I don’t want any more speeches about how I’m cheating or whatever. I’m an engineer, not an artist, and I’m applying my skills to something I love, to create things I enjoy. And I’ll be completely open about how I do it too, because if someone else wants to use the same method to make art of their favorite characters, please do! I would love to see what you create.

[landscapedesignfirm]

Plant Health Care Issues for Roses

Roses are a popular plant choice for homeowners, representing beauty and elegance, gracing gardens and landscapes with vibrant colors and rich fragrances. However, these delicate flowers are also susceptible to various types of disease and pests that can compromise their health and appearance. We have treated rose plants at multiple residences this season, and below we discuss some of the common plant health care issues for roses, focusing on disease prevention and treatment methods to help you keep your roses thriving and disease-free.

Rose Diseases

Common rose diseases in Pennsylvania include powdery mildew, Botrytis blight, Rose Mosaic virus, Crown Gall, and stem canker. Some of these diseases are fungal infections, while others are viral.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is one of the most common foliar diseases of roses. The white, powdery fungal growth can be very disfiguring, with repeated heavy infection reducing plant vigor.

The powdery mildew fungus that affects roses is Podosphaera pannosa var. rosae, formerly known as Sphaerotheca pannosa. Powdery mildew usually appears in spring or autumn when conditions are warm and humid, though plants can be affected at other times of year if conditions are right.

This a Rose bush we treated on a property for two common problems, including powdery mildew, that are relatively easy to identify. Powdery mildew is the cause of white and light grey spots on the leaves. The holes are caused by slug sawfly larva feeding on the leaves. Both will be treated and this rose will fully recover.

Rose Rosette

Rose rosette disease affects multiflora rose and ornamental Rosa genus plants., is caused by a virus (Emaravirus sp.) that is spread by a very small, eriophyid mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphylus). The mite feeds on the underside of leaves and injects saliva into the leaf tissue. The virus is then transmitted to new leaves when the mites move to new plants. They are wingless, but they can be carried on the wind or on clothing to new plants.

The symptoms of rose rosette appear as raised brown spots on new growth and on flowers. As the disease progresses, it causes deformation in the leaves and stems so that they resemble witches’ brooms.

Botrytis Blight

Botrytis blight is a fungal disease that is quite common in roses. Most common in cool, damp weather, the fungus infects the plant, causing gray spots on the leaves and petals. The fungus can also move to the cane, or stem of the rose plants.

Rose Mosaic Virus

Rose mosaic virus is a viral disease that causes yellowing and distortion of leaves. Aphids and thrips can transmit it. An important distinction between rose rosette and rose mosaic is that the rose rosette virus will kill the infected rose plants. Rose mosaic virus disease may cause symptoms such as slow growth, reduced flowers and increased susceptibility to frost for the entire life of the plant.

Crown Gall

Rose crown gall is a bacterial disease that causes tumor-like growths on the stems and roots of roses. Often considered a minor problem, it can cause considerable aesthetic damage to plants if left untreated.

Crown gall is caused by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (AT) and is spread by infected plant material. The pathogen enters through wounds in the plant tissue, which may be caused by pruning, transplanting or other physical damage. Once inside, AT causes abnormal cell proliferation. This results in warty growths on the stem or root called galls.

Rose crown gall symptoms include the following:

decreased blossoms

formation of large, irregular swellings at ground level

brown discoloration of affected stems

The disease can be spread by pruning equipment, or by galls breaking down in the soil. In the latter case, the pathogen can survive up to 3 years.

Cankers

Cankers are caused by a variety of fungi. These diseases cause reddish brown spots on canes (stems) that become covered with tiny black dots. Cankers can eventually kill the cane, and can be spread through pruning equipment.

Preventing Health Issues For Roses

To prevent these diseases and other plant health care issues for roses, good cultural methods such as proper watering, pruning, fertilization, and soil care are vital. Additionally, organic or chemical control methods, such as fungicides and horticultural oils, can protect your roses from diseases.

Good Air Circulation

Proper air circulation is crucial for maintaining the health of your roses. Good air circulation helps prevent the growth of fungal diseases by reducing humidity around the plants. To achieve this, roses need to be spaced adequately, pruned regularly, and any weeds or debris that may obstruct airflow need to be removed. Research has shown that proper air circulation can significantly reduce the incidence of diseases like powdery mildew in roses.

Resistant Varieties

Some rose varieties are more resistant to certain types of disease and pests than others. Choosing resistant varieties can reduce the need for chemical treatments and make maintaining plant health more manageable. Recommended disease-resistant rose varieties include ‘Knock Out,’ ‘Carefree Beauty,’ and ‘New Dawn,’ among others.

Early Spring Care

In early spring, roses need to be pruned to remove dead or diseased wood, fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer, and a dormant oil should be applied to control pests. Proper pruning is essential, as homeowners run the risk of wounding their plants by not making careful, precise cuts.

As an example, the best way to prevent crown gall is to avoid wounding plants when pruning or transplanting them.

Applications

Fungicides can be an effective tool for preventing and treating rose diseases. Botrytis blight, for example, can be treated with a fungicide spray, but it should be done as early as possible, before the fungus has had time to spread. An important note is that fungicides must be applied carefully to avoid resistance development.

Insecticides or horticultural oils can be useful to help control pests, such as aphids, and disease. Viral diseases like the rose mosaic virus can be controlled by systemic insecticides containing antibiotics to prevent infestation of aphids and thrips.

Contact Burkholder PHC for Plant Health Care Issues for Roses

If you want to keep your roses vibrant and maintain other healthy plants on your property, contact Burkholder PHC for more information or to schedule a consultation. Burkholder PHC has a team of experienced, qualified experts that can help homeowners maintain the health and appearance of their roses and other plant life. With years of experience in the field, our team knows how to treat plant health care issues for roses and high value landscape plants.

Blog is originally published at: https://www.burkholderphc.com/plant-health-care-issues-for-roses/

It is republished with the permission from the author.

[magicmushroomstore]

What Is Psilocybe Azurescens And How Do You Cultivate It?

Psilocybe azurescens is a species of psychedelic mushroom that contains psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin and psilocin. It is native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, and is known for its high potency and distinctive appearance.

Cultivating Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms requires a specific growing environment and careful attention to detail. Here are the general steps for cultivating Psilocybe azurescens:

Obtain spores or a spore syringe: Psilocybe azurescens spores can be purchased online or obtained from a reputable supplier.

Prepare the substrate: Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms grow best on a substrate made of hardwood chips and sawdust, which should be sterilized to kill any competing microorganisms.

Inoculate the substrate: Using a spore syringe or a culture, inject the spores into the substrate and mix thoroughly. The inoculated substrate should be sealed in a container to prevent contamination and allowed to colonize for several weeks.

Prepare the fruiting chamber: Once the substrate has fully colonized, it can be transferred to a fruiting chamber. This can be a large plastic container or a specially designed grow tent, which should be kept at a consistent temperature of around 15-20°C (60-68°F) and high humidity.

Induce fruiting: To induce fruiting, the substrate should be covered with a layer of peat moss or other casing material, and the humidity and temperature should be adjusted to promote the growth of mushrooms. The fruiting process can take several weeks, and mushrooms should be harvested as they mature.

How To Identify Psilocybe Azurescens:

Psilocybe azurescens is a species of mushroom that contains the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Here are some features that can help you identify it:

Cap: The cap of Psilocybe azurescens is usually 3-10 cm in diameter and has a conical to convex shape when young, then flattens with age. The cap is often a caramel color when young but becomes paler as it ages, and it has a distinct margin that is often slightly turned upwards.

Gills: The gills of Psilocybe azurescens are attached to the stem and have a dark purplish-brown color when mature.

Stem: The stem of Psilocybe azurescens is usually 6-15 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter. It is often thicker at the base and tapers towards the top. The stem is usually white or pale yellow but can have blue or greenish hues at the base.

Spore print: The spore print of Psilocybe azurescens is dark purple-brown.

Habitat: Psilocybe azurescens is usually found growing in wood chips, sawdust, or decaying wood of various hardwoods, particularly alder trees, and only grows in certain regions such as the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

Drying And Storing Psilocybe Azurescens

Drying and storing Psilocybe azurescens is an important step to preserve their potency and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria or mold. Here are some steps to follow:

Harvest the mushrooms: Harvest the mushrooms by cutting them at the base of the stem using a clean, sharp knife.

Clean the mushrooms: Use a soft brush or cloth to remove any debris or dirt from the mushrooms.

Dry the mushrooms: There are several ways to dry mushrooms, but the most common method is to place them on a wire rack or hang them upside down using string or twine in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. A fan can be used to increase airflow and speed up the drying process. It may take 2-5 days for the mushrooms to fully dry, depending on the humidity and temperature of the drying area.

Store the mushrooms: Once the mushrooms are fully dry, place them in an airtight container such as a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or a vacuum-sealed bag. Store the container in a cool, dark, and dry place away from moisture and direct sunlight. Psilocybe azurescens can remain potent for up to a year if stored properly.

[will-o-the-witch]

Hello! Hope the day finds ya well.

A question but also request for you: would you mind explicating the term ‘Abrahamic’ and it’s issues? Or just in general the issues stemming from trying to group Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, plus any of their smaller denominations and derivatives, together.

Full disclosure as being white American and so at least culturally Christian. I know that from basic definitive cosmology difference that each are fully distinct. At the same time: the incorporation of similar core entities, at least linguistically, makes for a nearly direct connection between the three main belief systems. Further it implies a similar [certainly not the same] core scriptural continuum. From all that: is there a term or concept that neatly reconciles there being strong difference but retains the interrelation between the branches? Or is there use or anything beneficial in keeping them conceptually connected?

Also I know that this is a multi-faceted and complicated topic on any one of those facets and I wouldn’t want you to spend too much effort on it. Just looking for multiple perspectives.

Have a nice day in any case!

Hey there! Like you said it can be a complex issue but I will try my best to weigh in on it. ^^ Abrahamic isn't necessarily a dirty word in the way "Judeo-Christian" is (feh!) but the problem lies more with the way people misuse/misunderstand it. It's still a decently-functional term in academia for saying "hey these handful of religions have the same root text," but it stops being an accurate description if you step much farther outside of that. Even putting aside all of the (many) additional writings that make each tradition distinct, each group has a drastically different relationship with the texts and religion itself. Some versions of Christianity rearrange the order of the books to convey a different message. Muslim scholars consider the Hebrew Bible a mix of divine inspiration and human invention, and is therefore not a fully-reliable resource. Some traditions say God's word is law and can/should not be questioned. In Judaism, Israel literally translates to "struggling/wrestling with Gd" and we self-identify as a People where questioning and arguing with Gd is not only normal but even encouraged. You can even win those arguments. Some actively encourage proselytizing and others forbid it. There are no universal Abrahamic opinions or beliefs on sin (if they even recognize it,) tradition, practice, clothing or dietary requirements, demons, angels, prophets, encouraged/discouraged behavior, life after death, how to interpret the texts, or even God Xirself. There's really not as much connecting us as people tend to think. Anybody who says "Abrahamic religions believe..." is usually just talking about Christianity since that's what most people know and assume is universal. Conflating all of us together erases what makes us unique and spreads misinformation about who we actually are. In addition, it lumps smaller, more marginalized religions in with our oppressors which contributes to supersessionism and reinforces the idea of Christianity as a universal or superior belief system. It can direct the beef people have with Christianity onto more vulnerable populations for things that don't even apply to them. This got wordy (oops) but I hope it helps! Again, it's much less of a problem in academia when used correctly and it's not the most offensive thing in the world, but it's just important to be mindful. I recommend if you're talking about beliefs/practices/etc.... just be specific! :) "Judaism and the Baháʼí Faith tend to..."