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Stephen Shoff

 
 
 

Stephen Shoff
 

Some of you may remember this image that we worked on last November. At the time I mentioned that I had a context in which to use it. The chorale is singing this anthem-style song again this season so I had motivation to complete the task.

Posting this more as follow-up than for comment.


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March 17, 2013

 

Dale Hardin
  I remember this well, Stephen, By the way, did you go to the concert and hear the chorale?


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March 17, 2013

 

Stephen Shoff
  I must be mis-remembering some conversation we've had, Dale. I'm in the chorale.


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March 18, 2013

 

Dale Hardin
  You're not mis-remembering Stephen. I just didn't remember. :o)


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March 18, 2013

 

Jeff E Jensen
  Worked out very well. Nice work!


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March 18, 2013

 

Elaine Hessler
  Interesting! Was this a composite of 2 images or more?


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March 18, 2013

 

Debbie E. Payne
  I like this, Stephen, whatever it was you did to this. Layers are fascinating but there is still so much I don't know about them.


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March 18, 2013

 

Stephen Shoff
  Yes, Elaine. I photographed the opening page of the music and used it in a layer as an overview. Fortunately, choral music is often printed on off-white paper so I could get a reasonable tonal match.


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March 18, 2013

 

Beth Spencer
  I do remember this and I think you did a great job! It all blends in quite well.


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March 18, 2013

 

Stephen Shoff
  thanks, all.

Debbie, this was a pretty straight-forward two image merge. I was expecting it to be a lot harder than it actually ended up being. Two images open in photoshop. Used the Move tool to copy one into the other image's space as a layer. Then masked out the parts I didn't want.

The hard part was in ACR trying to get a tonal match in the music image that was close to the stonework in the Memorial.


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March 18, 2013

 

Peter W. Marks
  Stephen, thank goodness you confirmed we have seen this before as I was thinking I was having one of those very 'senior moments'.
We went to a Christian, charity concert in aid of a Zambian orphans and families mission last friday that had a choir of 60 voices and 12 instrumentalists. Elizabeth sang alto and although it was a choir in which I used to sing before my ear nerve-endings became totally destroyed in my right ear and so messed up in the other ear that although volume isn't a problem the sopranos sound like one of those plastic transistors radios of the '60s. It was enjoyable as by looking at individual sections of the choir and being familiar with most of the singers and the songs I was able to let my mind "hear" the numbers. And knowing that we raised over $20,000 was putting joyful faces on all of us.
Remind me; who does the statue represent?


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March 19, 2013

 

Stephen Shoff
  That's the Jefferson Memorial, Peter.


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March 19, 2013

 

Peter W. Marks
  Thanks Stephen. That's interesting as Jefferson was a slave owner as I understand it. Perhaps I need to do a little studying on the subject as the words of the anthem do not seem to fit that.


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March 19, 2013

 

Stephen Shoff
  Nor do the words in the rest of the incription. As I understand the composition of that particular inscription, it is drawn from a number of different writings/speeches, not just a single address. I think it reflects what we would call today a "world view", and a recognition of what is as well as what should be.

Jefferson was a slave-owner, yes. It appears he had a slave mistress as well. But he was not only a product of the Enlightenment, he was also a participant in it. Its impact on society was still being worked out. Even Britain didn't outlaw the slave trade for another how many decades?

Notice other words in the inscription. The historians that berate Jefferson as a slave-owner would also assert that he was at best a "deist" in his religious/spiritual convictions. That is also pretty hard to reconcile with the words in the inscription.

Telling the story of history is seldom objective. It is probably worth paying attention to the "world view" of whomever is doing the telling.


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March 19, 2013

 
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