Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Free Blank Pics for Memes


Taking photos of God's beautiful handiwork is a way for me to record all the little details that are often missed by birds, animals, and people with jobs to do and places to go. I've noticed that when I share my photos, or see others share them on social media, they use a new term for taking a picture. They say it's a nice--or great--capture. The photographer has captured something in that moment in time when he presses the shutter.

I use the photos for reporting bird and other nature sightings to Audubon NatureShare and Sask Birders Facebook Group, to help everyone keep abreast of migration patterns and ecological changes that affect movement and habitat. I also use the photos to create inspirational pics with scripture for my social media and my church.



Some of my photos are used for electronic birthday cards and other special greetings, like this one...




And some are used for those memes that make you think, cry, or laugh, like this Thanksgiving one...



However, in order to get a great capture, I often take a dozen or more photos of one subject, with each one slightly different. Of course, there are many times I still don't get a decent shot when movement, wind, and air quality affect the result. But even after I've relegated the not-so-nice ones to the recycling bin, I still have too many for my own use.

For several months now I've considered the idea of sharing my photos meme-style for anyone who wishes to use them. I won't be putting my website signature line anywhere on the photo so there's no need to mention where you got them. Of course, credit is appreciated, but I'm not doing this for credit, so it's not mandatory. Just copy them to your computer and then use some of the free photo-editing software like picmonkey.com to add your text.

Here are some of the ones I've added to my Text-Free Photo website page so far. As you see, some have bare spaces for text and others are made to have text written across the image in which case photo-editing can tone down the colors and detail.










I usually add a border to give my inspirational pics and cards a finished look, but since a border color can change the mood of the photo, I'll only be adding it to a select few. If you wish to use one of these blanks and don't want the border, you can easily crop it off with any photo-editing software. Likewise, you can add one if you wish.

These images are square so they work best on Facebook and other square sites. If you use them on Twitter and possibly Google Plus, it may only show the middle portion until someone clicks on it.

I've added the Text-Free Photos page under the Fun tab on my website at http://www.anitamaedraper.com/text-free-photos.html

I'll be adding more blank pics as the seasons change and as I organize my photo library. I realize that my images won't be what everyone needs, but I'm hoping if someone needs one this will be a place to come and not worry about payment or someone's name splashed across it.

We live in a world where beauty is easy to find, but sometimes we need to change our thinking to accept it for what it is. That being said, I won't be posting the image of a hawk eating a dove outside my office window for the main reason that the action isn't pleasant. But my, what splendid scenery and creatures God placed on our earth.

Do you read memes and photo quotes/sayings? Do you prefer the text in open spaces or on a background?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper's romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at: Website - www.anitamaedraper.com





8 comments:

  1. good questions. I could probably give up a good portion of my day working on graphics. It's relaxing for me and I love to see them! Sometimes what looks good on the computer screen doesn't transfer well to a smaller image such as instagram on the phone. Or the font is too small or not enough contrast. Authors need to be so many things these days! ugh. Nice job, Anita!

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    1. Thanks, Deb. I've found that full images are too busy when viewed on a cell phone which is why I prefer the empty space ones. However, there are ways to make the text stand out with the use of a contrasting color around the letters and/or soften/blur/mute the background first.

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  2. Lovely photographs Anita! Thanks for sharing.
    I do read memes. I like both styles.
    Do you have a favorite program you use to make your memes?

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    1. Yes, Andrea, I use the Pro version of picmonkey.com. The basic version used to be free, but my son just mentioned that the free picmonkey won't let you download your pics any longer so that's no good!

      I believe Inky Deb uses canva.com which was free for the basic so perhaps she'll pop in and give her thoughts on it.

      There are many photo-editing versions out there with varying degrees of skill and cost. The trick is to find the one that is the most effective for you.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Andrea. I appreciate it. Oh, and your parcel should arrive any day now. :)

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    2. Yay! I'll be watching the mail Anita.
      Thanks for the info about the programs. I have several photos that I think would make good background for memes and tried to make a couple but they didn't turn out very well.

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    3. Andrea, it's just a matter of playing around with them. Sometimes when softening or muting the background doesn't work, I place my text on patches of white to have it stand out. Or, I'll delete some of the background to clear space for the text using the clone tool in picmonkey, but that may be part of the paid version.

      Actually, I had to do a bit of editing on a photo of a robin this spring because the branches hid it and the text. So then I wrote a blog about how I fixed it. You can read it here: http://www.anitamaedraper.com/photo-blog/1st-robin-2017

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  3. Those are sooo beautiful Anita. I bookmarked the page. I need pictures all the time for my church, so I'm sure they'll get some use. Thank you for sharing your talents in this way.

    I also create memes almost daily for my Operation Blessing job. I use different strategies on photoshop. Empty space, effects to make the text stand out, sometimes I add a bar of color on the top and or bottom for text, or even just a rectangle in an open area to put the text on.

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