I got this software free with a photography magazine a couple of months ago and wanted to do a review of my initial impressions. I needed a new photo to use and since it was raining decided on a wet horse in bad light.
So after getting the newspaper and coffee I drove to the back of my local Aldi parking lot where the horses wait, contemplate the meaning of life and stare into space for a while.
A buggy soon pulled up just as it stopped raining and I said hello to two Amish girls, asked if I could take a few photos which they said was fine, and they told me their horse’s name is Firefly.
She’s hard to see because I shot wide but there is a woman walking towards me between the mirror on the right and the small tree. I said hello but was completely unprepared for a lecture on morality.
After standing there with her arms crossed and shaking her head for a while I looked at her and said: “What?” She mumbled a few things I couldn’t hear and I went back to trying to get a decent composition.
Then she said: “This is very disrespectful.” I told her that I had permission but she continued so I said: “Disrespectful to who, the horse?” This seemed to confuse her but finally she said: “It’s disrespectful to the whole culture.”
Now I was mad, my camera was acting up, it was starting to rain again and I had missed the decisive moment. I thought about fighting her but she was big and I wasn’t sure I could take her. Photo shoot ended.
ON1 Effects is fun to play with but in a way it’s a little like Photoshop. There are so many different effects and filters, each one customizable, that after a while you start to wonder if you should take up golf.
For this photo I used an effect called Automagic and one of the thousands of borders. I felt this would be a good one for Firefly to post on his social media and discuss ethics with his friends.
On my way home I wondered if Miss Manners was right, so I told the story to a girl at a convenience store who said the woman was stupid and arrogant. I would have used different words but okay.
Case closed, morality issue solved. Someone once said do not seek the truth, only cease to cherish opinions. Someone else said that opinions are like a wet horse in a parking lot, shoot first and ask questions later.
Photography OCD 
Oh my! If you see Firefly again, please let him know I find him quite handsome. I would be hard put not to take a photo, with or without permission, with or without criticism. But your encounter recall reads delightfully – thank you for the smiles. And for a bit of ON1 awareness … might try that out.
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Thanks Jazz, I will definitely see him again and give him your message. Great software for free, not so sure how good it is at $50. 🙂
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Oh gheez. You’re a nice guy to have asked permission. I’m with the girl in the convenience store.
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I don’t blame you she’s gorgeous! But I think ignorant might be the right word.
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Hahahaha how cool is that to go to the local Aldi store and you rub noses with the Amish.. It was just a few grumpy words 😉 Wouldn’t take it tooo seriously.. 😉
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Its very cool, and I’ve learned to appreciate that I can walk right up to a horse, pet him and take his picture.
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I’ve learned to tolerate the stupid. It seems that there are so many folks walking around with different opinions than my own that it just seems better to ignore them. I’m sure the horse would be pleased with this portrait.
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Thanks Ken, who knows what she was thinking? Maybe she didn’t see my camera and thought I was trying to set up a three way. 😮
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Good Grief! Why does everyone feel the need to share the opinion on everything? As a society we have forgotten how to just move along.
Firefly is lovely.
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Its possible that the same woman once scolded me for taking a photo of Amish bicycles. Some people feed the need to play cop I guess.
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I was laughing when I read you wasn’t sure you could take her. I’m afraid to imagine how huge this woman was. Just according to your selfie (which you hate) you are pretty tall and not thin. If you’d fight I would bet for you! 😆
P.S. Horse rocks!
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Thanks Alena, on a good day I could probably win. 😉
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When I visited Amish country years ago everyone told me DON’T TAKE ANY PICTURES! But I had to, so I snapped a few of horses pulling buggies, guess we are just rebels.
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No I think we’re like Paparazzi sometimes, ignoring peoples privacy. But to photograph a horse seemed to be no big deal, he didn’t complain at all.
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