Favorite Quote:
Live a little, Laugh a lot, Love all the time.
Favorite Movie:
It's A Wonderful Life
Favorite Book:
The Bible
Favorite Bands:
Moody Blues, The Eagles, Journey
Favorite Songs:
You Got it, Faithfully, Time,
Favorite Photoshop Tool:
The brain
How did you get your PSC nickname?
It's a user name I've used for 14 years.
What is your real name and age?
Julie Clark, 58
Where are you from and what do you like best about being there?
I now live in the Mojave Desert, two hours away from the nearest city. I love the desert and it's beauty, the small town is very friendly, and I feel safe with the US Navy here.
What do you do to keep the bills paid?
My husband and I are both disabled, living off Social Security Disability.
What do you do in your spare time?
Photoshop, arts and crafts, crochet. Would like to get back into photography with a digital SLR camera.
How did you find PSC, and what do you like most about the site?
Found through a friend.
If you could change one thing at PSC, what would it be and why?
Remove names from entries until voting is done. It will stop a lot of the favoritism going on, even though some will still cheat and PM each other, but cheaters lose in the end anyway, they never get ahead.
Is there any other information about you would like to pass on?
I spent three years doing my family history, and putting it all together onto a CD. Making all the pages myself in photoshop, restoring old photographs was a big challenge. I am also a published poet. I've been to seven countries and 38 states.
How many hours per week do you spend on PSC?
Some days I am real creative and can spend almost all day on just one project, or do several in one day.
What other sites, not Photoshop related, do you like to surf?
Google Images. I have quite an extensive collection of my own image library! LOL
What tools do you use to chop?
Windows XP, Paintshop Pro 7. (Yes, I know it's old!)
What gets your creative juices flowing, how do you create a masterpiece?
It just comes to me.
What inspires you?
My artistic and creative side.
Do you have a system? Does a chop have to be done a certain way following steps or are you a messy chopper and just go with the flow?
I have a system, but do so in such a way that I can change my end result as I see things develop.
What style of chop do you prefer to create?
I like to work with the source and create something with it. I do like humor, as I have a very good sense of humor and sometimes it comes out in a chop. I can't stand entries where someone spends all of five minutes on it and you can see the poor masking, etc. It's best not to submit something like that or take the time for a few more minutes to do a good entry. Bad entries make you look sloppy, careless and won't get you noticed in a good way.
Filters, brushes and techniques: Which do you use, and not use, and why?
I use very little filters, mostly just my mouse with a few smudges, smoothing. Wish I had more modern software for some more cool effects but...someday.
When do you know that you have it just right, or is it constant changes up until, or after, you post?
When I'm done, and it looks right, then I submit it. I really don't like the idea of changes after an entry has been submitted. If you miss something, you learn from it for next time.
What is the limit to what you will chop?
I do not like anything gory, done in bad taste, unethical, illegal, any indication of any sort of abuse. I like religious ones, I have my own but respect others'. I really don't like any violent either. Some of the chops I've seen here I really question the chopper, their state of mind, are they are drugs, are they abusive, things like that go through my mind when I see some really bad entries.
Are there any tips and/or tricks that you would like to pass along to less experienced choppers?
Take the extra five minutes on your entry and it will take it on a scale from a 5 to a 10. Look it over for proper reflections, lighting, shadows, perspective. What I hate most are obvious cut and pasted on objects to a source pic, all different sources, different colors, perspectives. It's like, what in the world were they thinking?
What is your favorite type of source image, and why?
CLEAN source images, usually nature. I hate ones that look like they were taken with a dirty camera lens. They are very hard to work.
There is often talk about how the source is used and to what extent it should be. What are your views on all sources, outside source use and animations?
I think animations should be in a class by themselves. I think at least 50% of the source should be used, or at least be recognizable in the finished photochop. I think most people overuse filers.
What is your preferred resource for outside source images?
My own library, or if I can't find something I have, I'll Google for it. I have a huge library of what I call my clip art, all in categories and folders. Many of my own tubes. Some from my own pictures.
In your opinion what makes a good chop?
Not knowing it was chopped.
Do you have a system to get things started?
I look at the source pic, thinking about it, turn it, mirror it, until something about it hits me.
Have you ever completed a chop and then decided not to enter it in the contest? If so, why?
Yes, several times. I just didn't think I should put in a second entry. Too much flack from the jealous people out there. On another site, I don't hesitate in entering as much as I like. In one contest, I won the first five places. Sometimes I do get a good second idea, make it, but don't enter it because of the attitude of the people on this site. Some people are very nice, but most are downright nasty and very bullying, jealous, childish and vulgar. They want to be the center of attention. Those people are sick, IMO.
After you finish your chop do you just post it or seek opinions of family and/or fellow choppers first?
My husband will sometimes have a look at my progress and give me some input. I have never asked another chopper. I did not know that was allowed. The site really isn't set up to be a true learning place. But, I know that others PM each other, and use photobucket to show their chops, that's why it's so unfair. There should also be different classes. Beginner, Intermediate and Advance. Not fair that the PROS enter along with the beginner. The beginner has no chance and there really isn't much hope when you know you don't have a chance at all the hogs out there. I can see why many have left. I'm just there to have fun. I don't care about the votes, I know I have a better chance at other sites.
If some one finds a fault in your work do you change it or stay with what you posted?
I've done both, but I prefer not to change it. If I made a mistake, it's my fault for not catching it. I learn from it and hopefully not make the same mistake again.
What qualities do you look for when deciding to vote on a chop?
Quality, the time they took to put it together, the overall theme of the message they are trying to portray. The realism, even if it's a fantasy.
Some member prefer not to vote for filtered chops or animations. Is there any particular style/type of chop you won't vote for?
Overly filtered, twisted, can't make out what it is, can't find a spec of the source pic, things like that. Or evil, bloody gory horrid ones done in bad taste. Animations, should be in a class of it's own. I can do some animation, but not sure of the rules here, they are very unclear, hard to find. Don't know the size of frames I can use, or file size.
Time is always a factor, how much time do you spend on a chop and how much time is too much?
I spend as much time on it as I can to accomplish what I want to do with it.
We all love to get votes. Now are you a constant vote checker or do you just let it go and check once a day? (be honest)
I usually get on in the morning to see what the lastest contest is, look at them, make comments on some if I feel the need, but I won't vote until the last day of the contest. Do I check my own? Sometimes, but not really. I know most do not vote for me simply for the fact they say I'm a trouble maker. I voiced an opinion and they didn't like it because they were afraid of losing votes. To me, they are the losers to begin with.
What chop of yours did not do as well as you expected?
The ones where I was told to make changes, I did the changes and still no more votes. That told me a lot.
What do you consider your best chop so far?
New Life, Riverboat Casino and Winter.
What do you consider your worst chop so far?
A Different Place.
Who is your favorite chopper out there and why?
No one, really.
What do you NOT like to see in a chop, and why not?
Poor taste.
What is the best chop of all time?
Not sure who did it, but the one who put the first 100 wins of Marco into one chop.
Do you have any other PSC related comments to add?
Set some rules up for members to respect each other. Critique the picture, don't attack the maker. State that cheating will not be tolerated, nor harassment. I've had my share, and if I had not been a paid Advantage member, I probably would have left the site, despite the fact that I love to photoshop and there aren't enough sites to go to. If people can change their image, I want the ability to change my vote. It's only fair. I have seen some changes I didn't like.
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