Some weeks ago now, a friend, a government department head, on learning that I would not be working on the coming Sunday, asked me to meet her in the public square opposite the government buildings in Gangtie Dajie, and accompany her to an 'English Corner' at the Entertainment Center behind the square. When I arrived, she was talking with a man and a little later asked a friend to 'take our picture'.
She sent me the picture, but as she is a Government Officer I am not inclined to show the original version here, but as it transpires, she loves to play with photoshop, and so sent me this photo below.
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| We all like to play with photos - tweek it here - color it there! |
Some weeks ago I also posted some pictures of myself in the photo of the day section. I had been asked to help a friend promote 'his' friend's business. Little did I know that it was a full blown professional photo shoot.
Anyway, because I like to post a new 'photo of the day' with each new publication of Magic City News, and having nothing prepared at that time, I quickly resized the photographs of myself that I had just received, and published them.
This week I received the 'touched up' version of those photographs and thought I would present a couple of them, to show you what photoshopping can do. For starters, it can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
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| Before Dancing in the Rain |
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| After Dancing in the Rain. |
If I am not mistaken it can even changed the size of your nose. (Maybe that is just wishful thinking)
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| Au Naturel as they say. |
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| I've been touched up! |
At the time I posted the photographs at Magic City, I wrote:
When I picked up these computer images I was asked for permission to approach the Baotou Fashion Magazine Editor. My photographer thinks I would be great for that mag. Who knows - I may yet have another career waiting just around the corner. Lord knows I will soon need one. Time is running out for me to be teaching in China, and this job at Magic City pays less than peanuts.
This week when my friend gave me the 'touched up' version of the photographs, he informed me that I have been made an offer to work on commission for an advertising company. 'Fair Dinkum Mate! Ridgey Didge Mate!'
I could become a Star!
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| Move over Bette Midler - I'm simply 'Divine' |
Unfortunately I will be leaving Baotou in August so there really isn't much of an opportunity to build up a portfolio of my 'gigs' - speaking of which - I have a gig to do Monday May 31st.
I will be a guest star at my friend's favourite wedding - his own - and the company that did my photographs is apparently doing the Wedding video. That alone will make me a star if they upload my speech to youtube. I am required to make a short funny speech in Chinese - with 'short' and 'funny' being redundant in that sentence.
So I will probably have a little story and some photographs (Like the Yancheng Wedding) to entertain the folks of Magic City next week or so. Until then, if you are coming to Baotou and want your photo taken, this is the guy to see.........
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| My photographer at CD Vision in FuQiang Road Qingshan District Baotou |
Photograph and Story Nanhai Water Park Dong He, Baotou, Inner Mongolia
Photo of the Day Series - 2011
Posted by R.P. BenDedek
Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com
R.P. BenDedek is the pseudonym of an Australian who has been teaching in China since 2003. In addition to contributing to Magic City Morning Star News as a columnist, he is also the Temporary Voluntary Editor of this Newspaper.
Writers Journal Front Page Kingscalendar
Additionally, BenDedek is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at www.kingscalendar.com and has published at Magic City, Nineteen Chapters of his autobiographical book "Finding Myself in China' .
