Do not allow YouTube to correct your videos

As the readers of this blog know, I have been experimenting with doing video posts of my wife's pottery and uploading the videos to YouTube (MorganDrakeEckstein's channel). One of the things that I have learned is: Do not allow YouTube to correct your videos.

The YouTube auto-correction for "shakiness" ends up distorting the appearance of the pottery. Considering that it is the pottery that we want to exhibit, that is unacceptable. I do not care if one can tell that I am walking around a piece of pottery and filming.

So I would suggest that all artists and crafters who film video clips of their artwork to avoid using the YouTube suggested auto-correct for shakiness...because it was horrible to see the "weird dimension effect" as my wife described it.

Pansy Purple cork jar

Here is a video clip of the Pansy Purple wheel-thrown cork jar that my wife has available for sale in her Etsy Celtic Soul Jewelry and Pottery store. This is one of those pieces that digital media (whether still or motion) does not reproduce real well--the actual color of the jar is deeper than the digital media shows it. On picture days, this particular purple color is a color that I struggle to take good pictures of--someday, I will figure out the right settings to use--I hope.

Oasis Blue Kitty Paw mug video clip

This is one of the kitty paw mugs that my wife makes. It is Oasis Blue on the outside and Mottled Blue on the inside. The paw print is from a stamp that my wife made from an impression from our cat Apollo when he was a kitten. This mug, which is food safe and both microwave and dishwasher safe, is one of the items that my wife is selling in her Etsy store.

Studio Kitty protests

Morgan here--today, I was taking some photographs of the recent items that my wife made. And as always, Mortimer, our Studio Kitty, was out there trying to help...or at least, guilt me into petting him instead of taking silly pictures of pottery. On a whim, I decided to make a small video clip of his protests.

Four new pendants up on Etsy

Black with gun metal green Paw pendant photographed next to choke cherries.

Morgan here: Took some photos of four new handmade (by my wife) pendants yesterday. My wife is putting them up on Etsy today (Celtic Soul Jewelry and Pottery). Two of the pendants are paw pendants, and two are hexagrams. I used some of the choke cherries and some of the spearmint from the garden in a few of the pictures that I did yesterday.

Handmade clay pendants--available on Etsy.

Hexagram pendant photographed on spearmint.

Robin egg blue paw pendant photographed next to spearmint flowers.

Blue hexagram pendant (choke cherries not included).

Our Reward Winning Packer

Our reward winning packing kitty.

Today, I would like to introduce you to Baltey, our reward winning packer. And by reward winning, I mean that he should get a reward for being able to eat this much cardboard without having to take a trip to the vet. There are times I think that he might be more puppy than cat. He also likes to tear up paper bags. Please note that if he gets accidently shipped to you that I want you to ship him back--after all, I really love my silly cardboard eating cat.

Paper grocery bags are high in fiber.

Some new work is about to be uploaded



Loyal employee sets up jewelry pieces for the photographer.

 Regular followers of my wife's work will have noticed that it has been awhile since she has posted any new items to her Etsy store. Basically, she has been drowning in the work for her Masters program. Despite this, the occasional piece of jewelry has been completed.

The resulting pieces of jewelry have been slowly filling up my photography box (I have a box where the pieces that need photos taken of are stored until I get done doing my job). Yesterday, because of the nice weather and because I could not stand looking at another piece of homework, I went outside to take some photos.

This thrilled Mortimer, the outside cat and studio assistant. He had great fun getting into the various shots, eventually taking over the entire shoot.

I am not sure when Toni is going to be posting the new items--I am not sure that I took enourgh photos--but I can tell you that it will be soon.