Featured Picniker – Ariel Meadow Stallings
A writer and editor for over a decade, Ariel Meadow Stallings is the author of a book called Offbeat Bride: Taffeta Free Alternatives for Independent Brides, the editor of offbeatbride.com maintains a blog at electrolicious.com, and manages a local semi-regular literary event called Salon of Shame, where Seattlites gather to drink and exploit their younger selves by reading from their worst adolescent writing: middle school diaries, high school poetry, etc.
Originally from Bainbridge Island, Ariel grew up in a log cabin and studied Sociology and Communications at the University of Washington. She has written up and down the Left Coast, crafting articles for San Francisco-based feminist zines and Amazon.com reviews and several things in between. She’s been on The Today Show, she works at Microsoft three days a week taking pictures of cool employees, and she has bright pink hair tips.
Since she’s mostly a casual photographer who does other things for a living, we thought she’d be a great choice for Featured Picniker, to showcase how great casual pictures can look with just one or two Picnik Effects. And because four of us in Team Picnik are getting married this summer (that is, two of us are getting married to another two of us), who better to feature than an offbeat bride?
Picnik: How did you first hear about Picnik, and when was that?
Ariel: Picnik was recommended to me by a friend last fall, but it wasn’t until it was integrated with my beloved Flickr that I really started playing with it.
How has Picnik changed your life?
I have a history of mocking friends who used to spend so long post-processing their photos that by the time the shots were shared, no one really cared any more. For example “Oh, I love these pictures of Burning Man … from 2006.” At the same time, I recognize that just slapping ugly-but-timely photos up on Flickr isn’t really all that great either. Thanks to Picnik, now I can get my pictures online fast … and get them looking hot-cha-cha-cha good with only a couple clicks.
How many people have you got started using Picnik?
Good question … hmm, probably a half-dozen or so? When I stared editing more photos in Picnik, my Flickr friends started noticing and asking what Photoshop filters I was using. I was all gloaty about saying, “None, suckas!”
What did you like the most about Picnik when you first started using it, and what do you like the most about it now?
Initially, I was just happy to easily be able to edit my photos on Flickr without having to get photo software involved. Then, I got really into the pro effects. Now I’m obsessed with the Picnik Firefox plugin that lets me take screenshots and immediately edit them in Picnik.
What do you use to shoot with?
I have a Canon Digital Rebel XTi for the important stuff, and a little Canon SD800 point and shoot for the fun stuff.
Heroes or Lost?
Battlestar Galactica.
What inspires you to pull out your camera?
Usually people. Portraiture is my favorite, although my wide angle lens has given me a new appreciation of landscapes.
If any feature of Picnik were to be renamed after you, which would it be?
Probably the Orton Effect, which I love so much that when I was doing this photo shoot, I was actually thinking about the effect as I was taking the photos.
Which feature of Picnik would vastly improve any wedding album?
Depends on the wedding. For a traditional wedding, definitely the Orton and Holga effects for dreamy and classic feels. For a funky and offbeat wedding, it would have to be the Lomo and Cross Processing effects.
What’s one new feature you wish Picnik could have?
More photo effects and a graduated tint, as per Picasa. Also, I wish I could save photos at a higher resolution.
Our selective tinting feature has a fairly obvious (and very popular) application, so, finally, do you have any advice for the conventionally-colored professional wishing to add a little color to their tresses?
Oh, do I ever! :)
July 17th, 2008 at 8:42 am
these are so simple and beautiful.
very inspiring and sweet,
shows you don’t need fancy text and lettering to make pictures have a voice.
keep up the good work.
♥
July 17th, 2008 at 8:52 am
yah these are good, but u need soem with actual words and designs these are just like a photography shots. boringggg! but they ar good!
July 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
wooww awesomee shots!!!!!!!!!!
but i agree with jac you should add freshh & cool designs to ur piccss
moree creaativityy!!
anyy wayy… ii lOveee emm!!!!
=)
July 17th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I started using picnik because of ariel!! i’m getting married in 9 days and i check out her site obsessively, probably 12 times a day, just in case there *might* be something new. and i love her photos! i’m looking forward to uploading my picniked shots to her flickr group as soon as i can!
July 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
i love these pics.
reminnds me of my shots i have yyet to post
July 17th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
cool use of Picnik! great job!! :D
July 18th, 2008 at 5:28 am
You have some beautiful photos there! : >
Thank you for sharing this.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:51 am
gorgeous shots!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
love them! they’re perfect, such simple beauty.
July 25th, 2008 at 12:23 am
I love your pictures, they’re awesome! So simple yet so pretty=)
July 25th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
yes they are cool shots.. but it doesnt really show the features of picnik.. it shows how shes good at photography.. but be more creative and use some other things.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:06 pm
你好！
August 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
wow
sooo,
I was expecting to see these picnik-fied pictures, but these are amazing. You can tell that you used picnik, but you didn’t go overboard with it. Guess I’m just using a longer way to say simple but beautiful :P
lol
Great Job!
August 8th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
these r really sweet!
August 9th, 2008 at 9:06 am
That second photo (the bride walking across the grass) was the one that introduced me to Picnik! I saw it on Flickr and someone had commented with a mention of Picnik (which I had never heard of before) – so I looked it up – and now I Picnik obsessively!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:33 am
awesome, it made me charged with energy to dig deep.
Beach Resort and Spa
August 31st, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Lei a medias la entrevista, entiendo poco ingles !
pero me encantan las fotos!
un beso :)
September 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Wow your photos are amazing.
They are so elegant i love them:)
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
gorgeous and inspiring
September 27th, 2008 at 4:36 am
wauu que fotazas :D
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:39 pm
WOW!
I have to say like everyone else these pictures are AMAZING! I absolutly LOVE your work! If you would like to share can you please tell me how you got your photos to look so great? You see no matter what I do I can’t get my photos to come out like yours. Thank you thank you thank you for your inspiration! I hope you read this.
Thanks again,
Jennifer
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
oh!! your photos are very beautiful!!I`m from Spain. so, from Spain, i say to you: GOOD JOB!! haha, ok, your job are very well. I like so much your photos
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
:D!!
wooow!`
October 24th, 2008 at 10:09 am
You Photos are very very beautiful!! I´m from Germany^^
Great Job!
Greetings from Germany, Cologne!!!!
October 24th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
ummm i love ur pics, and we have the same last name, cool right?
October 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Great photography! Do you have a Facebook? :)
October 25th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
describing words? too many.(:
mainly, they’re gorgeous, simple, and sweet.
very inspirational. (:
October 25th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
cooL.
Very nice..
chch ^^
Bai.
October 26th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
simple&nice! what a good work!
always being like that!
Hugs&Kisses from Monterrey,
Nuevo León, México!(:
October 26th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
hehe, Cute puppy !
ttyl
~~ J o r d y n P a i g e ~~
PS. Niiiiice pics,
October 27th, 2008 at 8:32 am
do picnik cost ???? because my frend say that but i’m not choir
October 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
to jakob :)
picnik does not cost,
but there is picnik premium, which does cost and has more features to work with.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Im am in love. these pictures are amazing!
October 27th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
so beautiful
October 28th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Awesome pics add more creativity and more style but anyways i adore them they are amazing!
October 29th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
omg !!
wow , nice photos or what ?
October 29th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
BEAUTIFUL photography, i mean it’s seriously, PHENOMENAL.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am
do you just happen to have such amazing opportunities to shoot these or are they planned out
M-AZING
October 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
These r incredible!!!!!!!!!!!
October 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
good job!!
November 1st, 2008 at 11:39 am
hy…. can you tell me how i can make my body on picture to look skiny
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:23 am
enjoy it
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:53 am
i love love love your photography
& edits. absaloutley amazing & breath taking,
they are all amazing quality & i think you can
go far with your photography& editing talent.
keep on going, its amazing to see these photos
in excellent condition & amazing ideas
you have such an imaginative mind.
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Son hermosas las fotos . Me encantaron
November 6th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
muitoo booa suas fotos..Parabens.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
heyy nice pics!!
=]
November 7th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Beautiful photographs!
I myself use a Canon Rebel XTi and I find it is fantastic. Glad to know you use it too!
Keep up the great work.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
OMG! i luv her picz!
November 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Wow, awesome pictures; very good! Im saving up for a Canon Rebel XS. Though some people have been telling me to get the XTi. Im not sure what to get, but I dont want it to be to pricey!
November 10th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Your pictures are amazing ….. Im from Canada i have a a canon camera too it is a powershot a550.
P.S Keep up the AMAZING work
November 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
your pics are really interesting (:
November 13th, 2008 at 2:47 am
i love you
November 14th, 2008 at 10:11 am
WOWIEEE nice picz
November 15th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I totally loved the picturess
November 15th, 2008 at 11:04 am
i love the pics i’m like into photography so those pics are inspiering
November 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
cute doggiee! luv the pics, awesome! : ) <3
November 16th, 2008 at 5:13 am
The last picture is the best!!! I love it!!!! xD
November 16th, 2008 at 11:58 am
YOU ROOCK DUDE!
November 19th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
ameeei as tuas fotos*-*
November 20th, 2008 at 9:54 am
photography wise, very impressive,
but most of your photos seem to be just adding shading to the frame
maybe you should make use of what picnik has to offer and use more affects
November 21st, 2008 at 7:06 am
omg that black and white dog looks almost exactly like my chihuahua moomoo =]=]
November 21st, 2008 at 8:42 am
Those are good you can look me up on facebook and take a look around to.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
these are absoulutley breath-taking .
but i have a question .
how do you make the whole picture black and white , but just one thing colored ?
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
i like your pics but with this programm i can do the same pics i think. dont want to be boumpty, but the profi pic is which is not makin, just take it from best place and with the best – that is art…
November 26th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
ey k tal zzi me regalaz plissss i’ am i need one
good, now se much english bye!!
November 26th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
plisssssssssss i need now
November 27th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
hey snazzy shots u got there ur doing really good :] i love the inocent country medow look it does good things 4 u :) xx
November 30th, 2008 at 1:53 am
soooo pretty, i love so much you word! jijiji xD
December 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
i love all of your pictures!!
there soo down to earth and natural..
* really cute dogie by the way!!*
December 1st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I love the p[ic of u and what what u did to them, they are inspiration
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
awsom pics
u r really pretty
December 7th, 2008 at 8:13 am
hey!! omg!!
i love ur work!!
its adroble!!and azimg!
cn u plz add me
ska8er.gurl@hotmail.com
December 8th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
do u have myspace or facebook?
-cool use of picnik;)
or messenger?
December 9th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
beautiful…
December 13th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I Like! Me Gustan!
December 13th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
You are very good!
December 16th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
these photos are so cool!
I really like them!
December 17th, 2008 at 9:08 am
HI
MY NAMES IS ERIKA I AM FROM IN MEXICO IS VERY COOL
SEE YOU LEATER
December 17th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
wow
i got stuck in ur pix like 5 minutes each
i even almost cryied with the one sit in the grass
i really admire your work
if u can,
reply my message
i will be so happy! =)
Take care
December 17th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
alekissable is my account here
Pd. im Alejandra
December 18th, 2008 at 11:41 am
do u lik steak sauce?
December 19th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
hii how re u??? ammm im argentino… jejejejeje
ammm pleace add me emmmo-bo0oy@hotmail.com
i like chattin whit uñ..
byee
kiss kiss 4 u
!
byee
:)
December 23rd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
its relly beautifull they’re all gorgeous
December 24th, 2008 at 8:53 am
wow
December 24th, 2008 at 9:39 am
those are really good, i find they are about the same subject, maybe theyre supossed to be that way but i dont know! your really good though!
try to put sayings on your pics or something,then they would be AMAZING!
:) -Daniellee xox
December 24th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
great work!!!… you know your photoworks are amazing but still, they gotta have improvement.
i mean, yeah they’re good enough but it can still be improved.
good luck and take care anyway… :)
December 25th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I actually like how there’s no graphic design.
It makes it look much more professional :)
Keep up the good work
It’s amazing !
December 28th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Hello i just wanted to say that these pictures you have are beautiful, did you take them your self?
ciao <3
December 28th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Hello,
Your pictures are beautiful, di aspire to be a photographer someday so im hoping that you would let me know if you took those photos yourself?
ciao ♥
December 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
wow
amazing photos!
beautiful!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Um, how come in all these “featured picniker” articles, I keep reading “selective tinting” and “selective saturation”? Am I overlooking those options? I haven’t seen them, and I’d really like to use them if they’re available.
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:20 am
i love these theyre so artisitc (: . i especially love how in the pictures with the girl ( is that you? ) theres the white dress and grass to contrast with eachother so much
January 4th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I was just going on picnik to see what it was like, but these pics are great, along with some other feature members pages I’ve been on. So I really want to start using this. Before I was using a little software called Paint, but it was so unproffesional, I had to do everything the hard way… this looks easier….
-Jessica :P
January 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
lovee it. how do i become a featured picniker??
January 12th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Linda as fotos !
– Parabéns !
January 15th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
omg your work is great i need your help though,
i will tell you over a email so if you would please email me at woodginger88@yahoo.com it would be awsome,
but you really have to let me no how you do that stuff
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:07 am
nice works!!like ur pics!!
January 24th, 2009 at 10:52 am
wow out of all the blogs on here i’ve seen so far. i’ve loved your work the most.
it’s just so beautiful!! i’m so jealous :)
keep it up.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:15 am
just one word… beautiful … realy realy beatiful… omg c:
February 6th, 2009 at 11:05 am
wow simply amazing im guin to put some of my pictures ..i took them in spain and they are gawgus x love them ..well done x
February 11th, 2009 at 11:16 am
this is so amazing!!
I like a lot!!!
so simply and deep!!
i love it!!
February 16th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Wow, these are really good and i love the shots! they’re unique and interesting! Keep up the GREAT work! :-)
February 17th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
heheh, this lady has the same name as meee.
but aye i love this website.
hah my friend got me hooked on it.
i’m on it like crazy ;D.
but i don’t have an account cause i don’t need one to leave comments
or to edit pictures.
so what’s the point.
mk? mk.
byeeeeee[;
February 24th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Hola… Que hermosas fotos!!! te felicito!! soy de Argentina.
Hello… whats beatiful pictures!!! congratulation´s !!! i am from Argentina!!
Saludos!!!
February 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
HI! i like all of your work.
can i have some tips on how to take a picture well?
and what kind and brand of camera should i buy to have a nice and wonderful output in taking some pictures?
pls. mail me in my account.
dims_hary2000@yahoo.com
March 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
i really like the wedding ones!
March 10th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
what is the selective tinting thing? plz help!
March 11th, 2009 at 8:47 am
uuuuuuuuuhhhh i just finshed wish u wer here to clean it up with ur tougne
March 14th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
very nicely done!
March 18th, 2009 at 2:51 am
really great takes ariel!
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Hey ariel great work i cant stand ppl who diss ppl on what they do best so like yeah GREAT WORK dont let anyone put u down :)
March 24th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
you take perfect pictures! xoxo
March 27th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Inez rose mary veronic emm edits amazingly!!! way better than this. check her pics out by adding her on facebook
March 30th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I love Ariel! Thanks for this great interview!
April 7th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Wow! These pictures are really good! i love photography but i’m still kinda new at this whole picnik website, but yourz are amazing! My favourite one is the tanned, beautiful girl wearing the white dress.
April 8th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
hi!! your photos are very nice really emm
I would like to have picnik premiun but i cant
could you give to me . you can do that thank you
April 10th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
i love all ur pics…
April 16th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
exelent
April 16th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
i love photography :)
April 20th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
They are plain, but beautful.
i think they don’t need any designs or anyting.
they are so beautiful!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:23 am
hello..how r u..ur pic’s verrrrrrrrrrrrry nice..
and i want to ask u how can i make my image transparent using Ps4.. plz
thanx alot…
Regards
Ahmad
April 28th, 2009 at 8:43 am
nice!
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
What is FlickR?
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 am
FilckR is exactly like myspace..
May 7th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Beautiful pictures!! Yah, I tell everyone about Picnik!
May 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
i love your pics but i think there are better :/
May 20th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Ameiiii suas fotos
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:38 am
wwoooooooooowww
you’re so amazing