Grunge High Contrast Guitars - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

High Contrast images from photographs of 12-String and 6-String guitars. I browsed in Picasa 3 again today and came across these photographs of my 12-String Seagull Guitar with it's Woody Seymour Duncan pickup installed in the sound hole. The other was a dual guitar photograph taken at an angle for a fun effect.

You can also see in the second image my Line 6 Toneport UX1, that the pickup is plugged into along with the Shure PG58 Microphone. The only thing I cannot do with this equipment is play the guitar and use the mic simultaneously. I have to do over dubbing of one or the other using the Toneport. The Gearbox software that is part of the Line 6 package is great for variations of guitar types and styles ranging from Soft Archtop Jazz sounds to hardcore lead settings which make my 12-String sound like an Electric guitar.

I again used a High contrast Grunge look and feel for these images. It is my current favorite workflow as I like the resulting effect. I used PhotoPaint and Filter Forge's Freepacks for the image creation.

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Now playing: Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots - Trippin On a Hole in a Paper Heart
via FoxyTunes

A Sparse Bar - High Contrast - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

A sparse selection of liquors on this mirrored bar. My family are not heavy drinkers, but have an occasional drink. So this bar is not "stocked" to the hilt. I myself don't drink due to health reasons, but I used to enjoy a good glass of Cream Sherry or wine.

I selected this in Picasa 3's Recently Updated folder from new photographs I had taken. I used my high contrast workflow for this image in PhotoPaint. I had two photographs to choose from and that was a good thing as one was out of focus and really was not one of my best. I liked the mirror and the backward "S" on the opposite wall, as well as the plate of the waiter serving.

The Lake below me is very active today with Jetski's and Pontoon boats, and other water craft. It is a hazy, sunny and hot day. An unusually hot day for spring. It is a beautiful scene to be able to see from my cool study. I may go out to enjoy the weather and sit on the deck for awhile.

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Now playing: Bob Seager - Fire Lake
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Two Gals on a Bob-Lo Cruise Vintage Tritone - PhotoPaint

A Vintage Bob-Lo Cruise photograph from the Detroit, Michigan area. I scanned this photograph and frame in with my Canon MP495 at 600dpi. I opened it from Picasa 3 with PhotoPaint.

I made a couple of adjustments for this image. I resampled it to a display size, used the Image> Color Mode Tritone> on it and then converted it back to RGB. I took that and applied the Local Equalization tool for higher contrasts.

The gal on the left is my Mother in law as a young lady, with a friend.

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Now playing: Elo - Moment in Paradise
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Vintage Family Photographs - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Digging through some vintage family photographs I found a few that I could scan in and enhance and restore. The first image is a close up of my wife as a child on the swing set. The second is a collage of her Mother and Grandmother and herself. I used PhotoPaint to do restoration and enhancements.

I used Picasa 3 to create the collage of photographs after I had worked on them. A little color in a yellowed sepia tone and a tritone for the collage. I had thought of putting a photograph of my wife's graduation picture with her Mother but decided that I may or may not do that at a future date.

I have an old copy of Family Tree Maker, a genealogy program and have some family records back some 5 or 6 generations. It allows you to display photographs of family if you have them for individuals and married couples. You can show these on one of the reports that can be printed. These photographs may be useful for this program.

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Now playing: Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair
via FoxyTunes

Grunge Golden Shadows - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Simple image of a High Contrast nature for today's post. I opened this photograph in PhotoPaint and cropped it, losing some wainscoting on the bottom. I used a similar technique for my high contrast images as in recent posts. Local Equalization for the contrasts and the Tone Curve for depth.

Filter Forge's Photo Effects for a color boost. Which gave a lovely golden cast to the right hand side of the photograph. I really like the shadows on this piece. I used my flash diffuser of which you can see some reflection, but it is not overwhelming, and the shadows are more subtle.

A film frame from Filter Forge's Frames finished the image. As you can see they are Van Gogh fans in this household, with two prints of his paintings on this wall arrangement.

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Now playing: Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall - Part 1
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Grunge Still Life - Lamps - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

A couple of High Contrast still life's are today's subject. I was visiting and snapped these photographs using the regular flash with a flash diffuser on to minimize the shadows you usually get with them. My fellow photographer David Benjamin introduced me to diffusers they do soften the harsh shadows well.

I opened these photographs of lamps in PhotoPaint and cropped them both. I really focused on the fern lamp in the one photograph, and the table arrangement in the other.

I applied the Local Equalization tool for the high contrasts and then added back in depth with the Tone Curve. I again went to Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance for boosting the color and this time I did not up the saturation.

I added film frames in Filter Forge's Frame Freepack. I don't do a lot of still life work but I enjoyed doing these images.

I really like the bronze colors of the second photograph of the fern lamp. The combination of the lighting and the applied tools allowed the color to blend and speak up. I liked the wood grain of the base of this lamp as well.

The first image was taken later than the second and I thought the balance of the picture and plant and other items on the table made a nice composition. The unshaded window in the background added some interest, if you look closely there is a bird at the top center on the lawn.

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - Bo Diddley Fun
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Always Fresh - Water Fountain - Water Fowl - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Browsing in Picasa 3 I came upon my Colasanti's folder with a number of photographs in it of the grounds outside the store. I liked the asymmetrical fountain and the water fowl photograph and used it for creating this vibrant image.

I used both PhotoPaint and Filter Forge's Photo Effects and Frames with my current workflow for such High Contrast images. The Tone curve gave it depth and the Vibrant tool gave it the color boost. I used a light film frame, to allow the fountain to show clearly.

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
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Grunge Portraits - Ourselves - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Browsing in Picasa 3 I found this photograph taken by myself on a tripod. I opened with PhotoPaint and used Filter Forge's Frames film frame on it for that film look and feel. I adjusted the settings for less grunge and a bit clearer image of the two of us. I applied the Tone Curve for depth and upped the saturation by 15.

I also used the Photo Effect Vibrant to punch it up. I like the photograph because of it's unusual focus and their leaning at an angle. Lends interest to the portrait.

Today is my wife's and I's Thirty-sixth Wedding Anniversary and this will be a short post because of plans we have for today. We met in 1970 and got married in 1975, some tumultuous years in there, like most marriages, but for the better part of them good times!

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - It's Simple When You Know How
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Mayang's Textures - Dover Clip Art - Closed Shutters

Equipped with a stone wall and shutters texture from Mayang's Texture and some clip art from Dover Publications this image was created. I opened the texture with PhotoPaint and applied the Tone Curve for depth and increased the saturation by 15 for a color boost. I did want to keep the basic structure visible as it holds interest of it's own.

I browsed in Picasa 3 to my Dover Publications folder for some clip art to enhance the Shutters and the over all piece. I carefully selected some images that would make the shutters look decorated, and "hung" a couple of iron pieces at either side of the shutters.

Finding an Art Nouveau like black frame I pasted it and stretched it to fit the image. I saved the large file and then using Image> Resample> I saved a smaller size for display on the web.

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - The Immigrant Song
via FoxyTunes

Coffee Cups - Grunge - High Contrast - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

A diversion from Guitars and Portraits today. This photograph was taken by my son Keir M. Gatzka with the Canon Rebel XTi. In it you can see coffee cups in a row along a deep red ledge in our kitchen.

I opened with PhotoPaint and created another High Contrast Grunge image, using my favorite workflow techniques that I do for these types of images.

I used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrant and KPT's Collection Lens Flare for a boost and some flare. It's a departure from my favorite motifs but is still in the vein of high contrast and grunge images. It has depth and color and was enjoyable to create.

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - Talk It Over
via FoxyTunes

Wall of Bass Guitars - Motor City Guitar - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge Freepacks

If it is a guitar Motor City Guitar has it. Here is a Wall of Bass Guitars taken at their store. I liked the angle of the photograph. I opened in PhotoPaint and cropped a bit to focus on that wall of an impressive amount of basses.

I used the High Contrast Local Equalization tool on the photograph. I used many of the similar techniques for this colorful grungy image as I have in recent posts.

I really like Filter Forge's Freepacks as they as full of potential to create vibrant images with that touch of grunge.

In this image I really like the shadows and highlights that seem to envelope the guitars. The lighting was good for this type of presentation.

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Now playing: Green Man - Berlin
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Design Perfection - New Graphic Design Online - High Contrast - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

This is an enhanced photograph of my Daughter, Dresden Solomon, who is the Owner / Designer of Design Perfection Graphic Design online. She has attended college to learn the skills of a designer, but has been interested in art since she was a child at home. She is a talented artist and designer. And we are very proud of her accomplishments.

I did the enhancement in PhotoPaint where I cropped the photograph and then resampled 200% larger for display here. I applied the Tune Blur to soften the image. I then used the Local Equalization tool for High Contrast.

I adjusted it with the Tone Curve for depth and color. Then I used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrant on it for a greater punch to the colors. I finished with my signature and a film frame from Filter Forge.

If you want a quote or a bid on a Graphic Design project contact her at Design Perfection.

Waiting for a Guitarist - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

"Waiting for a Guitarist," is another High Contrast image from a photograph taken at Motor City Guitar. At the store people are encouraged to try out the various instruments and well as encouraged to engage in learning how to play. Those that don't know what they are looking for in a guitar or other stringed instrument can browse and play and search out the best instrument for their needs.

I used PhotoPaint and Filter Forge again today for this piece of a single electric guitar, along with it's stool for sitting and amp for playing. I used many of the techniques recently described in other posts of high contrast images.

I am fascinated by this motif and I keep coming back to it as I do with the using of Mayang's Textures along with guitars. A grunge look and feel with detail.

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Now playing: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Wooden Ships
via FoxyTunes

Experimental Family Portraits - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

I have a new Canon PIXMA MP495 All in one inkjet printer that I got a great deal on. I wanted to experiment with the scanner so I took two images that were printed on plain paper with my old Epson C88+ printer and scanned them in. Opening the images from Picasa 3 I used PhotoPaint to enhance them.

There I used the Tune Blur smooth feature as they had some lines in the scans that came from the printouts. I did not print them out using the highest settings on the Epson, so the quality was not great but sufficient. I applied the Tone Curve for depth and increased the saturation by 7, a lower setting than what I usually use.

I cropped both images one for portrait display and one landscape display. This also got rid of some of the white border that the scan produced. While in PhotoPaint I applied Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance for more punch to both images. I basically used the same technique on each one.

I finished off the images with Filter Forge's film frames.

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Now playing: Sly and the Family Stone - Family Affair
via FoxyTunes

World of Motor City Guitar - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Motor City Guitar in Waterford, Michigan is a great place to shop for guitars, drums, amps, and all types of accessories. This is another of my series of High contrast images using photographs from there.

Here you see depicted a variety of guitars and equipment in a single aisle. I cropped, then copied, the photograph just a bit in PhotoPaint and pasted from the clipboard to a new image.

I applied the Local Equalization tool for high contrasts and then used the Tone Curve for depth. Using Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance I boosted the color significantly. I saved the large file after adding a film frame from Filter Forge and my signature.

I resampled the image in PhotoPaint for sharing here. I enjoy the motif of guitars and equipment in these high contrast, high color images. I hope you do as well.

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Now playing: Thirty Eight Special - Rock & Roll Strategy
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Phone Camera Portrait - Paint.NET - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Short post today with a Phone Camera photograph that was printed out on a Kodak printer. I scanned it in with auto scan on my Canon MP495. I opened with Paint.NET and applied the Kuwahara Filter Modified for a painterly feel. Saving the large file I reopened it in PhotoPaint.

In PhotoPaint I applied Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance for additional punch to the color. Then I gave it a film frame with Filter Forge's frames.

The photograph credit goes to my Daughter, Dresden Solomon of Design Perfection.

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Now playing: Chuck Berry - Johnny Be Good
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High Contrast - Auto Van Gogh - Portrait - Painter 11 - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

First time I have had a problem with Blogger, they were down due to maintenance and they lost my Thursday post. According to their blog they are supposed to repost that posting. But I am still waiting. I hope that it is corrected soon. Other than that I have no complaints about Blogger as a great blogging platform.

That aside I browsed my folders in Picasa 3 and grabbed another photograph of my Grandson. I haven't been painting much lately with Painter 11 but wanted to create a painterly image today. So I opened the photograph in PhotoPaint and applied the Local Equalization for high contrast. Then I adjusted the Tone Curve for depth and upped the saturation by 7. I saved the large file.

I reopened it in Painter 11 and applied the quick clone tool with an ocher background. I then used the Auto Van Gogh cloning painting at two brush sizes one small the other a medium brush size. I resaved that file at excellent jpg quality.

I opened it again in PhotoPaint and using Filter Forge's Photo Effects I selected the grunge effect. I adjusted the settings so the grunge texture would not obscure the Van Gogh like brushstrokes. This resulted in a painterly grunge style portrait. I saved the large file.

I resampled in PhotoPaint for sharing here.

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Now playing: Sly and the Family Stone - Thank You
via FoxyTunes

Two Landscapes - Red Schoolhouse - Sunset - PhotoPaint - Paint.NET - Filter Forge - Flaming Pear

Two more Luminous Landscapes for today. The Red Schoolhouse was taken by my son, Keir M. Gatzka. I used PhotoPaint's Tone Curve for depth and increased the color saturation for boosting the color. I saved that large file and opened in Paint.NET to apply the Ink Sketch tool. I used the Kuwahara Filter Modified on it for a painterly look. Saving that I opened in Painter 8.

There I applied the Flaming Pear's Chromasolarize filter for a glow. I saved it again with a new name and reopened in PhotoPaint and applied the Filter Forge Grunge frame with the red grunge touch. I resampled it to display here and saved that file.

The second photograph was taken by a relative that wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons, but I have family permission to enhance it. I kept this Sunset digital manipulation simple. I opened the scanned photograph in PhotoPaint and adjusted the Tone Curve, upped the saturation and added a film frame from Filter Forge. I resampled for sharing here. I had applied Tune Blur on it as well.

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - Talk It Over
via FoxyTunes

Walking Without Help - Painter 11 - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

My Grandson is walking without help now and it is a joy to watch. I snapped this photograph of him doing just that. In Picasa 3 I browsed to the folder of my recent photographs of him and selected this one. I opened it in PhotoPaint.

I used the Local Equalization tool for a high contrast piece. Applying the Tone Curve for some depth and increased the saturation for a color boost. I saved the large file.

I reopened with Painter 11 and made a quick clone of the image with an ocher background. I used the Artists Brushes Auto Van Gogh and applied that cloning technique. I saved a new file and reopened in PhotoPaint.

There I applied a film frame from Filter Forge. I again played with the Tone Curve for more depth. I tried different Photo Effects from Filter Forge but was unhappy with the results so I decided to leave well enough alone. I resampled in PhotoPaint for display online.

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Now playing: Pretenders - Walking on Sunshine
via FoxyTunes

All Tuckered Out - High Contrast - Tritone - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Another high contrast tritone for today. I browsed in Picasa 3 folders and selected this photograph that I took. It is my Nephew in law sleeping on the floor at my Daughter's place. A long trip from Alaska and some late nights visiting can cause one to fall asleep anywhere, even where activity is going on around them.

I opened with PhotoPaint and applied the Local Equalization tool for the high contrasts. I used the Tone Curve for depth and lighting. I applied the Image> Color Mode> Tritone> for the overall effect. I finished the image off with a Filter Forge film frame. Saved the large image and then resampled for showing here.

I really like the tritone tool and beleive it makes for an interesting study. The deep sepia like color lends itself well to portraits like these.


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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - I'm Only Sleeping
via FoxyTunes

Where's the Dip? - High Contrast - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

A short post today, going to visit my Grandson, whose photograph is today's subject. I browsed my folders in Picasa 3 and selected this photograph.

Opening in PhotoPaint I applied the Local Equalization tool for the high contrasts. I used the Tone Curve to add depth. Using Filter Forge's frames I applied a film frame. I saved the large file and resampled for display here. Simple manipulation but effective I think.

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Now playing: John Prine - Grandpa Was a Car
via FoxyTunes

High Contrast - Grunge - Tritone Portrait - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Another family member photograph, my Nephew listening to conversation. I browsed my folders in Picasa 3 and selected this photograph. I opened with PhotoPaint and cropped to focus on my Nephew.

I ran the Local Equalization tool for a high contrast image. Then applied the Tone Curve for depth. I used the Image> Color Mode> Tritone> tool on it to give it the dark sepia tones, then converted back to RGB.

Still in PhotoPaint I used a film frame from Filter Forge's Freepack. I saved that file then resized for display here.

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Now playing: Hall and Oates - Family Man
via FoxyTunes

Grunge Guitars - Ink - Mayang's Texture - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

I took a photograph of some acoustic guitars taken at Motor City Guitars and worked up a grunge image. I opened in Paint.NET and applied the Ink Sketch tool with low color and a higher ink setting. Saving that file I opened in PhotoPaint.

There I cropped the image to focus on the bodies of the guitars. I browsed to my Mayang's Textures folder in Picasa 3 and selected a rust texture. This I also cropped in PhotoPaint.

I copied the guitars to the clipboard and pasted and resized them to fit the crop of the texture. I used the Tone Curve for depth and upped the saturation of the colors.

I wanted to add some interest so I browsed to my Dover Publications Clip Art folder in Picasa 3 and selected some clip art to add. I used the object property Color Burn to make the white backgrounds transparent and adjusted the size where necessary.

I duplicated one of the designs and placed them in a row. I added a border design to the left side and another design to the body of the second guitar.

The size of the cropped file was display ready so I saved the file with a Filter Forge film frame.

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Now playing: Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
via FoxyTunes

Cows in a Field and a Winter Barn - Paint.NET - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Here are two more landscapes from the recent vintage photographs I had received. I used PhotoPaint and Filter Forge's tools on the Cows in a Field image. I applied the Tone Curve, upped the saturation, used a Lumo tool on it.

The second Winter barn image I opened in Paint.NET and used the Ink Sketch tool and also the Curves and saturation tools. Finishing with a film frame in Filter Forge.

These were the best of the photographs and I think will conclude this series of images of Luminous Landscapes. I truly enjoyed working on these pieces.

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - Collision Warning
via FoxyTunes

More Luminous Landscapes - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge's Freepacks

This derelict barn coop was one of the photographs I received recently taken by a relative. I scanned the photograph in at 300 dpi, and opened it with PhotoPaint.

In PhotoPaint I applied Tune Blur directional smooth to soften the image. I then upped the saturation for the color boost to the image.

In Filter Forge's Photo Effects I used Vibrance for additional punch to the piece. Then I added a Filter Forge film frame to it. Saving that file, I resampled for display here.

I applied the same basic techniques to the second, barely there barn image, for similar results.

These photographs are both intriguing and great to work with. I thoroughly enjoyed creating a look and feel for them. I have a few more to share next post.

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Now playing: Henry Mancini - Peter Gunn
via FoxyTunes

Luminous Landscapes - Paint.NET - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge's Freepacks

I was given some photographs taken years ago by a relative to enjoy and to digitally enhance. Here is a barn-like shed with a silo water tower together with trees and grass.

I scanned the images in at 300 dpi and opened them in Paint.NET to apply the Ink Sketch tool. I lightened the ink and boosted the color all the way up for these pieces.

Saving each, then I opened with PhotoPaint and used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Lumo on the first for the combined frame and increased luminosity. I applied the Tone Curve to it and upped the saturation by 15 for a depth and color boost.

I used Filter Forge's Vibrance Photo Effect on the second image and a film frame instead of Lumo and a grunge frame. Here I also boosted depth and saturation.

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Now playing: Carbon Leaf - Life Less Ordinary
via FoxyTunes

High Contrast Quadtone - Grunge - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Another high contrast, vibrant, grunge, quadtone image for today. I took this photograph of a family member visiting from out of State during conversations.

I browsed in Picasa 3 and went to the dated folder, selecting this photograph. I opened with Paint.NET and applied the Ink Sketch tool to begin. Saving that I opened with PhotoPaint.

In PhotoPaint I applied the Local Equalization tool for the high contrast using the Tone Curve to add back in some depth. I then applied the Quadtone feature under Image to get the copper color for this piece.

I saved that file and used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance and the grunge frame to the image. I added my signature and saved the large file. I then resampled for display here.

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Now playing: J.J. Cale - Since You Said Goodbye
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