Photo Frame with Copyright Message in the GIMP

It’s about time I released this script. I announced last December I had written a script for the GIMP to create the border and copyright message seen on my photos here.

Previously I used a 704×490 empty image with the border and message (and a similar image for portrait shots). That was fine for uncropped images but if the width by height ratio was different I had to edit the frame and resize bits. Took ages.

This script creates a thin black border around the image, then adds a white border at the bottom. Finally the copyright text and url are printed in the white border.
Border and text sizes are hard coded but the script will work for any size image. Currently they’re more suitable for the web size images uploaded here.

Looking for the script? Download copyright-frame.scm and copy into .gimp-2.6/scripts/ and start GIMP. The script adds a menu item at “Image->Filters/Decor/Copyright Photo Frame…” The script is based on one written by Alexios Chouchoulas and distributed as part of the GIMP FX Foundary.

When you run the script the border and message is added without further interaction. A dialog to modify the hard coded size values isn’t really necessary because the images I upload are all around the same size. Clicking “OK” each time the script runs is hardly productive. If you want to modify the values, you’ll have to edit the script.
To change the size of the text, look for

(TextLayer (car (gimp-text-fontname inImage -1 (- theWidth 230) (- theHeight 18) “Donncha O Caoimh, https://inphotos.org/” 0 TRUE 11 PIXELS “Sans”)))

230: the number of pixels from the right where the message starts.
18: pixels from the bottom of the image where the top of the message hits.
11: size of the font used for the message.
Change the copyright message to suit your own circumstances.

To change the size of the white bottom border, look for the code (+ theHeight 23) and change 23.

If you use this script please link back here. I’d love to see what’s done with it!

Piper’s Funfair Crosshaven

A bright and colourful poster advertises Piper’s Funfair in Crosshaven!

In other news, this blog is a finalist in the Irish Blog Awards on Saturday next in the Cork International Airport Hotel. Here are all the finalists. I’m honoured to make it this far as some amazing photoblogs were nominated.

Best Photo Blog – Sponsored by Pix.ie

Thank you Pix.ie for sponsoring the photoblog competition!

PS. Red Mum is organising a photowalk in Cork to coincide with the Blog Awards. Kick off is at noon in the city somewhere. No venue decided yet but perhaps we should meet in a pub? The Old Oak anyone?

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 59mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/200s

Waltzer

A truck in Piper’s Amusements, Crosshaven, bears the logo “Waltzer”. Not quite as much fun as the Waltzers funfair ride but there was no sign of them yesterday!

Aperture ƒ/8
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 106mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/200s

Jack Bergin, Crosshaven Hero

We spent a pleasant afternoon in Crosshaven today. It was mild enough to actually enjoy a walk up towards the fort on the hill. As I walked past the merries I spotted this plaque. It must have been hidden every other time as I don’t remember it ever being there. The inscription reads:

OUR GRATITUDE TO
Mr Jack Bergin of Pipers Amusements
Who painted and kept this place clean
for 50 years
Crosshaven Tourism Tidy Towns Aug 1988

I guess he retired 21 years ago. I went searching and unfortunately he passed away in the year 2000.

I was sorry to hear that Jack Bergin had died this week. Another link with Pipers in Douglas and Crosshaven is gone. Everybody who ever went on the swinging boats in the “Merries” will remember Jack, with his powerful shoulders he brought the boats to a gentle stop. The brake was a long piece of timber, which he raised under the boat, thereby stopping its movement. I’m told many years ago, perhaps 75 or so, a young boy walked into Pipers in Croshaven looking for work, and for the rest of his working life he became a part of the Piper family. Every springtime he would paint the wall at the entrance and tend the flowers there. Years ago a plaque was erected at the wall in honour of his dedication to the upkeep of the site. My wife summed up Jack Bergin when she heard he had died “he was a gentle man on the boats slowing it down very gently, and putting his hand out to help women and children out of the swing boats”. What more can I say except “Thanks for the rides and the happy memories Jack” Rest in peace.

Heroes are made of people who do the small things in life.

On a completely unrelated topic, congrats to the Blarney hurling team who beat Galway team Cappataggle today in Croke Park!

Aperture ƒ/9
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 28mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/125s

Inside An Siopa Beag

Step into An Siopa Beag on Oilean Chleire and you’ll see a small restaurant as well as confectionery and a till at the entrance. There are tables outside too of course, I posted a photo of them a while back. It’s one of the first businesses visitors to Cape Clear see, good location!

Aperture ƒ/3.5
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 18mm
ISO 400
Shutter speed 1/30s

The difference is we’re Irish

Dunnes Stores, Blackpool in Cork City. Recent Dunnes Stores adverts finish with the byline, “The difference is we’re Irish”. It stinks of desperation as everyone north of Dublin heads up to Northern Ireland to shop!

Aperture ƒ/14
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 24mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 1/400s

Liam Foley RIP

I have a story to tell. A story I’ve been meaning to tell for more than a year now. Many moons ago I posted the picture above. It was taken on August 28th, 2006 and posted shortly afterwards. Just over a year later Sinead Foley, niece of the man pictured above contacted me. His name was Liam Foley, and unfortunately he passed away 2 months after this photo was taken.

I was shocked at the news, but also so glad that I had this photo of her uncle; he’s relaxed, himself, enjoying a cigarette. I emailed Sinead, giving her the image to print and asked her to tell me about her uncle:

Donncha,
Many thanks for sending that on, it’ll be lovely to give the family.
His name was Liam Foley and he drank there and the Capwell S&S Pub in
Douglas Street. He passed away on November 1st 2006 (just 2 months
after the picture was taken) and he wasn’t sick at the time the photo
was taken. He fell ill just 5 days before he died. It was a friend of
the families that noticed this picture while surfing the Net. No he
didn’t know his photo was on the Net, something tells me he probably
didn’t know what the internet was.

Uncle Liam was 69 years of age.
Thanks,
Sinead.

May he rest in peace.

Aperture ƒ/7.1
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 200
Shutter speed 1/200s

Light Streaks of City Traffic

A long exposure shot of traffic as it heads into Cork City from the direction of Blackpool. This was very difficult to take and the original shows quite a bit of shake even though I had the camera balanced on a pedestrian traffic light button thingy. Love the streaks though.

Aperture ƒ/22
Camera Canon EOS 40D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 100
Shutter speed 2.5s