Texture Tuesday - Whites

This weeks challenge at Kim Klassen's was to focus on the color white.  White is a color I love to photograph, but, I've never used a texture with white flowers and was pleasantly surprised with the results.  If you mouse over each photo you should be able to see the before and after. Both photos use a layer of kk_providence with a blend mode of multiply to provide a little color and a unsaturated layer of kk_stainedlinen with a blend mode of multiply at 50% to provide a little texture. In both photos the textures were softened with a brush at 50%.

Texture Tuesday

While on vacation last September, my daughter and I took in an American Civil War Reenactment in Luray, Virginia.  Part of the day was a trip to the old school that would have been turned into a hospital.  With medical supplies being cut off to the south, alternatives needed to be found to treat emergencies as well as common illnesses such as headaches.  As I listened to the young lady give her presentation I was looking at the jars of herbs on the table and thinking this would be a perfect photo for a texture.  I'm not sure what each of these herbs would have been used for as I was concentrating to much on getting the photo.  I've been waiting to use this photo and Kim Klassen's challenge of using her texture Felicity seemed perfect for this one.

This was the scene looking out the window. The same texture Felicity has been applied to this as well.

Texture Tuesday - Happiness

Since Kim Klassen issued the challenge, happiness, for this week's Texture Tuesday I've been thinking about happiness and what truly makes me happy.  As I looked at a bouquet of flowers given to me by two wonderful friends I noticed a little daisy, a little older than the rest of the bunch and starting to show it's age.  This little daisy was close to the other bunch, but a little bit off by itself. It reminded me of growing older and sometimes not being part of the younger world that surrounds us.  Looking at the daisies, my mind started to think about plucking the petals off and saying he loves me, he loves me not, then I thought about my husband of 36 years and I realized he is my happiness because he loves me, he loves me.  It doesn't really matter how old I get, how tattered I look or how droopy my petals are, he still loves me.

This photo has two layers of Kim Klassen's Canvasback applied to it.  If you hover over it with the mouse you should see the before and after.  Happy Valentine's Day to you all and I hope everyone finds someone or something that brings you true happiness.

White Mums

The little bundle of white mums is still going strong. At Micheal's I found a little heart shaped vase that is perfect for February.



Also at Micheal's I picked up some white clay to make little hearts. Easy to work with, just roll, shape and bake.



A little bit of red food coloring can make dramatic changes.

Texture Tuesday

This weeks challenge at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday is open.  Easy enough, just apply at least one layer of any of her texture's.  I've been playing with a bundle of white mum's I bought at the supermarket for the past week and finding they are a very versatile flower.  Kind of like one of those foods without a lot of taste, they seem to take on the flavor of the accessories and processing.  Here's the final version.

And here's the original, SOOC view I started with

I first applied a lay of Subtlyyours with a blend mode of overly at 54%

Then a layer of Sweettart with a blend mode of multiply at 60%. I used a brush at 50% to erase some of the texture from the hearts and flower.

Did a little work in Color Efex with a high key and vintage film filters.

Back into photoshop and added a duplicate layer of Sweettart.

A small adjustment with a curves layer was done to add a little contrast and finished.

It was a very good day.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to return to work for old friends.  It's been 4 1/2 years since I worked with them and I'm looking forward to returning.  The company I'm working with now is a good company and life at work has been fine, but there's always a couple of "but's" that make you want to change.  Thursday I spent the day at my new job, meeting with the accountant and getting to know a little of what is needed and expected.  I was to be there at 9:30 so I left the house at 8:45, giving me lots of time to make the 1/2 hour drive.

When I first got into the car and looked at the mirror, nature had done some fantastic decorating.  I had to take a few shots for my group "The World in a Mirror"

A little further down the road I ran into some bands of fog and wondered if this day could get any better.

A couple of more miles and I crossed the tracks and noticed a band of fog further down. This time I had to turn around to find a place to pull off the road.

I was now only about 10 miles from home and running 10 minutes late so I tucked the camera away and with a little luck on the highway, made it to work on time.  The light was a little bright and flat and traffic a little heavier so I only stopped once on the way home.

I will miss many of the people I have worked with the past 4 1/2 years and hope to keep in touch with some of them, but I'm looking forward to the new challenges ahead and returning to my new, old work home.

Walking through NYC with google.

One of the members of the daily group I belong to on SmugMug issed this challenge "All you need to do is screen capture any place in NYC on Google maps street view and post process it any way to your liking", so I let my fingers do the walking through New York and ended up in Central Park on the 79th Street Transverse.  I found beautiful old stone overpasses and new immediately that is where I would have wanted to take a photo.  Google does wonderful work with their cameras, but I thought being there in the autumn would be nice, so with the help of photoshop and Color Efex I transformed the scene.  If you hover over the photo with the mouse you can see the before and after.

This image is NOT mine ~ *the original image above is copyrighted by Google Maps from Street View and is being used for the sole purpose of artistic merit and will not be sold or profited from by the posted individual.