Happy New Year-2012

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.  ~Hamilton Wright Mabie


Happy New Year to all-may your new year bring you peace, happiness and prosperity!

Christmas Eve Greetings

“This peppermint winter is so sugar sweet

I don't need to taste to believe

What's December without Christmas Eve.”

― Owl City

May you all have a sweet and wonderful holiday this season.

Colonial Park Cemetery-Savannah

Tombstones rescued from further deterioration or moved to make pathways line a brick wall in Colonial Park Cemetery in downtown Savannah, Georgia. The second cemetery in colonial Savannah, Colonial Park was established about 1750. Originally the burial ground for the Christ Church Parish, the cemetery was enlarged around 1789 to accommodate all denominations.

Many dueling victims are buried there as well as around 700 victims from the 1820 Yellow Fever epidemic and distinguished Savannahians, among those are Button Gwinnett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Archibald Bulloch, first president of Georgia and Hugh McCall, an early historian of Georgia. Naturally, the cemetery has its share  of ghosts, the most famous being Rene Asche Rondolier, a disfigured giant of a person accused of murdering and mutilating two girls found in the cemetery. Rondolier was dragged from his hiding place in the cemetery to a swamp and lynched.  However, the killings continued and it was said that his ghost was responsible.

The cemetery was closed for burials prior to the Civil War, so no Confederate soldiers are buried there, but Union troops took over the grounds during the occupation of Savannah looting and desecrating the graves and even changing the dates on the tombstones. Colonial Park Cemetery was designated a city park in 1896. Source.

Summer Fun-Cotton Candy at the Beach

Image shot with iPhone at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last June. After a fun time at the amusement park, three of my grandchildren enjoy cotton candy. One of my favorite memories of this past summer.

Central on Dwellable

Candy Cane Reflection

Two candy canes reflected in a mirror with a red background form a heart to celebrate the holidays. Kim Klassen's 'and then some' texture was added several times with two of the textures enhanced with Snap Art 2 to create an Impasto painting technique popular with the Rembrandt, Titian and the French Impressionists as well as Vincent Van Gogh. With this technique, the paint is laid on the canvas or parts of the canvas very thickly, usually thick enough for painting-knife or brush strokes to show.Source Lastly, some of the Impasto texture was brushed away from the candy canes.

Sharing with Texture Tuesday.

Adams and Wabash-Chicago

A CTA(Chicago Transit Authority) train arriving at Adams and Wabash just a few blocks from the Chicago Art Institute. Image was shot from balcony above the tracks, processed with Totally Rad, Medusa Texture from Flypaper Textures  then an antique border and photo corners from Photo Frame was added to simulate an old photo. Below is a video of the Adams and Wabash station.

Autumn-Gratitude

Only a few leaves cling tenaciously to this tree once brilliant with varying shades of red, brown and green, but one by one the wind and the rain will soon strip it bare.  My house overlooks this natural park where the kids play, dogs romp, and summer neighborhood block parties are traditional. This year, the foliage was stunning, almost blindingly so, with the afternoon sun illuminating the leaves. I am grateful that I could gaze out on this beautiful sight.

More Gratitude Quotes:

I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.  ~Benjamin Disraeli


All that we behold is full of blessings.  ~William Wordsworth


Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~George Herbert


Praise the bridge that carried you over.  ~George Colman


Image was processed using Rad Lab and two layers of "Phoebe" texture by Kim Klassen for Texture Tuesday.

Fort Pulaski Soldiers Musket Firing - Digital Infrared

Ft Pulaski continues to be one of my favorite historical sites to visit and photograph. I always see something there that I haven't seen before to capture with my camera. On a beautiful, but hot and humid summer afternoon, my family and I attended the musket and cannon firing program at the Fort. Ft. Pulaski is a National Monument located near Savannah, Georgia. Volunteers dressed in Civil War uniforms demonstrate historically correct firing drill copied from artillery manuals of that era. Shown is one of the digital infrared photos of the many I shot that day while watching the drill. This image was converted from the Raw digital infrared file using Silver Efex Pro 2.0 Two textures from Kim Klassen-
Aurora and Greydaymagic with some of the texture brushed away from the soldiers and the puffs of smoke from the guns. For Texture Tuesday.

Tybee Island on Dwellable

Texture Tuesday-Family Heirloom

A rose in full bloom from my neighbor's rose garden, antique rose cups and saucers, a vintage faux tortoise shell pen and my husband's grandmother's recipe for lime sherbet all make up this romantic image processed with two layers of Kim Klassen's texture "phoebe". The vintage look is similar to Kim's photoshop recipe on this week's Texture Tuesday entry, but the glamour glow filter was used on one of the phoebe layers.

Pear Still Life Painting

Not much post processing except using Snap Art 2 to create a painterly effect. The leaves are Bradford pear leaves from my neighbor's yard, a fitting leaf to show off the pear and has a beautiful array of colors in the fall.  Hope you like my image.

Deux Poires-Texture Tuesday-The Number Two eDition

Pears, as well as figs,  are also beautiful fruit to photograph. There are no two alike, it seems. Some stand perfectly tall while others lean just a bit. There are lumps, bumps and discolorations which make each one unique. Here are images of two pears, both using Kim Klassen's "Thursday" texture, however, the texture in the color photo of the pears was enhanced using Snap Art by Alien Skin Software, the Impasto filter . The black and white pear photo was converted from color to black and white using Topaz-B/W Effects filter. These two photos are being submitted to Texture Tuesday-the number-two eDition. Which one is your favorite?

Figs Still Life-The 'and Then Some' eDition

Figs are perfect to photograph and make beautiful fine art images. Colors range from light-green to brown to a dark purple. The fruit inside the fig is studded with tiny seeds and the flesh is a purplish brown color. To achieve this look, I used two textures-'and then some' by Kim Klassen and 'beau linge paysage' from Flypaper Textures, then a Nik filter 'duplex' to alter the bright colors a bit.

For Texture Tuesday-'and then some' eDition.

Tintagel Parish Church Cross

Standing majestically overlooking the patchwork green hillside of Tintagel on the Cornish coast, this moss and lichen covered monument is located in the large graveyard at Tintagel Parish Church built between the late 11th century and the early 12th century.  At the small car park by the church is a coastal path that leads to Tintagel Castle, said to be the birthplace of King Arthur, the lengendary king of the Britons. The coastal walk to Tintagel affords stunning views of the ruins which date back to the Romano-Briton era; however, there is no Roman structure to prove that. Later in the 13th century, the Earl of Cornwall built a castle which fell into ruin, the remains are what one sees today.

Graveyard of Tintagel Parish Church

Tiger Striped Pumpkin Still Life-iPhone

Image taken with iPhone 4 and post processed with Snapseed.

"Over the Wine Dark Sea"- Port in a Storm Cocktail

For Texture Tuesday-the eDition-Red-two layers of Kim Klassen's aurora texture and Topaz Detail used to preserve definition of the glass. For drink recipe, see Cafe Lynnylu.

"A Loaf of Bread......"

 Now all you need is a jug of wine and some cheese! Old photo filter from Nik Color Efex Pro, filter brushed away from bread.

Postcard

Good Morning

Wake up with this hearty cup of Cafe de Olla, a traditional hot drink from Mexico. Image post processed to achieve a vintage look with the texture "thursday" from Kim Klassen Cafe

The Family Pupster-Razzle Dazzle

Very rarely still, Razzle pauses briefly for me to get this shot.

Three Birds Still Life

I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful.
Pete Hamill 

I'm grateful I could get this photo of the birds before they flew away! For Texture Tuesday, the Gratitude eDition. Two Kim Klassen textures used-stained linen modified with Snap Art 2 for a oil paint effect, and silent night, plus a hue/saturation layer.

Old Taxi

Images shot with a Leica d-lux-5-uploaded to an iPad and post-processed using Snapseed

Italian Plums Still Life

Italian plums, also called prune plums, are deep purple with a reddish blush and turn nearly black when fully ripe. They can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Ripen plums at room temperature, then refrigerate for several days.The worn, distressed board and wooden picnic knife add a provincial mood to the still life. Texture overlay by Kim Klassen. For Show Off Your Shot.



Plum Recipes:
Grilled Spareribs with Oriental Plum Sauce
Plum Jam
Brioche Plum Tart

"Comfort Me with Apples" Still Life-Texture Tuesday

For Texture Tuesday-Using three layers of Kim Klassen's "Granny's Cupboard". No special brushing away of texture. 

Some apple quotes-

"Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love." -- Song of Solomon 2:5

 "Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." -- Bernard M. Baruch

"Ever since Eve started it all by offering Adam the apple, woman's punishment has been to supply a man with food then suffer the consequences when it disagrees with him." -- Helen Rowland


"Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits." -- Henry David Thoreau, Wild Apples


"The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall." -- Che Guevara

Tybee Lighthouse-Digital Infrared-Blue Sky Effect

Roll mouse over to see the the black and white image.

Tybee Island on Dwellable

Three Apples Still Life #2

Shot handheld late afternoon, post processed in Photoshop, then an Impasto filter from Snap Art 2 added.

Augusta Canal Headgates-Digital Infrared

Augusta Canal Headgates

Forsyth Fountain-Digital Infrared

Having undergone extensive restorations and renovations, the iconic Forsyth fountain still stands proud in Forsyth park, the first large park created in the beautiful historic city of Savannah, Georgia. Installed in 1858, the fountain is thought to be an exact copy of the one in Place de la Concorde square, a famous square in Paris.   

In the last year, the Georgia National Guard fort built in 1915 was renovated and expanded to create a combinedVisitors Center/Starbucks/Forsyth Park Cafe replete with a surrounding fountain and  retractable band shell for outdoor concerts.  Forsyth Park is a perfect place to picnic, enjoy a baseball game or concert or just to wander around and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this lovely area of Savannah.

Image shot with a Canon D60 converted to digital infrared, processed in photoshop CS5 and filter applied with Nik Silver Efex 2.0.

Peaches- A Study in Black and White #2

Juicy fresh peach slices and halves shown in two antique bowls, one from France and the wooden bowl a family heirloom circa 1925.  Olive oil wooden handle knife bought in Aix-en-Provence this past June. Image shot in raw with a Leica d-lux 5 and converted to black and white using one of my favorite software plug-ins-Nik Silver Pro. 2.0

Avebury England Cemetery-Digital Infrared

Raw image shot with a Canon D60 converted to digital infrared, levels, curves and brightness/contrast adjusted, then converted to black and white using Nik Silver 2.0. Glamour glow filter from Nik Color Efex added to final image.

Peach-Plantain Black and White Still Life

Palm Tree-Digital Infrared

Image shot at Kiawah Island Resort near Charleston, South Carolina with a converted digital infrared Canon D60, red and blue channels switched to achieve the blue sky effect, a hue and saturation layer to lighten palm foliage and some levels and curves adjustment.

Links:
Life Pixel Digital Infrared Photography
Creative Techniques with Infrared Photography
Online Courses with Deborah Sandidge

Texture Tuesday-Movie eDition-Lady in White

For Texture Tuesday-the Movie eDition. Lady in White, a 1938 film. Basically, the photo only alludes to the name of the movie, not the plot. I took two photos, one without the figure and one with the figure. The two photographs were merged, then ghostly figures attained by adjusting the opacity of that layer. Next the "plaster" texture from Kim Klassen was  used. Lastly, a levels and curves adjustment.

Peaches-a Study in Black and White

Fresh peaches are abundant in the farmers markets and groceries store. Although they are lovely photographed in color, this black and white study still reveals the lovely shape and texture of the peach. Image shot with a Leica d-lux5 in black and white, then used an additional filter with Nik Silver Pro 2.0 which deepened the black and white effect.

Shrimp Collage

Shrimp boat on the Burnside River, Skidaway Island, Georgia, Low Country Boil and Fresh Shrimp.
Collage made with Pic Frame, an app for iPhone, iPad and iTouch. Original color photos converted to black and white using Nik Silver Pro 2.0. Recipe for Low Country Boil on sister site, Cafe Lynnylu.

Tree of Dreams

Original photo shot with a Canon D60 converted to infrared, edited in Photoshop, then with Nik Silver 2.0 added a fine art filter. Lastly, the Kim Klassen texture, "dream" was added to the layers.


Check out Texture Tuesdays to see all the dreamy photos taken by other fans of texturing.
One of my dreams is to live in an old renovated cottage on a beach with an inlet behind me, a dock extending into the inlet and a small beautifully appointed dock house for guests.  A place where I could take a little boat out to  fish, shrimp, crab or just enjoy the waters.

Antique Tea Cup with Pink Roses

Teacup of Roses-Aurora Texture from Kim Klassen and Beau Linge Paysage from the Spring Painterly Collection at Flypaper Textures.

Three Slices Watermelon and Three Glasses of Plum Jam-Texture Tuesday

Three chunks of seedless watermelon for Texture Tuesday-the number 3 eDition. I'm not sure I'm that crazy about the post processing, but here are the specifics- three textures used (3 textures, 3 chunks watermelon)-Scratched magic-Screen 72%, Warm Sun-Multiply 74%, and Just Blush-Multiply 34%.

A more simple texture processing using just one texture, Brushed Linen two times, blending mode Multiply 100% and Multiply 80% with some texture brushed away from the red jam.