All is Well, and Thank You

Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment wishing us well during Hurricane Sandy...we are very lucky that we made it through the storm with our power intact and no real damage to our property. One large branch fell in our front yard but missed the house, and a large tree on our neighbor's property fell over and narrowly missed our storage shed. It is suspended by surrounding trees so it didn't even damage the fence between our properties, thank goodness. We see no visual damage at all, so we're very grateful! I'll keep all of you in my thoughts who are dealing with the after effects of this huge storm. Here are a few more photos I've been working on - editing my images helped keep my mind off the gusting winds these past 24 hours! Thanks so much for stopping by and, again, I deeply appreciate your good thoughts.

Calm Before the Storm

We are currently staying warm and dry inside our house while waiting out the effects of Hurricane Sandy, which is just now hitting the D.C./Northern Virginia area. The next 24 hours will be intense and we're praying we won't lose power or have damage to our home...any good thoughts are appreciated! While I still have power, I've been editing some images I've taken this past week of the fall colors. These are a few from around my community. To any of you affected by Sandy, please stay warm and safe and I'm sending you good thoughts!

Red

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Thanks to Danelle at her lovely blog, I learned of the Nurture Photography Autumn 2012 Photo Challenge and thought I would link up...it's a seasonal weekly photo challenge series that runs through November 16th. This week's theme is Red/Foliage, and I had some photos I took this past week that fit that prompt perfectly. While in Occoquan, I came across these beautiful red vines growing across the link fence on the bridge over the river. I couldn't resist getting a few shots of them in their gorgeous, fall glory. Click on the button below and join in with this fun challenge!

Derelict

This past weekend, my husband and I went to some abandoned prison grounds near where we live. Part of the property has been refurbished into artist studios, but behind that there are still acres of property that sit abandoned and neglected. I absolutely love old buildings...they are in disrepair, their colors are fading, but in their old age they are incredibly beautiful. The peeling paint, the broken windows, the overgrown ivy...these things add richness and depth. There was even one building that was open so we went inside. It was a bit creepy and desolate, so I was glad to have my husband with me! I would never walk back there alone. I will share many more photos in the coming weeks as I edit them!

For this week's Photo Art Friday, the prompt was "derelict" and the timing was perfect with all these photos I captured. I worked on two photos...I thought I'd post both because I couldn't choose. For the first, which we think may have been a prison chapel, I used Bonnie's "Vintage Craquelure" texture at Multiply/100% and put the image through Radlab several times to change the sharpness, tones, etc (and using reverse layer masks to fine tune certain areas). I also used both the Posterize (Normal/65%) and Cutout (Normal/47%) artistic effects in PSE. For the second photo, I used Bonnie's "Age It" texture at Difference/100%. I also used the Posterize effect at Normal/44%. I then chose the Gradient Map (purple to orange) option at Difference/28%. As always, I finished up in Radlab to brighten/sharpen, etc.

Original Photos:

Technicolor Berries

Unexpected intrusions of beauty. That is what life is. ~Saul Bellow

I have no idea what these berries/vines are, but they are spectacular! I didn't change the colors of these berries in any way with my editing except to sharpen them. Aren't they amazing? They are so vibrant and multi-colored! And the one vine has bright red stems/vines. Does anyone know what in the heck they are? All I know is that when I found them, I was giddy to have my camera with me. They covered an entire fence...what a gorgeous feast for the eyes.

Mum's the Word

How invisibly it changes color in this world, the flower of the human heart. ~Ono no Komachi

A few more photos from my Occoquan visit...I love mums! Their colors are so beautiful. The poor butterfly in my first image was a goner, but it sure chose a gorgeous, final resting place.

Occoquan Colors

“It doesn’t matter what you do,” he said, “so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.” ~Ray Bradbury

The weather in Virginia has been spectacular...I'm happy to say that I've been out on two wonderful photo jaunts in the past three days. I now have hundreds of photos to go through and look forward to sharing them on my blog in the coming weeks! The fall colors are so amazing right now...it's truly a sight to see. Friday I went to my favorite little local town of Occoquan, Virginia. I can always count on this quaint little place for some gorgeous, seasonal flowers and scenery. Here are a few I've edited so far, with more to come. Thank you for stopping by!

Star Gazing

My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down stars from the sky, then, for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence. ~Edmond Rostand, Cyrano De Bergerac

I am such an avid collector of quotes, if you haven't noticed! A post doesn't feel complete for me anymore unless I include one. For this week's Photo Art Friday, I started with an image I took at The National Zoo...there was a wall in the seal area that had starfish embedded in it. The original photo was very plain, but PSE can make very plain things into beautiful things! I used Bonnie's "Blue Depths" texture at Soft Light/100%, and I also added a pattern from the flyleaf of an old 1800s book (not in copyright) at Pin Light/100%. I used a reverse layer mask so that the pattern appeared only in the background and not on the starfish themselves. Finally, I put the image in Radlab and used several filters to soften it and increase the contrast/tones. Thank you for stopping by!

Original images:

It's the Little Things

"Life is a question of nerves, and fibers, and slowly built-up cells in which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams. You may fancy yourself safe, and think yourself strong. But a chance tone of color in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with it, a line from a forgotten poem that you had come across again, a cadence from a piece of music that you had ceased to play— I tell you, Dorian, that it is on things like these that our lives depend." ~Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

What a lovely quote. It truly is the little things that make life poignant...like the smoky smell of burning leaves on an October day. Or noticing the tinge of sunset etched against a rusty leaf edge, as it hangs by a thread on a tree limb...or stumbling upon a sweet, gilled mushroom growing beneath tall trees, anchored silently in the earth amidst moss, roots, and stones. Or wearing your favorite fall sweater and sipping a Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks...which is something I plan to do later today. There are so many small moments to treasure...what special moments have you observed today? This is my submission for Kim's Texture Tuesday...the prompt is "looking up". I used Kim's "happy heart" texture at Soft Light/20%, and finished it up in Radlab.

Monochromatic

Introverts are collectors of thoughts, and solitude is where the collection is curated and rearranged to make sense of the present and future. ~Laurie Helgoe

I love this description of introverts..."collectors of thoughts". This is so very true, at least for me. And the "rearranging" part is so valid also...introverts are so careful about thinking things through before they take action, whether it's with words or deeds. Today is Monochromatic Monday at the Magnetised by Life blog and this is my first time contributing. I'm glad I discovered this prompt - I don't often create monochromatic images, so this is new and fun. In fact, I hope my image above is monochromatic enough...the simple, unassuming tones of this photo also remind me of the introvert...we're quiet and in the background. But we have our own unique things to offer, even if our presence is more subtle. And sipping my morning coffee is definitely one of my most treasured solitary moments of the day. Thanks for stopping by!

A Lake Landscape

A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature. ~Henry David Thoreau

One good thing that comes with getting older is self-acceptance...understanding who we are and being fine with it. I love that I've reached the point in my life where I'm content with who I am, despite my flaws (of which there are many). I embrace my solitary nature, my sensitivity, my creativity...these things suit me well and I wear them comfortably. This week's prompt at Bonnie's Photo Art Friday is "liquid". I started with a photo I took of our community lake. I added hearts to the depths of the water, and a flock of birds to the sky. The quote seemed to fit, so I added it in. Thanks so much for stopping by - please visit Bonnie's site for more photo art! (button below)

I Blame My iPhone

I have fallen into a slump lately with my blog posting and photography...I'm not sure why. I've been feeling restless and unfocused - I hope it passes soon! I've taken very few photographs with my fancy camera; however, thank goodness I have my iphone because at least it still provides me with small bits of creativity throughout the day. And now that I think about it, maybe that's part of the problem? *epiphany* I'm having so much fun with my iphone and apps that I'm not taking the time to go out with my "real" camera. Hmmmm, this is interesting to think about...lol. I thought I'd share some of my recent iphone photos, and I'm also linking up with Kim's Texture Tuesday. This week's prompt is "anything goes", so it worked out well for me. Thanks to all of you who stop by, and I hope you're having a good week.




















As an added note, the kaleidoscope effect photo was achieved using the "icoloroma s" app, which I am loving! This was the escher effect (and most of the effects have adjustment sliders so you can increase/decrease the impact). The images with typed words were achieved with the "Phonto" app. The September bubble image was achieved with the "Bubble Frame" app.