A Mother's Love

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

When I first began taking photos last July, I assumed initially that I would go in the direction of portrait photos. I really do enjoy taking pictures of people, but I've barely scratched the surface of the knowledge required. And surprisingly, over the last six months I've realized I want to go in a different direction...more than anything, I love the artistic side of photography and PSE. Words can't describe how stimulating it is to alter my photos and add layers/effects. It's like visual art but without any messy paints or supplies. I absolutely adore it. However, I do still want to continue learning about taking photos of people so that I can take pictures of my family and future grandchildren. I took this photo of my daughter this past autumn when the leaves were turning...it's my favorite photo of her. But, I love the lighting and her big, genuine smile that reaches her eyes. Ahh...a mother's love. When I look at this picture, I could burst.

Open Your Heart

This week's theme at Texture Tuesday is to use the word "Open" in some way. I took this photo at our favorite vacation place - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We went on a dolphin cruise and this beautiful sail boat breezed by us. The words came to me as I looked at the photo, so I incorporated them into my image. The words resonate with me...they are so true. If your heart is closed off, it's so hard to reach for any dreams. I used Kim's "Mayzee" texture here, and also added a layer of an old map to show in the sky. The heart came from a "heart bokeh" texture; I used a reverse mask to reveal only one heart under the words.

Winter's Chill

This time of year, it's a real struggle to find dynamic photos in the colorless environment. Everything is so drab; there are no sounds of birds or bees. The landscape is like a blank canvas; there are no colors to paint it with. The lifeless winter months always force me inward...streaming thoughts overflow, as soft and silent as falling snow. I grow tired of the cold during these long January and February days, but there's something to be said for the winter woods: it's a perfect place to listen, to watch, to contemplate. And to dream of spring and summer! My spirit aches for it...if I close my eyes, I can almost smell the budding flowers and the freshly turned soil.

I search inside
For some memories
Dipping my cupped hands
Into glimpses of sunny days
And my soul flies
With dreamy eyes
Along the soft trails
Of white-cupped daisies
Smoldering in the heat
Of August's rays

If only for a moment
Winter's chill
Falls from my heart
Like bitter glass
Pointy snowflakes
Blue from the moon
Melting tenderly
Spilling away and
Shimmering against
Sunlight on my face.

© Sherri Brannon

Sticks and Stones

I am in awe of nature's color palette. When I found this stick in my back yard, I couldn't believe the beautiful colors on the fungus. Did I just use fungus and beautiful in the same sentence? I can't be the only one who feels this way, right, about finding beautiful colors on the ground with my camera? Please let me know I'm not alone in my giddiness over pretty fungus...lol.

Technicolor Moth

I always look forward to the end of the week because Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art offers "Photo Art Friday" at her blog. The key here is to take an image and edit it so that it becomes less photo-like and more like a piece of art. I find it very freeing because there are no rules and I can just play. I add layers and go through all my blend modes to find exciting colors that aren't realistic, but look real pretty to my eye. By the time I'm done, I'm usually grinning like a kid at the gorgeous colors and abstract shapes I've come up with. This makes me way too happy! lol...you should give it a try! It's a whole lot of fun, and also a way to learn new things in PSE as you experiment.

This was an image I took of a moth on our patio door. I added Bonnie's "Blue Me Away" texture, and then her "Wicked" texture on top of that. For both of these, I used the Difference Blend at 100%. I also layered an image of an old Persian rug pattern on top, using it at Difference mode/65% (found at Flickr Creative Commons, from "peacay"). I then tweaked it a bit in RadLab for the final effect.

Winter Wonderland

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together." ~Vista M. Kelly

On Monday, we got some unexpected snow. Even the weather forecasters were shocked because it wasn't predicted. I know nothing about taking photos of snow, but I grabbed my camera and tried to get a few pictures before the sun went down. I liked this shot of a neighbor's house in the distance. All of the snow was gone by Tuesday at lunchtime! It was pretty while it lasted.

Thoughts Cling Like Ivy

"Direct the clasping ivy where to climb." ~John Milton

Thoughts cling like ivy...and if they're negative, they can smother our spirit. The older I get, the more conscientiously I try to make sure my thoughts remain positive ones. Do I always succeed? Nope. But, I'm more aware when the negative thoughts appear, and I try my best to turn them around before they take hold. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I became fully conscious of how my negative thoughts were affecting my spirit. I discovered that just being aware of them when they showed up greatly diminished their power. It was an important discovery in my life. Writing about them also helps, and for me, they come out as poetry. I like turning sad or negative thoughts into something rhythmic and beautiful. How about you? Do your thoughts sometimes grow where you wish they wouldn't? Here's to positive thoughts, the kind that thrive and grow towards the light.

This is my submission for this week's Texture Tuesday . I took this picture in Occoquan, Virginia. It's a quaint, little town filled with shops and personality. I used Kim's lovely "embrace" texture - Color Burn at 100%. I also put it in RadLab and used the filters Oh, Snap!, EZ-Burn, Sparta, and Adrift, all at 100%.

My thoughts cling like ivy
From within these walls
Then climb out of reach
I am restless inside
And my spirit wanders
In a tangled garden
Of blacks, grays, and whites
Mouthfuls of words buried
Where I can't find them
My hands grasp at air and
Rhythms hide lonely
In my sleeve.

© Sherri Brannon