2B Ace Chairs

A new editing challenge.  Maybe a bit much?  Not the normal me.  Creatively squashed again from the 9 to 5.  Just trying to brighten the day. Needing a bit of color...pizazz.

Added kk-whitewashed texture with a couple layers, one in soft light, one in screen.  Then I added a layer of contrast and increased the red and yellow saturation.

It needs something else though.  A bit of difference in color between the two chairs maybe.

I want a house with a wrap around porch...filled with colorful chairs, rocking chairs, porch swing...to sit in and relax and enjoy the magical sounds of the outdoors. Reading a good book.  A cup of hot tea. Snapping shots of the wildlife as they visit.

Oh NO...Not I....NO WAY

I found this pic today from one of my senior sessions.

That's Emily on the left.  An awesome person for the little that I know her.  She's got a wonderful life ahead of her.

That's Lexi on the right.  You probably recognize her as she is my model quite often.  She followed us and was an extremely patient companion during this session.  Emily and her hit it off quite well and Emily wanted a picture with her in the end.

Well...Emily has a wonderful smile.

Lexi....well I have sat here for thirty minutes laughing at this photo.  At Lexi's expression.  She was so over the whole entire session thingy by this time.  She totally refused to 'smile'.  Normally I can throw a few quick trick words her way and she will perk up and smile....quickly...oh so quickly...but enough to capture the shot that I need.

Oh NO.  Not here.

She does have a bit of a stubborn streak.  Being a guinea pig so often for my practice sessions.  She knows how to turn her head away.  Or just plain...give me the silent treatment.

I laugh.  I am rolling on the floor laughing my.....well you know the rest of it.

Oh my...... I really needed that laugh.

She is very cooperative when she is in her own 'skin' doing the things she really loves.

But then...who isn't?!!!

I hope you get just as much pleasure out of her expressions as I do.  That is my purpose for sharing.

(Still laughing.....)

Dreamers

(Added KK texture 1402 magic at soft light and then 1402 at screen, merged layers, duplicated at soft light. Voila.  Dreamy...dreaming...out the window...dreaming of spring...soon to come.)


'The only thing standing between you and your dreams is....reluctance.'

..and fear, low self esteem, frustration, exhaustion...and maybe even some pure silliness.

There are days...I had one of those very recently...where I just wanted to shout out...or try to sing out... 'I am woman......' because I had such a great visionary day.  A lift in attitude that had my day so awesomely awesome..even though the only thing that was really different was my attitude. It. Felt. So. Good.

Why do I let things get in the way of that feeling and bring it down?  Because I am truly frustrated with certain aspects...too many ...aspects of my world right now.  I know what the main factor is.  I know.  I know what needs to be done to fix it.  There is one factor standing in the way and I keep praying and hoping that it will 'happen' soon....so I can get back to focusing on being that upbeat, positive, happy go lucky, down to earth....ME.

Winter doesn't help.
Winter.  Doesn't. Help.

I took the above picture almost a year ago...wanting to make an attempt at 'self portraits' and then one thing led to another with that 'factor' that needs to change....and I...had to go a different direction...or rather...wasn't able to take this other direction that I keep dreaming about.

I need to take control.
I need to be brave.
I need to stop blaming it on other circumstances.
I need to take that one...giant...step, focus, smile, hold my head high and sing....'I am a survivor....'.
I.  Need. To. Believe. In. Myself.

I can do this.  I can.

I've discovered a wonderful support group.   A meetup group.  'A Woman's Journey' group.  I've only been to one get together but it was the best.  I'm scheduled to go to the next...and I'm participating in a '90 Day Challenge' and can't wait to get started.  March 1...will be day one.

If you are in the Milwaukee area, join us at the next meeting.  The host of this group is trying to get this to be worldwide.  Helping women find their passion, meet their goals, making a difference in the world.

I discovered also, that same night, The Passion Test.  It brings so much emotion to my heart and soul.  Some much needed...looking forward to activities.

Are you middle aged?  Stuck in a rut?  Thinking it's just too late to 'start over'...or even just starting...to figure out what your ideal world is like?  Check out the passion test.  Check in to the meetup group of 'A Woman's Journey'.

Grab a support person and help each other make it to the finish line of a goal, a project.

Take a 90 day challenge.  Tackle it and complete it...and take another.

A Little Bit of Sybil

The things I want to do.  The themes and challenges I want to tackle!!!  The list is getting longer. The challenge is ...inspirational and much needed.

I found this while browsing....The Third Thursday Challenge.  Merely...learn and share something new.  It works because I can use it along side of my 2B class from the ever inspirational Kim Klassen which I try to focus on Wednesday nights.

This week...I learned to install a new preset in LR4.  It took me a bit and I had to use a few extra steps than were originally defined...but it works.

I learned how to add a little bit of soft light to my photos...when I need to.  I do have some awesome windows in my old two story farmhouse also that spills awesome lighting to use in different rooms at different times of the day. Frustratingly..many times it is when I am at work..inside those four walls that I don't really care to be inside of...but I get to enjoy the 'light' on the weekends and even in the evening...when the winter blues aren't sharing my life.

I want to try to gradient to add light in a different shot to see how it works and compare it with the LR way that I was shown and see how different they are.  Maybe tomorrow night as tonight...I was a bit interrupted with a phone all and am running really late.

Meanwhile...the above shot was actually one of my first attempts to take the inside out and I wasn't pleased with it...for that.  I decided to use it with my 'Sybil' mood tonight (texture by Kim Klassen - SO THANK YOU!!!).  Sybil.  She brings a little bit of that 'crazy' out of me.  And...it feels good.

First I added the new preset (also compliments of Kim Klassen) in LR4 and then it to PSE to add not just one...but four layers of Sybil, blended first with soft light, two layers at Color Burn, with fourth layer at soft light again and brushed the soft light off of the flower itself.  I love the grainy texture it added to the vase. I also brushed the last of the soft light away from the heart in the background because I wanted it to be noticed....if only  a bit.

I'm really loving Beyond Beyond.  It's an awesome mix of camera basics, Photoshop and Lightroom...just all kind of mixed up in a happy bucket of inspiration.

Join us, won't you!!!

PS...this was taken on Valentine's Day, it was snowing, and I thought the little red vase was just perfect...oh..and yes...the daisy (my favorite) from the bouquet my sweetie left me. Smiling.  really smiling.

For the Love of Pelicans

 It was the day before Valentine's but I am pretty sure these two found the true meaning of love....and they took my heart in the short hour that I sat and watched them.

They shouldn't be here.  It is the midwest.  Middle of February.  Winter is not over.  They never left.  They found a small little dam area that has provided just enough open area to allow for feeding and a very large following of ducks and geese to keep them company...and maybe even warm.  I truly believe though that the warmth they get is mostly from the love you can see between the two of them.

This picture above is the one that got me.  When they finally decided to get up and head to open water, they literally walked, side by side, step for step, as if hooked at the hip.  When one stopped to preen and stretch, the other stopped and preened and stretched.  In unison.  Together.  In love.

In this picture above, the one closest to us is the male.  If you look really really close, you can see the slightly swollen hump on his upper bill which is where the larger growth will be during mating season.

In this picture below, the one standing is the female.  They actually has a darker neck and I'm wondering if she isn't a bit younger.

 In the very top picture, the shot was taken just as the sun was setting and the lighting was absolutely awesome which also provided for the reflections.  It was well worth the wait.

Below was a brigade of geese (there was a fifth just behind that isn't in this particular shot) that was meandering over after their feeding on the grassy area where visitors come to through out bread.  It was fun to watch.  You could see they were walking slowly and carefully so as not to fall and slip.  Every once in a while, you could see one of their webbed feet slip a bit.  It made the entire scene seem as if they were trying to sneak up on the gang in front.

This is just a sampling of all the other ducks that were present in this area.  This shot also was taken just as the setting sun was throwing some awesome backlighting on the subjects.  (Who says you need all those expensive lights?)          

 This was my Wednesday Walk and Click.  I'm not sure how I am going to be able to top it.

Downtown Texture Tuesday

I think I found a new favorite texture...Sybil.  Well...I am a green fan...and I love Sally Field...who is the person I always think about when I hear that name.

I love this little duck.  She really wasn't alone.  Standing on a frozen lake, one leg tucked up.  It was single digits.  I just don't get how they don't get frostbite.  Must be those downy feathers.  She was surrounded by many others...but they were just far enough away (merely inches) that I was able to focus on just this little one.  All poofed up.  Deep in thought.  Probably of warmer days and warmer water.

Taking an afternoon siesta.  Or..maybe just slowing down the metabolism in a kind of hibernation stupor?  Maybe.  I just wanted to grab her up an cuddle with her.

The rest of the gang can be seen here....on my post for Wednesday Walk...tomorrow...February 20.

(Taken with my Nikon D7000 and Tamron 200 - 500, edited with a layer of Sybil at multiply and Edith at soft light and brushed off at 50% from the duck herself. Quotes....unknown author and I just couldn't chose which one I like the best. They both stirred tremendous emotions for me.)

2BD4 _ Inside Out

It snowed last week on Valentine's Day and I attempted 2BD4 photo challenge trying to capture the snow and Valentine's flowers...in the end...just being frustrated and not happy with the results.  So....as I cleaned house yesterday...and dusted the wine bottles off that were in the wine rack...the lightbulb lit!!!  Yeah!!!

#1 above is simply edited with KK_musicloving because of course with wine and daisies, you have to have romantic music!!

 #2 Above is edited with KK Painterly..about three layers of it in different blending modes, the first couple in multiply and the last in screen at 50% and removed from the shadows as that is what I like most on this shot....the shadows... and then framed.

#3 Below is textured with frosted...which has been my most favorite lately.  I tried every blend mode there was and ended up with the last being dissolved which I've never used before and really liked here.  I brushed it off of darkers areas of the labels, the shoe wine stopper, the wine in the glass and of course, the vase and daisy.

 #4  I loved the shot with the glare from the sun coming around the corner of the tree.  I used urban texture first, two layers, multiplied and finished it with..well I think it was KK..thelittlethings. (I really need to start writing these down as I do them.)

#5 I shot this one without looking through the viewfinder.  I just set the camera on my hand so as to keep it out of the snow and let it focus and shoot.  Thus, the slant, which I decided not to straighten and the view itself.  I added a preset of yesteryear in LR4 first and then took it to PSE and added textures and unfortunately could not remember which ones on this one. Actually...I believe it was KK Partings. I added in multiply, another layer in screen at less than 100% and another layer to darken the bottom a bit and brushed the darker off of the top. (I promise to try to be better about providing exact steps.)

 #6 This was actually the first that I edited and it has layers of frosted, partings and coffee, tea or me with textures removed from the bottles, etc.

Note...it was 7 degrees outside.  It was a quick shoot resulting in fingers that I could not feel and salt traipsed into the house after having mopped the floors...but it is those simple little challenges that I love about creativity...especially when it involves my Nikon!!  Did I say...Yeah?

The toughest step was just trying to decide which view I like best and which edited version I should share so...enjoy them all and let me know which is your favorite.