Happy New Year - Abstract Art Altered Image

Cannot believe that 2017 is almost over.  Today I posted the image on the left on Facebook.  This image was originally of some ice in puddle from my driveway.  Previously posted on this blog after a snow storm. I certainly had no idea I would be using this for artwork.  The original image was in color but then used the Saturated Film filter x10 to get this colorful effect in Photoshop Elements 15.  It took maybe a minute to come up with the abstract art, but I can't image how long it would have taken to paint on canvas or linen with whatever medium.   I am looking forward to taking an iColorama course.  My goal for a long time has been to make digital collages,

Happy New Year Still life - B & W Tree Branches in winter.

 It is almost 2018.   The image on the left I did not take but a good example of a still life photo in B & W which was a freebie download from The Graphic Fairy. Emil Pararkis, Instructor/Founder of iPhonology course recently sent out an email about taking pictures in winter of trees.  I originally took the photo on the right with my iPhone 6s in color and converted to B & W image but no other edits.  I used ProCamera app. I signed up for a course to learn how to use the iColorama app.  I may never sleep again.  It has about 90 videos to watch.  This should teach me how to give my photos an artistic look.  Plus can share on Instagram or the iColorama FB page.

Holiday Lights - Pinnacle, NC

My photo friend. Pat Chamings, and I went to see some holiday light display in Pinnacle, NC.  This was an experiment for low light photography.  I wanted to try a new camera app for my iPhone 6S,i.e. Procamera for the iPhone and costs about $5.00.   I tried my Nikon P600 P & S and results were terrible.  Because it had been awhile since I watched the You Tube tutorials, I did not remember much.   Some how the image was set as a TIFF file. I did use Low light + which will combine images and do noise removal.   Here is one scene which you could drive or walk around.  Definitely need more practice. 

Holiday Cards - Marbelized Paper, Alcohol Inks

Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays!! Season's Greetings!!  Thought today I would post a couple of images of cards I have made to send to friends and relatives this year. Took image with iPhone 6s which gives skewing. The left card image  I watched a video of Jennifer McGuire about using alcohol inks as a background for Christmas cards using Yuppo paper Tim Holtz alcohol inks. Then I added the die cut sentiment:  Penny Black die:  Love, Peace & Joy from white cardstock   Then I die cut some snow flakes from Tim Holtz collection --  14 different designs in the set.   Adhered this with Elmer's spray adhesive.  The other card holiday card that has marbling background from a kit we used when Cinda here at Thanksgiving.  These colors were more muted than the Golden Fluidacrylics we used in my Marbling Class.

Winter Abstract/Textures

Friday night we had about an inch of snow in Greensboro, NC.  Because the streets were still warm and only 33 degrees Fahrenheit the winter scene did not entice me to capture any images.  Just not my "mojo".  Got up late this a.m. and did manage to capture some images with snow and ice.  I posted 4 images on facebook.  Since it was cold and the weather getting warmer, I had no time to warm up my digital camera.  So, I set out with my iPhone 6s to see if some patterns in nature could be captured.  My driveway had puddles that had frozen.   I love those patterns of nature. Sometimes it has unwanted artifacts.   I saw some snow that some had started to melt and so there were indentations left from the melting. Minimal post processing with PSE  15. I hope later I can revisit these image and use some artistic apps. 

White Poinsettia Macro and B & W Conversion

 I was shopping at Wal-mart and decided to check out opportunities for photo images of Christmas plants/blooms.  I missed the poinsettia open house at Mitchell's nursery in King, NC.  Took the image in color but then wanted try a conversion to B & W. The latter is darker because I wanted to show more texture of leaf veins.  Lighting was overhead florescent. Image taken with iPhone 6S and edited in PSE 15.   Hope I can visit Lowe's and some other nurseries for more photo opportunities. 

Milkweed Pod Original & Altered

 About a month ago, I was walking in neighborhood. I saw a milkweed pod with parachute seeds.  Decided to remove the pod and put on top of a green garbage can for background. Because it was cloudy, the background looked more blue than green.  The image on the left is the original without editing.  The image on the right I used an app called Instamag. You can see the watermark.  It gives you lots of artistic choices for your photos.  Although I would never see these colors in nature, I really like this and would consider using it as a greeting card.   I did post the original image on Photo Nuts.

The original was selected for top 10 month of November and Liz Masoner chose for profile image. 
Very honored to have received this recognition. 

CU Fall Berries & Seed Pods (Crepe Myrtle Shrub & Gumball Pods)

Fall is a great time to look for images of berries and seed pods  Image on the left is berries on crepe myrtle shrub.  Their leaves can vary from mostly red or yellow.  The image of the right is of various stages of sweet gumball pods.  These can be a great source of texture.  Taken with Nikon P600 -- post processing with PSE 15.

Gingko Leaves - Fall Splendor

 I love Gingko leaves in the fall. The shape of the leaf is unique.  The image on the left  and the middle one at the bottom were taken at the Lawndale Shopping Center, Greensboro, NC.  It was a bright sunny day but there is some blue sky in the background.  The image on the right shows them as an esplade at the P.J.Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville, NC.  It was an overcast day and sky was grey. These still had some green leaves. Used Nikon P 600.  Post editing done with PSE 15. 

Christmas Village - Tom & Linda Mooth

 On Friday I went to a luncheon at Linda Mooth's house.  Her husband, Tom, is an avid collector of the villages houses, people, etc. He has a huge display in his family room and living room areas.  It was difficult to take photos due to lighting that time of day.  Also, the ceramic pieces are shiny and that is another difficult thing plus I was taking hand held and due to placement of the pieces, not all in the same plane so not everything tac sharp focus.  I took these images about 11:30 a.m.  Would like to go back and take more at another time of day --early a.m. and perhaps test my skills of taking panorama views. Images taken with the Nikon P600 - post processing with PSE 15.

Fall leaves in the Triad

This fall I have really not had time to take many images of leaves.  Seems like when I had time it was raining, cloudy, windy etc. Both images taken with the iPhone 6s. The one on the left is of some hickory leaves take mid-November.  Saturation was increased  post processing.  It  was taken on my neighborhood walk about 4 pm.  The image on the right is of a Sourwood or Sorrel tree with some cluster blossoms in the fall. The foliage is various shades of red.. The blossoms were too far away to capture clearly(a problem with limited aperture of iPhone with distant objects--plus this was a windy day). It was taken about 3rd week of October.  This tree was at Country Park in Greensboro but more well know in the Pilot Mountain area of NC. More info on  Sourwood tree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxydendrum

Halloween Display in Neighbor's Yard

Every year my neighbor, Randy,  puts up a Halloween display.  He spends hours setting it up and making new structures.  I captured some images before it got dark and then took others after he completed the set up.  Some of the structures made noises when it heard peoples voices.  He also had fog floating over the area.  I did not incorporate structures that were on the left of the driveway,but included skeletons, inflateable cat on a pumpkin,          a ghoul with chains and a guillotine.Taken Nikon P 600 & others with the iPhone 6.  Post processing with PSE 15

Fall Leaves in NE GSO

 Leaves are finally starting to change color in the Triad.   I do not think that the color is as good as some years. Jack had an appt at the Triad Foot Center and I saw some leaves just starting to peak.   Images taken with my Nikon P600.  It was bright and sunny, So, I had to stop down the light.  Minimal editing with PSE 15.   I hope to find some more images to try with my Sony Alpha 7 and maybe try circular polarizing filter--telephoto lens. 

Black & W Challenge - 4 of 7 Day Challenge

My daughter, Ginger, challenged me to take B & W images for 7 days.  No people.  No Explanations. I have posted 4 of the images.  Some were taken with the iPhone 6S and others with the Nikon P600.   Minimal editing in PSE 15 or edits in Phone native camera. Downsized to post on Facebook. No artistic apps were used.
The image on the left at the top is not a person but part of my neighbor's Halloween display.  On Halloween he uses dry ice and back lighting to give an eerie to the displace which also includes grave markers, the "headless horseman", skeletons, and an inflatable cat.  Love that I could capture my dog without her thinking the camera was food. Top right image is a macro of milkweed seeds.  The lower right is an image of varigated yucca plantlooking down the center. 

Pink Sasanqua Camellias CU - Tangier Garden, GSO

 One of my favorite flowers to photograph are camellias. When I lived in Ohio, you could only see them in a conservatory.  Since I moved to NC I can see them outside in the fall& winter, starting in October-December (Sasanqua) or December-February (Japonica),  I actually have a red and pink one of the Japonica.  Images taken with iPhone 6S and edited in PSE 15.  Images were cropped and the backgrounds were improved with healing brush or a paint brush. These images were taken at the Tangier Family Garden in Greensboro, NC.

Garden Gate Winery, Mocksville, NC

Went with friend to wineries in the Mocksville, NC, area last Sat.  My friend Pat Chamings picked a gallon of the Muscadine grapes at Golden Gate Vineyards.  They had 2 varieties: black and a yellow green.  In addition to making wine, these grapes can be made into juice. Taken with iPhone 6.  Minimal editing in PSE 15.  I really liked the statue on the property.  The wineries have expanded in North Carolina. It is said that the lattitude here is the same as successful wineries in France and California.  A few like Childress Winery in Lexington do have a restaurant. 

Milkweed Seedpod with Nymph Milkweed Insects

I was walking in the neighborhood and saw the milkweed plant had popped open the big seed pod.  There were a lot of orange insects crawling about.  Taken with iPhone 6s.  Posted on my FB page and also on Photo Nuts FB page.  Minimal editing in PSE 11.

Abstract Lighting at Lowe's for the Holidays

I was shopping a Lowe's about a week ago.  They had fall decorations for Halloween or the holiday on display.  There are LED lights which can be used to light up the outside of your house.  They had a display with these lights in a cardboard box and I tried to capture movement with my iPhone.  Not possible to set a high speed to freeze the motion.   Theoretically either of these could be used for halloween.  I like these images because they would be considered abstract. The imge on the left has a vignette appled to make sure the corners were really black.   

Fall Splendor -- Autumn Clematis & Magnolia Seedpod

The Fall Equinox occurred on 9/21 but did not have time to post.  Fall foilage, blossoms and seed pods have been seen in my neighborhood. Leaves will soon be changing to Autumn colors.  The photo on the left is of an **Autumn Clematis.  This is very difficult to photograph if there is any wind and the blossoms are not all in the same plane.  So if you use a shallow depth of field in a close up photo, not everything will be in sharp focus.  I purposely took this photo in late afternoon to get the "golden hour colors" with side lighting to show more texture.   The image on the right is of a magnolia seed pod.  A slight vignette was applied to this photo to make seedpod more  prominent. 
**The Autumn Clematis (Virginia Bower) was picked as one of the Top 10 images in FB  Photo Nuts Group for the month of Sept. 

Rust on Blue Dumpster = Abstract Art

 I love taking pictures of rust and then trying to make a better abstract image with different apps.  My "go to" photo editing program is Photoshop Elements.  It has filters you can use to alter the images you have taken them which is referred to as post-process.  This is now your digital darkroom so to speak..  In this case I found rust on a light blue dumpster in downtown Greensboro.  I took about 10 different images.  After I did cropping, adjusting texture with sharpening I started playing with various filters.  The image on the right was using the "Saturated Film" effect which makes this pop.  You could even go futher but then it adds colors that were not what you saw in the original.  The original image was taken with my iPhone 6s.  So, I can still try to use more apps to change the effects like Prisma and Art Effects..  In PSE, you can invert an image to get different colors, or you can change colors by increasing or decreasing amounts of red, blue, and green for highlights, shadows, midtones, etc.   You don't have to spend hours painting to get this effect.  

Old Confederate Rose Bud and Blossom (Hibiscus mutabilis)

My Old Confederate Rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) bloomed 9/6/2017.  It is not really a rose but a cultivar of a hibiscus. When it first blooms it is darker pink color, but will fade to pale pink.  The bloom only lasts for about 24 hrs & does not do well with water in a vase.  The bud on the left was taken the night before.  The image on the right was taken about 9 a.m. the next morning.  Both images were taken with the iPhone 6s with minimal editing - cropping and adjusting color

For more info about the plant: ttp://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/hibiscus.html

Plants in Planters at Sarah Duke Gardens

 Yesterday, I went to Sarah Duke Garden in Durham, NC.  It is my favorite garden to visit anytime of year.  There is always something to photograph.   Both of these images were taken with my Sony 50 mm macro lens.  It was about noon-1pm when I visted. Here are 2 plants I do not know the name.  I liked the backlighting I was able to get on the R image.  I do admit to some cloning of the background which had splotches from the tree sky lighting behind and I wanted to make the yellow leaves of this the focal point.  Both of these plants were in planters. The left image had minimal editing.  

Summer Blooms: Rose of Sharon & a Hibiscus

 August is the time to find Rose of Sharon in bloom and this unknown cultivar of a hibiscus that is low growing like a ground cover instead of a tall shrub. The coral hibiscus was taken in my neigborhood with DSL-R 50 mm macro lens.  The Rose of Sharon was taken with my iPhone 6S at PJ Ciener Garden in Kernersville.  

Smashed Electronic Tablet - Abstract Effects

 I needed to smash my electronic tablet because I did not want data on it for others to use.  After I was done weilding a hammer to the screen I noticed patterns and texture. The tablet had a B&W screen.  I took the image with my iPhone 6S.   I cropped a section I liked and in the Windows 10 photo editing program applied a filter to get the blue & turquoise coloration which I then increased, clarity, color saturation, brightness, and sharpness to get the abstract photo on the right. One could use various other post processing apps to change colors and effects. I showed both images at TOPs.  These altered images could be used for a notecards.