Little things...

Looking for nothing ...

but seeing everything...

that is how I wander the woodlands.

Well I did get off and walk the one little trail down to the creek and back. I've been so wrapped up for months now taking Rich to all of his appointments that it seems I rarely have an opportunity to catch a bit of air for myself.
I took Charlie on a quiet 'meander' to the creek and back up to the house.

It took a long time as I was walking along just studying the light and the plants along the forest floor.

~~~~~~~~

Note this was the day before surgery while I was waiting for the 'Tree Man' and calming my nerves about the upcoming knee surgery for Rich.

His surgery should be easy and routine, but nothing may always be easy and routine when your medical history is very complicated.


I took only my little macro lens along and decided to try some different things.

The above photos were taken with the sun shining on the fleabane and the shadows behind them.

It is a fun experiment and not very technically hard but it does take quite a bit of walking and observing to find the right subject.

I think I'll do some more of this around the yard while keeping close during the first couple of days of recovery.

Tiny acorns! These were so small that I didn't notice them at first until I squatted down to look at the fleabane nearby to see if any crab spiders were on them.

The acorns are the size of my pinky fingernail!

With fences checked, I let the mules out back and then proceeded to check the zinnias near the porch.

I knew I could find bees but was surprised by the variety of insects I was able to find.

I did find a crab spider ... eating a bee!

And just a normal 'bug' shot.

A bee on my yellow cosmos. Quite boring after all the other bug drama!

In the mornings and evenings I watch the hummers, bees, and gold finches feed on my porch flowers. I can sit in the morning and have coffee and enjoy the show too.

The surgery went well.
We were home by noon and I think his pain is less now.
We were both exhausted by the long day.

Onward....
and here is
to
little
things.

Editing ~ Creative Stuff

I started doing photography and felt that every photo just had to be perfect and straight out of the camera as I saw it.

I joined Flickr and started seeing other photographers doing editing and other things to photos, I met those who did abstract computer art, and... suddenly my world started to expand.

I began to learn the basics photoshop, GIMP, and other programs. I tried most anything I could get my hands on. Yesterday I came across something in my searches called 'Paint with Light Effect'. I decided to check it out.
I'd done Painting with Light at night and had a lot of fun. However, I don't often go out late at night and do photography.

It has been fun, and so I wondered what this new Painting with Light was.

However, it was not what I expected. It was painting light within a photo to dramatically change a photo.

I happened on something called the Briscoe Lighting Effect.

Tony Kuyper covers this in his WordPress blog and has a short video regarding the method that uses CreativeSuite by Adobe. I can't afford the CS by Adobe and I don't like 'renting' a program and paying for it monthly.

I started using ON Photo, the free version after Adobe went to a pay monthly fee. I kept my version of CS2.  I eventually went for ON1 RAW and I like the program. I own it and can upgrade if I want. It is a bit easier than CS, but it is not as creative.

All that gobbledygook aside, I thought I'd take some techniques and try to use them in ON1 RAW.

Here is the original photo:

Pretty boring isn't it? This is not what I imagined it to be as my eye saw the sunlight just barely coming in from the far side of the stream.

I also wanted the photo to have a dreamlike quality to it.

After a lot of missteps and start overs, I stopped here. Yes, this is what I wanted.

I edited the specific colors in the far end of the stream. I also used a texture layer to darken the sides and one more cloud layer to put the reflection of the sky in the water.

It isn't realistic, but it was something I saw in my mind's eye when I took the shot.

Here is what the ON1 editing program looks like and why it is SO easy to work with.
No, they do not pay me to talk about their programs.

I'd met someone recently who had told me how lost she was when using CS/Adobe Elements and layers.

Here is ON1 with the same photo, but I am editing it to be a black and white photo.

The original shot was pretty unimpressive too. But I wondered how it would look transformed in Black and White. I brightened the yellows, the oranges, in the color enhancer and then shifted it to Black and White and played with the sliders.

Besides ... X marks the spot.

I took this next shot and of course did some more play with it.
Color:

Sigh. It is nice but...

Black and White:

The leaves stand out in this shot, where they really didn't in the color version.

Next up?

I watched a video on how to composite a fantasy scene.

I will have to use both ON1 and CS2 for that. It is a great challenge.

Fall is coming

This year fall has crept up on us. Hot weather, pounding rains, flooding, and humidity have all felt like the Dog Days of August and certainly not mid September.

The rivers around here are still nearly full yet more hard rains and dangerous storms that could produce heavy rainfall is coming over the next day or so.

Yesterday Charlie and I went to the creek to move the Teddy Bear Guardians safely above any flood level. I really got attached to those little muddy toys. There is a new bear added to the mix. When I found him he had been tossed into a basket on the floor of a resale shop marked as .25 cents. He had stains on his fur.

He is now one of the Creek Guardians.

He looks shaggy and amazing sitting on the rock above the creek. He appears to take his job seriously.

Chance did get a rinsing yesterday in the creek. Whew, what a job! He still has a long way to go before I can think of washing him in a regular machine!

So Charlie and I went for our afternoon walk and as always, it leads to the creek. He investigated smells while I walked around and enjoyed some quiet time in the creek itself.

These next two shots were taken on the same flat rock. I just pointed the camera upstream for this one....

 ...and downstream for this one. [Yes that is a fog that is hanging just above the water. The water is much colder than the air temperature and this fog moves in and out almost imperceptible.]

If you look closely in the right upper corner you can see the blue chair where the guys are sitting safely out of the way of any angry waters.

However, it wasn't until I got home and looked at the photos as I pulled them up, that I noticed all the yellow leaves and oranges that had dropped into the water.
I mean...I did see them, but it didn't strike me until I got home.

And then there is this shot of Charlie investigating and interesting smell. Look at the foliage! It is rapidly turning colors!

Never mind the Charlie butt. He was too busy to sit nicely in front of me and pose.

Fall is coming. I hope so. We could use some cooler temperatures and some drier weather.

And...you know what comes after that!

Oh!
I will have to write about my new office! Very exciting stuff.
Stay tuned.

First Flower

Marsh Marigold found on March 17th.

I think this is the earliest I've found them.
This is a large spring that empties into the creek and always has the first Marsh Marigolds and the first Skunk Cabbage plants poke up. It is a warm spring and has never frozen over!

Larger view from 2016 on April 17th.

I take this as the first signs of the coming spring.
Yesterday I saw bluebirds!

The Brown Season is Here!

Even though the brown season is here, there are some things that are still colorful.

Sunrises and sunsets seem to be somewhat spectacular this time of year.

The October sunsets are visible without moving from my porch so this time of year all I have to do is step outside for a moment to enjoy the spectacular show that mother nature puts on for us.

Most of the fall leaves have come down except in areas that are protected from the wind or the oak trees.

Yesterday, the skies were spectacular for accenting the colors left before winter. The greens were brilliant. The colors alive!

A front moved in as we walked to the 'bus stop' to get the kids.

On our way back from the bus stop it began to drizzle. So we cut through the fields.

Of course I'd brought a plastic bag to wrap the camera up in.

Our adventure was fun, we were damp when we all got home and the rain stopped. OF course!

Today the temperatures aren't going to get above 40 something and the winds are going to howl.
Looks like a good day to do indoor things.

Meanwhile Fall is Glorious!

A cool foggy morning. The sun begins to come over the horizon and the fog turns orange.

Fog and hills plus sunlight = amazing.

Sidie Hollow County Park on a rainy Saturday.

Under the sugar maples on a sunny afternoon.

Ridge road to the creek in *Van Gogh* style.

Even just walking up to get the mail is amazing.

The hickory tree has turned golden and will be brown in a few days.
We had over 2 inches of rain last night and everything is misty looking and very sodden.

The cloudy overcast light has a certain way of enhancing the colors. Perhaps I'll be able to get out and enjoy some more color before entering the 'brown' season.

Ride in the Rain

I'd been itching for a ride.  It was late and it looked like rain but I hadn't been to the valley in a long time.

I walked over to the pen and Fred bullied his way in past Siera who stood and nickered at me.

Fred seemed ready to go also.

I cleaned him up and tied my raincoat to the back of the saddle just in case it began to drizzle.

The skies were grey and very overcast.

But that only added to the brilliance of the trees once we entered the forest trail.

It did start drizzling so I stopped and put on my raincoat and we rode on.  It was a light enough rain that we could here it on the leaves above us, but it didn't feel like it was going to get us wet or turn into a hard rain.

Fred's steps were muffled by the damp leaves.

The further we rode, the darker it got.  So midway up the trail to the 'velodrome' I turned around and headed back.

When I glanced up I could see that rain would be coming and the light in the forest just kept getting darker.

Actually it was quite beautiful in the way that the colors were drawn out in the subdued light.

Although the point and shoot camera I had in my pocket had a very hard time with the light.

So this is why the photos appear painted in a way.  I rescued them as best I could with a little photoshop magic and some Topaz plugins.

However the short ride did wet my appetite to go back today and enjoy the colors.  The back valley ridge road is generally brilliant with yellows.

The skies are supposed to be cloudy which might make for great lighting again today.

I think I will take Siera and perhaps Morris too as he is my assistant and rides well on Siera.

I'll have to make it a point to dismount and take photos instead of trying to take them from Fred's bouncy back.

So here is to Fred for taking me for a nice evening ride in the light rain.

Fred, you are the last of the aged...grand aged mules we have and I hope to have your around for a lot longer!