Project 52 2014 #47

It's a country windmill, bright and shiny in the cold (below freezing) afternoon light.   I've added a layer of Flypaper's "Sauvage Byzantine" texture.  This is my choice for Week 47 of Kent Weakley's Project 52 and Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Week 28 of Project 52

Another week and I wasn't ready for my Monday night posts.  So my husband drove me into the mountains to see if I could find a good subject for my weekly contribution to Kent Weakley's Project 52 and Sweet Shot Tuesday. 

Week 17 of Project 52

Sunny tulips mean that Spring has truly arrived.  Sunny tulips also mean the deer haven't eaten them!  This is my choice for Week #17 of Kent Weakley's Project 52 and Sweet Shot Tuesday. 

Edited with Flypaper's "Ovid Banished" texture

Floral Love {Hyacinth Blue}

I don't think anyone really considers these hyacinths as Easter flowers, but they are my favorite, favorite color!  I found them in the garden section of a home improvement store.  Now I'm determined to plant bulbs in a large pot this fall to see if I can create this beautiful hyacinth blue collection.  Today, I'm joining with Mona's Floral Love.

Edited with Flypaper's "Angelique Glace" texture

Peony Tulip

For the first time in years, I have tulips blooming.  In previous years, the deer have eaten them as soon as the flower stalks appeared.   I have a new weapon now.  It's called "Deer Out," a creamy mint-based spray that has kept the deer away from any plants they would normally eat or nibble on. One variety of tulip that's blooming is one that resembles a peony. I've edited it with the Flypaper texture called "Quelques Fleurs."(I think it makes even the ugly chain link fence look attractive!)

Chick, Chick, Chickadees

Inspired by one of Nancy's posts last week to get out with a camera, even if the blah winter was all around,   I hopped in our pickup and took a short drive up a country road I hadn't been on in awhile.  When I saw a tree loaded with crabapples, I stepped out on the snowy road and walked back to find something with my 70-250mm lens.   What a pleasant surprise to see chickadees hopping around in the tree, chattering and pecking at the apples!   For Your Sunday Best, the main image features Nancy's "Denim Fade" texture.

"Denim Fade" texture by el vigilante

CatHair texture

Flypaper contre jour texture

Purple as a Sweet Shot

I LOVE the color purple!  In fact, I've loved it since high school....more than 50 years ago!  It was quite fortunate to teach for 26 years at a high school where the colors are purple and white.   For this week's Sweet Shot Tuesday, I played around with an image of purple tulips and a Flypaper texture called "Angelique Glace."  (If only the purple tulips were truly royal purple!)

More Tulips and More Edits

Once I tried the long lens with the white tulips, I had to do it again.   Then I played with a variety of edits:  Flypaper textures and Topaz edits.

Topaz Adjust 

Flypaper   l'oxegene

Flypaper Hidcote

An experiment for Creative Exchange

I've often bemoaned the fact that my house has almost no natural light.  It is such a frustration for any kind of indoor photography --- and for growing plants!    Yesterday, I set up a strange little studio setting for a still life, knowing full well that I would be applying actions and textures to the image.  I've chosen the result for Creative Exchange this week.   (I tacked up sheer curtains on a wall and covered a tray table with more sheers. I used an Ott Lite, which wasn't adequate lighting, so I added my on-camera flash. The greenery is left from a Thanksgiving floral arrangement I received.)  The "before" photo is below the edited image.

RadLab "Lights On" and "Super Fun Happy" actions;  Flypaper "Ovid Banished" texture; Picnik vignette