Not Forgotten

Every year seeds are planted, flowers bloom and then they die. While the blooms mostly go to seed, the leaves of the plants are left behind to slowly decay and rot. That's when I find the leaves most interesting to photograph as the dried leaves have wonderful patterns and veins. To me the leaves are a reminder that while winter is here, the blooms will not be forgotten and spring will come and the cycle will start anew.

(Sony Nex5...Snapseed and Mono)

Brooklyn Bridge

On a cold and dreary day, I walked the Brooklyn Bridge...something that everyone should do if they get the chance when they visit NYC. It's truly an amazing engineering feat considering the fact that it was done in the 1800's circa 1875-1880. And it's still in tact!!! I was truly mesmerized by the cables, the boardwalk, the arched supports and the view. A Must See...

(Sony Nex5...Snapseed, Mono)

Happy Holidays...A Day Late!!!

Empire State Building with Christmas lights Dec 25, 2012...as seen through Manhattan Bridge (AKA...DUMBO) in Brooklyn... As I left my daughter's home Christmas night, I knew I had to take a few quick shots of the iconic Empire St Bldg as who knows when I will be back to Brooklyn for Christmas again. It really is quite a sight and this photo by no means does it justice but it is my memory of a wonderful and special Christmas as I welcomed my new grandson into the world 10 days ago. Life is truly a blessing. I will be traveling in the next week to several spots and no time to post so Happy New Year to all and I will be back to my daily (I hope) posting in 2013. Thanks for viewing.

(Sony Nex 5...Snapseed)

Manhattan Bridge ...Take 3

There are many old warehouses on the waterfront from the days of shipping on the river. While there is still plenty of shipping, the shipyards are few now. This image was shot inside one of the warehouses looking out at the bridge. A little something different...probably won't be posting much in the next few weeks...family and holidays...So I wish you all a very Happy Holiday and thank you for viewing my blog. I'm looking forward to 2013 and more adventures!

(Sony Nex5....Snapseed)

Karmann Ghia

An old Karmann Ghia past its prime...when I saw this car, memories of the 60's come roaring back to me...fun remembrances...whooshing along the highway in a sports car with my brother at the helm and so happy that my big brother would take me for a ride now and then in one of his many sports cars! I was in heaven! Alas, those days are long gone as well as the Ghia...just a relic now.

(Sony 5...Snapseed)

Manhattan Bridge...Take 2

I'm living in Brooklyn for a month in the DUMBO district and having a wonderful experience shooting the waterfront and the streets around the area. Daily run to the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges...light constantly changing everyday...East River activity...I feel compelled to walk down to the river everyday to acquaint myself and encounter new observations ....like a magnet...pulling me into its industrial, urban yet mystical aura.

Into The Fog

Very foggy morning in Brooklyn...one could barely see across the East River as the fog was so dense. Not many people out in the early morn and I had the promenade to myself...a pensive time in misty soltitude. My mind was happy to wander and daydream to my heart's content....a soothing passage of time.

(Sony 5N...Snapseed)

East River

Manhattan Bridge over the East River at night....NYC transforms itself magically at night, especially on the river. The reflections of light on the river are magnetic and every night it's a little different. I decided rather than take the typical shot of the evening lights, I would conjure up a fanciful image to capture the mood I was feeling.

(iPhone...Avg Cam, Snapseed)

It's Going To...

Peeking through chain link fences on a foggy morning... as a child, I played a game of "where are you going"....making up stories of destinations for what I was viewing. So...the tugboat and barge are headed to ??? And what is the barge's load? I would prefer to think exotic instead of practical.So...there are 3 unicorns on the barge and it's headed to Peter Pan Land!!! And Captain Hook is waiting to capture the unicorns because they possess magical powers that can help Captain Hook nab Peter Pan and Wendy...Oh No!!! Back to reality...another dreary, foggy morning on the river as the daily routine begins anew.

(Sony Nex 5N...Snapseed and Blender)

Clint's Chair

Clint Eastwood's chair in Brooklyn !!! There's a small plaza near the waterfront in DUMBO district where the pavement is painted and people gather to enjoy the afternoon with drink and eats. Saw this chair set by the "eye" and thought of Clint! Whose eye is it...Eastwood, Romney or Obama?!

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Manhattan Bridge

Late afternoon in Brooklyn Bridge Park...dreary, gritty, cold wintry day. The Manhattan Bridge is one of 2 bridges that crosses over to Brooklyn. It's not as "popular" to shoot this one as opposed to the infamous Brooklyn Bridge. Nevertheless, I like shooting the Manhattan Bridge. I like the "expansive" feel to it and the shades of the bridge vary from blues to greys depending on the sunlight or overcast day.

(Sony Nex 5N...Snapseed)

Two Seasons

The two seasons of summer and fall merge to create a "Xmas-y" mood for me. The little asters remind me of snowflakes and the leaf looks like a star...thus, Xmas. Hmm? Anyway, I like the simpicity of this image.

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Headlight

The headlight on this old truck caught my eye with the reflection of the sky, trees and sun. I also liked how the headlight is attached to the truck, more like a beacon than a headlight. Rusted trucks are always fun to photograph. :):):)

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Alone

My safe haven for the summer is over...leaves have fallen, mist and fog descend. I am left in the cold, alone. A bleak, dreary day...winter is creeping in and I will wait for next spring when I can return to my haven for another season.

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Daily Grind

When I was a little girl, I loved to people watch (I still do). I would make up stories of the people... where they were from...where were they going...what were their jobs...did they have family. Some might look at this scene and feel pity....or enjoy the music...or admire the man/dog connection..or embrace his lifestyle. I choose to believe that this gentleman is a married retiree wo is finally able to do what he really wants to do, his dog always his companion, the money he earns in the hat for charity. And every day this is his "daily grind" and at the end of a glorious day, he goes home to his loving spouse for a fabulous meal with a glass of wine. And when he falls asleep, he dreams of his "daily grind" and how wonderful it is.

(iPhone...Snapseed, Blender)

Slipper Plant

A small bloom on a succulent plant in the morning light...

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Dewy Day

Early morning dew on a couple of yellow maples on my walk to the newspaper box...an hour later the sun was up high and the leaves had turned brown and dried up. Just another glorious day :)

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Summer Blooms

It's a dreary late fall day and I'm feeling a bit blue. So I decided to post a summer image to perk up my mood! These coreopsis bloom all summer long in my gardens and I love them. The blooms are very tiny and delicate and they always bring a smile to my face when I see them. Happy Summer Day!!!

(Sony Nex 5N...Snapseed and Topaz)

The Old, The New...The End, The Beginning

I love to walk around my yard looking at the changes that occur every season, always noticing new things that nature produces. Recently I had a huge dead oak tree removed. I had the trunk stump left (less costly!) in the ground. I had fun trying to count the rings to determine the oak's age but alas, my eyes went buggy trying to count. After a month or so, I went back to see the area and this creeping vine had started to grow on the trunk. I liked the different textures and the old vs the new, an end vs a beginning....life. I purposefully vignetted the edges to portray the transition that I felt this image projected.

(iPhone...Snapseed, Iris and Topaz)

Black Everyday

Went to get my mail on Monday and lo and behold but what to my wondering eyes should appear but a miniature postbox and  many, many catalogs. Ho Ho Ho !!! So many that the postman had to wrap a rubber band around them all!!!  "Buy me, buy me, buy me" they all scream...Black Everyday for the next 28 days. With a wink of an eye, laying a finger aside of my nose and giving a nod, I took them all into the fireplace and they went up in smoke... up the chimney they rose!!!

(iPhone...Snapseed, Iris)

Bird Bath

Birds love this bird bath in the spring and summer but alas, when fall arrives, the birds flee, leaving behind pine needles and leaves. I have a large hosta garden and the hostas surround this bird bath. Every late summer I love to sit outside and see my hostas in bloom in the small forested area and the birds rest in the bath for a splash. The hostas are long gone and the long stalks and leaves are fallen over, the birds are gone and soon the ground will be covered with snow. Another season, another year...

(iPhone...Snapseed, Blender)

What Do You See....

When I first shot this close up image of a mural at a restaurant, I saw 2 children playing and their arms outreached to one another. Then as I processed this, I saw a woman in the middle of the 2 children with her arm reaching out. Mother...children...? Not sure which or perhaps both but I do like looking at it. Do you see anything else?

(iPhone...Snapseed, Blender and Iris)

Leave a Light on For Me

Not sure why, but my eye was drawn to this intimate scene of a frontage store of a local "penny arcade" mall in Florida. Nothing special, just enjoyed it...

(iPhone...Snapseed, Blender)

Granny's Kitchen

Aas we celebrate Thanksgiving and give thanks for that we have, I thought I would post this image of Granny's Kitchen, a cafe in Ireland. It was a bright pink stucco building and very bright yellow curtains. Somehow, I felt that it needed to be processed as an older, homier, intimate mood. Happy Thanksgiving all...

(iPhone-Snapseed, Blender, Iris)

Crops In

The crops are in and the fields are left to be plowed under. The wind is whipping and late fall has set in. Soon the fields will become a winter wonderland. I used to hate this time of the year after the leaves are all fallen and the fields are so barren but now I find it a bit soothing, familar, intimate. I think about the roaring fireplace, the cozy blankets to snuggle under, nesting and comfort foods. Another crop, another year...

(iPhone...Snapseed and Photo Forge)

Succulent

A succulent cacti in the desert, I really like the pattern this plant creates. It looks a little like an artichoke but then again, it looks like it is a giant man eating alien!!! :):):) A bit of posterizing to emphasize the edges...

(iPhone...Snapseed and Topaz)

A Dolphin's View

I imagine myself as a dolphin...deep underwater and as I come to the surface, this is my view of the sky through the water as the sun begins to set and the clouds become pink. I imagine, as a dolphin, that it looks very inviting and so I decide to emerge from the waters for a sneak view. And then I breathe in the air...and descend again into the waters' depth...safe.

(iPhone...Snapseed and Iris)

CrissCross

Crisscross patterns on a palm tree...always an interesting subject to shoot. Differing textures of detail and decay on the bark and fiber peeking through come together to hold the eye's attention.

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Another Day in Paradise

Just a quick rendition of a sunset over a local bay with the palm tree in the FG. What is it about palm trees and sunsets that elicit such emotion of serenity, beauty, laid back, etc....I never tire of this scenery. Soothing, dreamy, exotic....Now, I'll just grab that glass of wine and relax on the lanai for awhile before I retire to the family room for a little bit of reading. Enjoy...

(iPhone...Snapseed and PSE10)

Alien Ships #2

This is another take on the original image I made awhile ago. I think this definitely represents a more "alien spaceships" mood. I like the glows around the ships and I like the space "particles" !!! Fun...

Resting

Pelicans are such an unique bird...very funny, versatile, smart. This pelican was basking in the afternoon sun in the harbor and not paying any attention to all the kids screaming at him to fly. He was totally oblivious to all surrounding him...just another day in Paradise!

(iPhone...Snapseed and PSE 10)

Auto Reflection

After babysitting 2 grandchildren (almost 3 yrs and 7 month old) for 3 1/2 days, I am now in Florida enjoying some R&R...and very needed :):):) Driving around my home, I stopped to shoot some birds (and they flew away before pic) but I turned around to see the reflection on the top of my car. It caught my eye. I'm on my Mac which is new to me so I'm not sure how this will look on the blog. I'm still trying out some new software (always a hazard with a photographer!!!) so we'll see.

(iPhone...Snapseed and PSE10)

Maple and Red Rock

Visiting Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon area for the first time was a wonderful experience. I only had a day and even then it wasn't a full day so I tried to make the most of it in a short period of time. My husband was the DD so I could concentrate on the places that I had marked on my map as "must stops" . He was an excellent driver and stopped wherever I shouted at him! I couldn't have seen all the places if it hadn't been for him. Anyway, waiting in line to enter a park, I saw across the road this small yellow maple against the beautiful red rock. The shadows of the trees were flickering on the red rock walls and my eye was drawn to the image. I quickly jumped out of the car and ran across the road and shot several images of this as well as another part (which I'll show at a later time). I emphasized the diffused lighting in my post processing as that is what drew me to the spot originally. I hopped back in the car and said to my husband, "Forget the park! Let's keep going!" I knew time was of the essence to get back and I was happy. I knew this image would become one of my favs of the day...an intimate image that to me portrays the essence of the Oak Creek Canyon area.

(Sony Nex 5N...Snapseed, Nik and Topaz)

Hovering UFOs!!!

I was trying to get out of the sun and approached a few sunshade umbrellas. As I looked up, I noticed the 2 umbrellas converging. I immediately thought of UFOs and decided that the left one was the mother ship as she had a glow surrounding her "entry point"! I also enjoy the negative space between the 2 shades...sort of like space itself!

(iPhone...Snapseed, Touch Retouch)

Last Bloom

Fall is here and the yard is beginning to look a bit disheveled with leaves on the ground, floral stems empty of blooms and leaves, gardens void of flowers and color...just a few blooms left on my hydrangea bushes. Fairly well desaturated blooms and yucky greens at that....hanging on by a thread and waiting to fall to the ground and be chewed up by the mower for mulch!

(iPhone...Snapseed and Topaz)

Child's Tree

My first memories of being a child at school were from kindergarten. I remember playing with paints and brushes. I also remember painting with sponges. When I shot this tree with the Avg Cam app, the result reminded me of my childhood. I would take the sponge and dab it into the paints and then blot on the paper with the sponge. I always thought that was so cool. So, I think this image is kind of cool!

(iPhone...Avg Cam 3.0 version, Snapseed, Iris)

Tenacious Footing

These fabulous old pines in the Southwest are known for aging gracefully and clinging to the red rock for as long as possible. The pines are tenacious, unrelenting, persistent and beautiful in their old age. When I saw this, it reminded me of a foot, clinging to the surface, holding fast, displaying a delicate balance of life. Perhaps we should learn from these timeworn trees.

I am posting a B&W version as well of this image. I felt that the B&W displays a different mood. The pine and rock come together in a more cohesive balance, namely age and timelessness. Any thoughts on which one you prefer?

(Sony..Snapseed, Filterstorm and PSE 10)

Autumn Impressions

Leaves are falling down furiously in the last few days and the weather is drastically changing. Yesterday our temps dropped 30 degrees in 2 hours. As I walked down my driveway to get the mail, I was bombarded with leaves and immediately I got my iPhone out. I have a new app, Avg Cam Pro and thought I would try it out. LOVE it! Instead of panning or using slow shutter cams, this app sets up the shot and then takes anywhere from 1 to 128 individual shots and combines them for the final image. What fun! This image was produced with 8 shoots. Hope you like it!

(iPhone...Avg Cam Pro 3.0, Snapseed and Filterstorm)

Palms

So, I'm trying some new software and this is another experiment. I was in Arizona last week and at our hotel there was alot of opportunity for images like these palms. They were all perfectly spaced apart to provide a grandiose march down a path to the pool. Glorious and it reminded me of the Hollywood palms down the streets with the grand parades of yore. Thus, I wanted to create the olden Hollywood effect that was in my mind.

(iPhone...Snapseed, Filterstorm)

Experiment

Sharp or not? Trying some new software...I'll be trying some more photos with this so bear with me!!! And thanks for viewing...

Road Trip

I just came back from visiting Arizona with my husband for a conference trip. One afternoon we were headed to a Jeep tour of the desert and we were being carted like sheep on a huge tour bus. I had the window seat and kept hoping that some cool car would come along for me to shoot with the mountatin BG and make it look like an old postcard! And voila! Along came the car! I know...the car isn't really vintage but it will have to do! It just felt right!

(iPhone...Snapseed, Filterstorm, Iris and Topaz)

Lines

Every year I shoot alot of Autumn images. Autumn is always so alive with vibrant reds, greens, golds, magentas...beckoning me to spend time out in the yard taking photographs. When I shot this maple leaf on my pine tree, the red, golds and greens were beautiful but I soon noticed the lines of the needles with the stem and the outline of the leaf. I decided to convert the image to B&W and add some diffusion. The emphasis is on the lines, not colors and I like how the nestled leaf becomes more subtle with the pine needles. And the more I stare at the leaf, the more prominent it becomes and the needles dissipate. Weird!!!

(iPhone...Snapseed and Topaz)

Floating

Floating along Salt River and the rafts were making beautiful abstract paintings in the water. Reflections are some of my favorite images to make. The sun is a powerful tool for reflections. I wish I could paint freely as I feel that I could take a large paintbrush and just whisk it around on a blank canvas but alas, I am not a painter so this image will have to suffice for my blank canvas.

This is being sent via my iPad so I'm not sure how the presentation will look yet. I'm still working on how to get the optimum image from the iPad instead of the PC.

(Sony...Snapseed)

PS...I have updated this frmo my PC. Looks MUCH better!

Urban Facets

Skyscrapers loom in the sky. People come and go in the structures, thoughts and memories,work and relationships. I like the interaction of the structures and the mirrored effect....similar to our own selves.

More to follow....

(iPhone ....Snapseed)

End of My Haven



The days are getting shorter with cooler nights and my time sitting in My Haven is nearing to an end. I've put away most of my pots but I hung on to the calladium in this one pot but alas, it too is nearing to an end. Autumn is definitely my fav season but I do not like what's coming after fall so I will lament the passing of My Haven for another season and prepare myself for the coming months.

(iPhone...Snapseed)

Mannahatta...Walt Whitman

"High growths of iron, slender, strong, light, splendidly uprising toward clear skies"... Walt Whitman

Across the East river viewing Freedom Tower...."straight lines and sharply defined forms predominate where people ride daily in metal cars on parallel rails to buildings made with steel skeletons" ...Louis Dienes

For some reason, this view touches me in a way that I don't really understand as I'm normally a "nature" person but Manhattan has a way of getting under my skin whenever I visit the city. I just want to sit, take in the view....

(iPhone...Snapseed and Filterstorm)

Dahlias

Dahlias...one of the fav flowers of most people. Autumn has arrived and I must put away my pots and flowers for the year BUT a few more images won't hurt before the flowers are discarded and thrown to the recycled mulch bin! Dahlias project many moods...romantic, dynamic, bouyant, flourishing, whimiscal, and many other auras. I went with romantic and a little bit of dramatic...any thoughts?

(iPhone...Snapseed, Photo FX and Filterstorm)

Hibiscus

Having some fun with this one! One of the last blooms of the season, I took the image and began to fool around some with various filters. This is a combination of several. I love Georgia O'Keeffe's flowers and I wanted to emulate her work but just a touch. I don't think I got there but instead ended up with this image which I rather like. I'll keep trying! Thanks for viewing.

(iPhone...Snapseed and PSE 10)