Homeward Bound

20151124-MMA_5659_melinda_anderson-EditYes, we are back home from Yellowstone!  We actually arrived in Phoenix last night, but we spent the night and did some shopping before heading up the hill this afternoon. We got home an hour ago- and we’re already unpacked, the laundry is going, my photos are uploading (still!), and my husband is out at the store picking up something for tonight’s dinner.

I took a ton of photos (darn burst mode!), and it will take a week or so to go through them. Expect to see some darling boys (and dogs), some elk (of course), more bison,  lots of snow, the hot springs, and some photos of one of my bucket list animals (a very common one at Yellowstone that had thus far eluded me)!

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Snowy Courthouse Square

Of the photos I took Courthouse Square in the snow, this one is my favorite. After I took photos with my Nikon and got back in the car, I decided to take a quick iPhone shot for Facebook and to text to a few friends. Of course, that one ended up being my favorite- the point of view from the car was much better than from where I had stood for my other photos. I can’t believe I didn’t see that when I was taking pictures.  My excuse is that I was concerned about the snow falling on my camera. . .

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I converted it to black and white in Lightroom to use for my photo club on Tuesday (the theme was black and white). The photo was well-received, although not a winner in the voting- and the comments all had to do with the unique point of view- the angle of the fence etc. etc. Maybe when it snows again, I can shoot from this angle again- only with my big-girl camera!

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Snow at the Courthouse

Monday was a snowy day. Although it snowed for most of the day, we ended up with only an inch or so, which melted away in the afternoon even as the snowflakes continued to fall. We went out for coffee in the morning, and then drove downtown where I took some photos as it snowed.  Christmas decorations are already being put up, alas (a pet peeve of mine), even though Thanksgiving is still a week away. But actually, I think the Christmas tree adds to the photo.  I edited it in Topaz Texture Effects, using one of the Fairy Light presets, and added additional textures in Photoshop.

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Texture FX Fun

I love editing with textures, and the new Topaz program, Texture Effects, is giving me a whole new way of approaching the process.  You can start from scratch, making basic adjustments and then adding dust or scratches, lens leaks, vignettes, borders, and/or textures OR you can start with a filter preset and then adjust everything from there. There is a masking feature, which works well, except that you can’t use the bracket keys to control brush size (I usually choose to mask in Photoshop, because it’s easier for me).  You can upload your own textures into the program, as well as create your own presets, which you can choose to share with a community of other users of the program.  To be clear- it’s not just about textures- it’s other effects as well.  You might decide to not use a texture, but just other effects- or add your own textures in Photoshop afterward.  It’s a very flexible program! With that said, I will add that many members of the FB group devoted to this program have had technical issues with installing it and getting it to save their edits.  I have had no issues, thankfully.

So here’s an edit of a macro photo I snapped last weekend in our front yard (I think I used a filter and added 3 textures in Texture FX and then masked in Photoshop).

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Bejeweled

Yesterday’s snow had disappeared before lunchtime- so I’m glad I made it outside with my macro lens before it all melted away.  Our shrubs and trees looked like they were decorated with little jewels as the melting bits of snow glistened in the sunlight.

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Leaf Happy

Last week’s walk down Mt. Vernon Street yielded some fall photos as well as all the photos of Halloween decorations.  I think I should post them sooner rather than later, because this week’s big storms may have blown many of the leaves off the trees.

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Abstract Grasses

The morning light shining through the ornamental grasses out my office window took me away from my computer and out the front door with my camera and lensbaby.  I took about a dozen shots as I knelt on the rocks outside (ouch!) before my knees gave out from the effort.  I liked the resulting photos, which I edited with textures to emphasize the abstract qualities of the images.

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Winter is coming . . .

The hush comes with the deepening of Autumn; but it comes gradually. Our ears are attuned to it, day by quieter day.
But even now, if one awakens in the deep darkness of the small hours, one can hear it, a foretaste of Winter silence.

~Hal Borland

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For as long as I can remember, Fall has been my favorite season.  I think I like autumn leaves on the ground almost as much as the leaves on the trees. And to my eye, they are melancholy and mysterious in black and white- I love their fragile, crispy crunchiness and ragged, tired edges- reminding us that Winter is coming (a Game of Thrones reference, with my apologies). Snow is in the forecast in the high country, but I don’t think we’ll see any here.  In the meantime, I’m enjoying every minute of Fall!

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