From last month’s visit to Tucson:
I ran across these and just had to post them for my bird photographer friend, Carol. I think there might be a bit of “gesture” in the top left photo- I think it was looking at my husband, not me. 🙂
Lily Pond
These shots were taken at the lily pond on the grounds of the beautiful Ferrari Carano winery, which we visited a few weeks ago. This large frog was so still that we thought it was a garden statue; however he hopped away when my friend, Georgia, started tossing (very small) pebbles his way. Yes, we (I) screamed. . .
Van Gogh Peaches
One of my AAUW photo group friends was giving away peaches yesterday- a perfect opportunity for me to finally get back into my still life “studio.” I have been so busy lately that I have had to put still life photography and macros on the back burner and just rely on the travel shots I’ve done throughout the summer.
I used my Lensbaby with the Edge 80 attached for these photos- and then ended up doing a version in Topaz Impression as well.
I added a texture to the original photo below to soften the black background.
I used one of the Van Gogh filters, although there were MANY other options that would have worked well too. I usually take the photos back into Photoshop and mask off portions to reduce the painterly effect, but I really liked them straight out of Impression this time.
Have a great Friday!
Colors!
I fell in love with the colors of the Tucson Barrio when we were there a few weeks ago. Here are some images that didn’t make the blog:
A Hot Day in Sedona
Last weekend we had a wonderful visit with our dear friends, the Jansons, who came from California so that Carolyn could present a HeartMath workshop at our church, Unity of Prescott. It was a wonderful weekend in so many ways, with the highlight of course being Carolyn’s over-the-top inspiring presentation on Sunday. They flew home last night, and we miss them already.
We spent the Saturday before her workshop in Sedona and Jerome, and it was the hottest day we’ve experienced in that area. Armed with sunscreen, hats, and water bottles, we took a short walk at Bell Rock until we decided it was just too hot. I did manage to take a few photos despite the heat- I never get tired of these views!
In the shot below you can see the Chapel of the Holy Cross built into the rocks in the distance.
And here are the Jansons!
In the Barn
We spotted this photo op on our drive through the wine country. There was another photographer snapping away as we drove by, so we returned later in the day on our way back. Thank you, Jerry, for stopping the car!
I bet the light in that barn is fabulous- I love how it shines through the boards.
Making Friends
There were some newcomers to the waterfront- at least new since the last time we visited!
I had seen (and photographed) pelicans flying over the Benicia Bridge before, but never actually saw any down at the water. On this visit, we saw them on the Martinez side and the Benicia side of the bridge. Fun!
Rolling in. . .
Last week, I accompanied my husband on a spur-of-the-moment (for me anyway) road trip to the Bay Area. We took two days to drive each way- and were only there two days- but we managed to pack a LOT in! We stayed in a hotel in Benicia for the first two nights, and then drove over to Petaluma for the second day, staying with friends for some R&R after Lonnie’s meeting. We somehow managed to pack in get-togethers with most of our good friends during this short time with only a few days notice- amazing!
Here’s the morning fog rolling in over the Carquinez Bridge- a sight I have photographed many times over the years. So great to see it again- I do miss the waterfront!
Gritty
Happy Fence Friday!
Big Boys of Summer
Comings and Goings
Color- or Not
I couldn’t decided which I liked best- so I’m posting them both.
Both of these were taken at my visit to Eliphante, right before walking across the creek!
Water’s Edge
When we were walking at the lake a week ago, I was captivated by the green of this tree, which contrasted with the darker trees bordering the lake. It was hard to photograph because I could only see it through branches- so I didn’t. But I saw it again on our way back- with a little girl under it- and knew I had to try. I was already envisioning it as a painterly image. I took the resulting photo into Lightroom and then Photoshop for some cloning work. Then, I used Topaz Simplify to remove details and give it a bit of a watercolor look. I blended it with the original image, bringing back some detail- and finished it off with some textures. Playing with images is part of what keeps stress out of my life- and it’s so much fun!
Found Stills
July has been a busy month; actually the whole summer has been busy. Trips to Kansas, Yellowstone and Tucson plus some fun social events have filled up summer. I’m not complaining- it’s not like I have to go back to school in August! We’re also taking a quick trip (4 days driving, one day there!) to the Bay Area for business and have some houseguests coming (yay!) in August. And I’m about halfway through Caroline Jensen’s Communicating with Color and Light class through Clickin Moms (it is fabulous!). Life is full and fun! I’m saying all this as a way to explain why I haven’t done much still life photography for the Studio Online. Something had to give, and I know I will be getting back to it.
But in the meantime, while I was at Eliphante yesterday, I FOUND some still life arrangements just sitting around. So I got my still life fix the easy way!
Artsy musical instruments
Random pots under a potting bench:
Barrio Doors
Aaaah- those colorful Tucson barrio doors! It was images like these that made me want to explore this area with my camera!
melinda anderson photography 