Moonset

Moonset

Foggy morning

It’s a foggy morning today. It’s sort of like being in a cold air sauna. Had fun playing around with a blah, foggy picture, using Distressed FX, PS Express, Pixlr Express and Snapseed.  I just played with the various apps until I decided to call it “done!”  Part of the fun is experimenting, even though it means that I can never recreate the exact same look.   There were just way too many steps, many of which obliterated previous effects.

Before image:

 

Inspiration came from reading Kat Sloma’s post on editing using various smartphone applications.

Travel Theme: Wood

Twice in as many weeks, I’ve tried to take a lengthy walk along the shore, past the point where the mangroves jut into the Gulf briefly, before the beach widens once again.   At this point, mangroves have developed between the shoreline and the high-rise hotels.  It’s about 1.5 miles to this point, and is only accessible at low tide.  Beyond here, the beach is usually less crowded with people and more populated with birds.  Each time, I’ve arrived at this point, worked my way through the rough path and stopped to see pelicans, herons, and cormorants resting in a tidal pool.   And, each time, after just a few snaps of the shutter, I’ve heard a clap of thunder and looked up to see enormous, dark clouds moving quickly towards the shore.  “Flash showers” the TV weatherman called them.   “Dangerous” to my camera is what I’ve called them.   Luckily for me, there is a hotel with a beach bar not far from this spot that has been an easy spot to retreat to until the showers flashed over — or until I was “rescued” by my beach-lounging chauffeur.

When I saw that Ailsa’s travel theme this week was wood, I knew that a few of these shots would be a good fit for the theme.

Drifted wood

Cormorants resting

Old Pier Pilings

Pelican Perch

Fallen pine

Sunset

Joy!

He landed close enough to discuss Chekhov

Travel Theme: Pathways

All creatures travel different paths.

Starfish at sunrise, low tide.

Linking to the weekly Travel Theme brought to you by Ailsa at Where’s My BackPack. This week’s theme:  Pathways.  I took this photo several months ago while on vacation.   How I wish my daily path could be along a beach!

• 5-25-13 Travel Theme: Pathways (quotidianhudsonriver.com)
• Travel Theme: Pathways (steppingways.wordpress.com)
• Travel Theme: Pathways (beachtreasuresandtreasurebeaches.com)
• Travel Theme: When Paths Intersect (picturesinlivingcolor.wordpress.com)
• Travel theme: Pathways (sonelcorner.wordpress.com)
• Travel theme: Pathways (sasieology.wordpress.com)
• Travel Theme (Pathways) (mrscarmichael.wordpress.com)
• Travel Theme: Pathways (beyondpaisley.net)

Pink Dandelion?

I’m not sure what this is, but it looked like a dandelion to me.  Isn’t that pink pretty?  Not sure what others would call it, but I wouldn’t consider it a weed — even if it were yellow.

Pink Dandelions

Linking up with Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday.  This week’s edition required using at least one of Kim’s new textures inspired by the television series Downtown Abbey.   I’m not a Downtown fan, but her new textures are nice.   I used Violet in this one, first with blending mode Color Burn, and a second layer as Screen.  For the frame, I used another of Kim’s textures — Sybil — first applied as a normal layer, then again with blending mode of Color Burn, then a third time as Multiply 100%.   I also used a light pink gradient, masked off the blooms, and a darker pink over the flower petals to bring back the color muted by the textures.

For the birds

Windy!

A few of my favorite things

Flowers and the beach are a winning combination for me.   I found this flower, an East-Coast Dune Sunflower,  blooming at the edge of the beach the other day, following a wind storm.  Love the sand in the center of the flower.

Linking up again with Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday.

This image was created in Photoshop Elements 8, using 4 different textures by  Kim Klassen.  First, I used Unleashed (Opacity “Pin Light”, 40%), with the texture removed from the flower.   Then applied Sunkissed (Normal @ 100%) & MusicLoving (Overlay).  Merged both textures & deleted portion over the flower and changed Opacity to Hue reduced to 15%.  Copied Hue layer, and removed center, creating a lighter edge around image.  Added text, then merged all layers before appling texture Elevate (Opacity Darken at 25%),  copied this layer again, removing all of layer except the outside edge, creating a darker frame.  Flattened all layers.  Et Voila!

Beachcombers

So much fun to wander the beach after a storm.   You never know what strange sights you might happen upon:

Lost his shell, still has his glasses

Cool shades!

Have a great weekend everybody!