Winter Texter - Foliage CU + Artistic Cutout Filter

Another texture taken of some winter plant foliage (close up) in a container. I do not recognize this plant. I thought it would make a great background when I get into doing digital collages.Original does not have as much depth.


 I cropped, adjusted midtones & highlights, sharpened and then applied artistic cutout filter in PSE 11. Other filters also showed interesting effects. 

Sculpture Downtown Greensboro - Life & Culture (Courthouse Plaza)

Guess I am not getting out to take images of more spring flowers this a.m. So, am posting an image of a sculpture I took on a sunny day in downtown GSO. It is a copper swing gate that shows various aspects of life or famous people that have impacted our culture. Difficult to get everything showing due to shadows of the sun at about noon. I wanted to include the building in the background go give a sense of place. No editing of the image. HDR mode on iPhone 5S. This might be one to try a vertical panorama in the future.

Crocus in Bloom, Greensboro, NC - 3/04/2015 (Signs of Spring)

Found some sign of spring 3/04/2015. Was walking with Jack and Leo around the block and found some crocus in bloom.  Photo on Right, I actually took the image with Instagram camera app and did not edit.  I sent directly to Facebook to post. Will have to go back when I don't have an audience with me and can take my time composing, etc.   It was 74 degrees today but tomorrow may get some snowflakes.  Photo on Left cropped in PSE 11, darkened slightly,  added vignette and sharpened.   I think I need to try capturing the crocus with my Ollie-clip 4 in 1 macro lens.  Later on the way home I saw a daffodil and some snowdrops--more signs of spring.

Leather Wall Hanging - LaBamba Restaurant, State St. GSO, NC

Went out to eat at LaBamba Restaurant on State St. in Greensboro yesterday. They had changed their decor. I liked their leather wall hangings and took a few pictures of them. Did not use flash, but had incadescant room lighting. You will see some shadows. Also the leather will be lighter in some areas of the design because of the highlights. The hanging was higher than eye level and so some disortion present which I could not really correct. I used native camera app to convert to sepia (Fade filter) increased the midtones, lightened to show more detail and then sharpened. The other example with the image was to make high key.in PSE 11 which shows you more of the design and stitching.

Holly Berries with Snow & Ice

Today's photo was taken later in the afternoon after our snow last Thurs.  Not many branches on the Ilex (not a native holly culivar) had snow still remaining. Minor editing with native camera app. Vignette applied in PSE 11. If it snows again maybe I can try for a macro shot with my Ollie Clip 4 in 1 macro lens.  

Yellow Orchid Daniel B. Stowe Orchid Conseratory

Adding an extra post because this Orchidclose up image showed up
on Facebook yesterday when I posted a birthday greeting to my friend, Sue Hughes. Image was taken in HDR mode at Daniel B. Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont, NC.  It has a separate Orchid Conservatory so there are always orchids in bloom any time of year.  They have a waterfall wall with numerous orchids and an arch with various air plants.  This was actually taken in Aug. 2014. If you are in the area, The University of North Carolina - Charlotte has numerous orchids but they bloom Dec -Feb. They also have a great succulent area in gteenhouse
.

Snow Covered Trees and Randy's Shed

Another picture from the snow on Thursday night. It is actually in my neighbor's backyard. Edited in native camera app -- cropped & used chrome filter, but sharpened in PSE 11.Too bad no children, deer, etc. around at the time but it still shows snow covered trees in the early a.m.. By afternoon a lot of the snow had fallen from the branches.