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Things that catch my eye
By Silver Blue | 2 comments
2Survived a very stressful event today at a local hotel. Probably the largest public relations for my College — the event of the year (and this is my 13th one — they don’t get any easier). Involved a morning session for 400 and lunch for 300+, and two lectures. So, in order to keep my wits, sanity, and sense of humour, I did what I do best.
I look… up.
The “X” doesn’t appear in the hotel’s name, so I don’t quite know why they’re on the light fixtures. Still, I liked it, so it made its way to the memory card.
Then…
Ahh. Curves. Curves are soothing. A break from the harshness of right angles and points. The other side of this shot would be…
Something that looked like this. One thing I’ve learned, however, from my online photography classes. When set in automatic mode, your camera will meter for the available light, and attempt to give you a scene where the highlights are exposed correctly. Only one problem with that.
By doing so, you’ve lost all the details in the shadows. Fortunately, by using a fill flash, I was able to capture a greater range.
I wouldn’t have thought of using a flash in such a bright situation, normally. Of course, now I think differently.
Silver Blue, who attempts to find ways of flushing stress from himself that causes no harm to others, but also helps bring me back to centre.
You can colour my world…
By Silver Blue
By removing most of the colour from photos, you can change the mood and effect.
The neighbours have the right idea. As long as it’s not red wines. They give me migraines.
A welcoming snowflake. Nice and perriwinkle.
Then, there’s where a bell SHOULD have gone…
Finally… my fascination with the red berry bushes continues. Very exciting in colour extraction, I might add!
Something about isolating a colour or two makes far more of an impact with a photo, I think.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/cmw.mp3]Silver Blue, who says today has been long enough, and I’m ready for some serious sleep.
Would the last one to leave…
By Silver Blue
…please turn out the lights…in these kind of places, the last one to leave should turn out the light, leaving no traces — not a clue, not a sign, not a hint nor a line of a love once so true…disconnect everything, I’ll try to disconnect you… (“The Last One To Leave” – Elaine Paige)
Sometimes, I shoot photos, and a song comes to mind. This was the case when I came upon the remains of a street light.
Now, what exactly happened, I’m not too sure. It’s not every day that one comes upon a streetlight, deconstructed.
It’s as if, perhaps a bird flew into it — after all, it doesn’t appear to have been hit by a vehicle.
Though I’ll admit I’ve often wondered what went on inside the casings of these mercury vapor lights.
Look around… leaves are brown, there’s a broken shade on the ground…
It’s plastic. Very flimsy. I don’t know why I thought they’d be made of glass.
Less than 24 hours later, Dominion power had replaced not only the shade, but the entire fixture. I guess perhaps they were worried what the brackish water blowing in off the bay would have done to the components.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/tlotl.mp3]Silver Blue, who always tries to find a beacon of hope in even the darkest of situations.
All my watercolours fade to black…
By Silver Blue
…I’m going nowhere and I’m 10 steps back…. all my dreams are falling flat…
Sometimes, the lyrics of a song can say just as much as a series of photographs.
Silver Blue, who reminds you that love don’t show up in the pavement cracks…
Having Fun with Filters
By Silver Blue | 2 comments
2Nothing wrong with a bit of post-production, as long as your photos aren’t ALL about manipulating them to make something worth keeping. (Mind you, the posts on HDR have to be performed in post-production, because otherwise they wouldn’t exist!) So, I’m sitting here going through photos for today’s blog post and realize I have some tools in my arsenal that I’ve not used, one of which is Alien Skin Software’s “Snap Art”.
Photographs can be art can’t they?
Let’s ask kitty:
So, kitty…. how would you feel about becoming a piece of art? What? You don’t give a rat, because you ate it? Okay. ZAP!
Instant artwork kitty.
Not bad. I wonder how it would work on the ever present squirrels in the neighbourhood?
An unsuspecting subject…. uh, I mean… a volunteer! ZAP!
Okay, so it seems to do better when they’re more of a separation of colours.
Remember that house (with the turret) that was posted yesterday? (and framed by trees the day before?) Here’s the front door:
With the kind of glass work, any wonder why I like it? Okay, let me break out my box of crayons.
Now that’s an interesting take. However, I did save the best (IMHO) for last. It’s mail time.
You know, if you click on the title of this post (Having Fun with Filters) you are taken to a page that just displays this post and you can comment. This is true for any posting done here on The Eyes of Silver Blue. Sometimes, it gets lonely here in cyberspace, with only 0s and 1s floating by.
I just LOVE the way this one turned out.
Silver Blue, who is grateful for music, cooking, food, photography, books and software that allow me to pursue my passions, and have fun on the way.
Even MORE fun with HDR
By Silver Blue
HDR (High Dynamic Range) allows your photos to display more accurately what your eye sees. Even the top-of-the-line (and multi-thousand dollar) cameras cannot see the full range of light and shadow that your eyes can see, SO… post processing is in order.
(As a side note, the hosting company is STILL attempting to complete its restore from backups. I grew tired of waiting and so I figured out where the missing photos should have gone, and I have reuploaded them).
I love the architecture that I get to see when I go on my walkabouts. Being that I was home sick today, the only walkabouts I did was from the bed to the bathroom and back…plus the occasional downstairs to the kitchen for coffee, tea, or something to nibble. Feeling a bit better now, but know better than to push it. This blog entry, and some light emailing is all the computing work I plan on doing.
Back to the houses, however. I can’t afford to own any of these, but it doesn’t mean I can’t look!
Looks like the house was turned 90 degrees from the way it “should” be set, just to fit on the property. Still. I like all the points. 🙂
Here’s another pointy house that I like (I especially like the upstairs window that mimics the look of the roofline).
This beautiful house used to be vinyl sided before being renovated. You can see the line between the first set of double windows and the overhang — the part of the house to the left of that used to be the “mother in law” suite.I think it’s now all part of one home.
To me, Tudor style houses are quite fashionable. I rather fancy European styles, and this one is nice. (Though I’d probably have to have a riding mower for all that grass.)
This is the house that I posted here framed in a tree (taken from the next door neighbour’s yard). There’s just something classic about the large welcoming door with side lights.
Hark, do you see who I see? In this lemon coloured house, with the red trimmed door…in the upper middle window… no one but Saint Nicholas himself!
Again, I don’t understand what gets into some people and causes them to paint brick. The purpose behind brick is that it’s low maintenance. Paint it, and you’ve raised the maintenance on the house. Still, the colours contrast well here, and the copper guttering and flashing as turned a nice green patina.
Finally…
There’s always room for evergreens. Growing up in Charleston, SC and Virginia, you get used to having pine trees, evergreens, firs, and the like. (You also get used to the smell of burning pine needles because even though they’re “evergreen”, they shed like a big dog….even though most people in Virginia don’t burn their pine “straw”.)
Silver Blue, who is glad to be back blogging. Now, can someone remove the ice pick that’s over my left eye? Please? Thanks.
New Posts are on hold
By Silver Blue
The web host is having to replace RAID drives and I don’t know if the photos from January 7-16 will have to be redone. I’ll keep you informed.
Look up, look closely
By Silver Blue
Birds! Yes, plenty of birds. Pigeons. A Dove. A Gull.
Of course, these are not birds that migrate, so to see them is not shocking. But… it is very pleasing to the eye!
Yes, pigeons, and not on a statue. I’m not overly fond of pigeons (because, like Canadian Honkers, they’re notorious for being poop factories), but these were almost posing.
A few days later, and the Dove WAS posing for the photo, almost “cheesing” for the camera, as it were:
I’ve always lived near water, and because of that, I have an affinity for seagulls.
Finally, there’s a reason to look closely. Bud, my prolific rose bush, is at it again. Seriously? Yes, seriously.
Silver Blue, who will be glad when Dreamhost gets the backups back online and my photos are back. Seriously!!!
Various shots that made me smile.
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
1I’m a bit random with today’s post simply because I snapped whatever photos made me smile. The fact it was almost 50 helped warm me up (and tomorrow will be in the 60s…oh Mother Nature, you’re late on your HRT! (Hormone Replacement Therapy)).
Heading out the door, I see a shot through the trees. Abstract, but the muted colours (and the last remaining hanging dried blooms on this crepe myrtle) spoke volumes to me.
Moving on and through the neighbourhood, we come across…
I’ve always dreamt of owning a house with a turret. In fact, in 1980, when my family moved from South Carolina back to Virginia, one of the houses we looked at had a turret — and a spiral staircase leading to the room at the top of the stairs — it would have been perfect for MY bedroom. The downside? There were holes in the walls where it looked like someone had punched the walls in fits of anger, and the entire house reeked of cat urine. PASS! Perhaps one day I’ll get my house with a turret. (By the way, this house is NOT the one we looked at 32 years ago. That house still is standing, and has been (I would gather) kept up quite nicely. The lawn is well kept, and the house — at that time a Pepto-Bismol pink on the cedar shake shingles — is now a more demure olive green.
I also enjoy nautical themes. This isn’t actually a boat tie-off, or the edge of a pier. It’s merely a property boundary marker. Still… with the water in the background, it made me smile.
Finally…
Eat peacefully, wee birdie. No cat or squirrel can get to you in here. Two days ago, that seed bin was completely full. I’d say the wee birds have voracious appetites. (Easier to do when you know you’re not as easily marked to be someone else’s dinner!)
Silver Blue, who dreams of castles, turrets, and of being an eagle on the wing.
Peace amongst the plants
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
1There’s something about the serenity when one is in nature that just has, at least to me, a calming effect.
A member of my neighbourhood, Marie, obviously feels the same as I do.
See? She even says “Enjoy”. Though for the season, she’s growing red berry bushes and…
Rosemary. She appears to be growing a pile of firewood, too, though I’ve not seen seeds for it in the store.
I lingered, albeit on the street, absorbing the serenity of the garden. I photographed…
…and then vanished like fog in the morning sun.
Silver Blue, who asks: What brings you the most peace and serenity? What puts YOU in a Zen-like mood?
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