An Apple a Day...

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Apple, Inc.

My apples needed some fresh air and sunshine, with a touch of cool breeze, so i took them for a walk in the egg basket. They did said they were ok with that, but i know they really wish i had an apple basket for them. Here they paused for a respite on my Adirondack chair near the little fish pond. They think the sun makes them sweeter....i hope they did not sweeten the Granny Smith too much....i like those tart!

Oh, the quote?!? i like it. It reminds me of someone i know! ;)

Altho, the part about changing the world....that part i am not sure about. This person i know probably won't do anything that comes close to that...but hey, dreams sometimes come true. Of course this person does not dream in that grand of a scale....this person is much more simple than that.

i wonder... can you change the world with a smile?

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's i know!   

South Carolina, Beaches to Plantations

I just returned from a bit more than 2 weeks away.  This time of year is a good time to head south, especially if still in the grips of mother nature's winter hissy-fits.  It was not a whole lot warmer in Virginia (The first 9 days of my trip), but i was certain once i moved on to South Carolina i would be home free in the warmth department.  Not quite true.  i am was not complaining, even when i heard it was warmer and sunnier back home in NJ.  The scenery and history more than made up for it....i mean it was not like it was freezing, and the overcast skies were incredibly helpful to getting some very nice light for shooting.

Mt. Pleasant was our first stop after leaving Fredericksburg...about an 8 hour drive.  We arrived just after dinner to a nice rolicking thunder and lightning storm.  i love storms...in the morning it was overcast but i just HAD to see the ocean, so we drove a whole 12 minutes to Isle of Palms....and little by little the sun began to peek through...enough that i got some color while foraging for beach treasures and taking a lovely nap on the beach.  When i was ready to leave, i looked like a sugar cookie...the wind had covered me head to toe with the finest sand i have ever seen!  We headed into Charleston, to the Phoebe Pember House...a quaint B&B in the historic district of the city.  The next day we spent touring the whole historic district on foot....from the Central Market to the parks at the tip of the peninsula, and i happily snapped away at the beauty around me!  The third day, we took the car and headed out to visit 2 plantation houses...quite different from one another, but related by family ties...each was owned by sons of the Drayton family.  the history was fascinating for both places, and they were quite beautiful in their own way.  i was partial to the 1742 home, in impeccable condition, and altho it is now part of the Historic Register of South Carolina, it is still used (unfurnished, with no electric or running water!) for family reunions of the Drayton descendants and the descendants of the slaves and servants that lived there pre Revolutionary War.

i love traveling....especially south, and especially near beaches.  i am a misplaced Southern Soul at heart, with a tremendous love of the sea.

Add Your Own Sky...

Add your own sky....oh, if only we could do that in
the real world!

i am not sure how you feel about that but i know that beautiful sunrises and sunsets make me a much happier person overall!
i would occasionally add a starlit sky, or a tumultuous sky with bolts of lightning to match my moods.  It would be kind of fun.

i had a lot of fun with this challenge from my 2B class.  i also struggled with it, as i never should have tried it when i was tired.  That being said, i did, and i stuck with it until i finally figured out what step i missed!

the photo to the right was done with a sunset sky that i had in my archives...unfortunately the skies here in Northern Virginia have been rather cloudy the past few days...and someone stole my warm ;(

Ironically the second sky was taken very near to where the first one was taken. there is a spot near a shopping center where i live in NJ, that has wide open spaces for sky shots. 

Both of these skies were really pretty, and altho hard to

tell, the bottom shot had pink, and white clouds in the baby blue sky.  i did enjoy this challenge and am looking forward to warmth and nice skies in SC next week....and it would be nice if it complied with my wishes while i am still here in Va too!

Cinderella Dream...Cottage to Castle

I went on a spur of the moment jaunt with a friend to check out a few Antique places in the area.  She is new to "West Bumblefuk" as she calls it out here in the wilds of Northwestern NJ, having lived on the east side of the state, since....well......as long as i have known her!  

She found a wild and very different carved mask for a special spot on one of her walls....i personally think it would make a fabulous focal point for any of her walls, as she has quite a few pieces that would work SO well with it!  I managed to find a very vintage little suitcase....to go with my slightly larger vintage suitcase.  To make matters even better, both were on sale for 20% off!

When i saw the challenge from Kim Klassen for this weeks lesson,  i was elated! i have never tried tinting...other than APPLYING a preset tint with my Nik software. (BTW, Silver Effects Pro is AMAZING!)

I was pretty certain that i would mess up SOMETHING when i tried it myself, but to my astonishment it worked the very first time!!  i was very exited because i had the perfect photo in my mind from the little excursion to the antique shops.  This particular shop had quite a few very cool chandeliers....from the most ornate and sparkly to rusted metal.  I fell in love for the look of the sparkly crystal against the very vintage, peeling paint doors that she used as a backdrop in the shop.  i am VERY pleased with how this looks!  The whole thing just reminded me of Cinderella....going from the wretched cottage to the beautiful sparkly castle!  i used a slightly warm graduated filter, combines with a very pale pink.  i am smitten with the look!

The Mask....and my sweet little vintage suitcase!!  Yes....the mask is strange....but i think it is very cool!  My suitcase....well, what can i say....it was love at first sight!!  It will make it into some SP's along the way and some portrait shoots as well!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Can't wait to peek at the tinted shots! :)

Beach, Spa.....Ahhhhhhhh

I know...we were supposed to choose our favorite color and do our homework centered around that.  i was far too excited to give this a try...somehow i think i missed this in Beyond Layers homework....i had a lot on my plate last year! Anyway....i had no time to gather blue....i adore blue, always have.  i do admit to having had a fling with pink this past year...and that is hanging on still, but blue still remains my true favorite color.

i find myself dreaming of Summer, often.  (At this point i would actually be thrilled if Spring would make an appearance!)  To keep myself from going totally off the deep end and out of a straightjacket, i maintain my studio room in beach decor and colors....the room is white but accented with the colors of the beach.  I had done a few spa type shots with my shells and sea glass and came across this one.  i decided that i would experiment with my first Color Board, using this shot!  That explains the reason it is not all one color.....with apologies to Kim!  i promise i will do another one in just my favorite colors as soon as i have a little time on the weekend.

Working in Elements 11 after very nearly mastering Elements 10 was a bit frustrating.  i have trouble locating things and therein lies my escalating frustration level with 11.  I adored my E10 program and could move through what i was doing with confidence....with E11, not so much!  i am sure i will grow to love it just in time to have to upgrade to 12! I can't seem to get used to how simplified it looks....and i am thinking it is cleaner looking because they hid things!! I feel like i am on a scavenger hunt every time i use it! i now am beginning to open it and say to myself, "OK, ready for another adventure, Susan?  Don't get frustrated....breathe....it will work out!"  i find the pep talk helps a bit!

i hope to streamline how much time it takes me to do these lessons by the time the end of April comes.  i am heading to Charleston, SC. for a little vacation...i will be bringing all my work, and paraphernalia with me, so that i don't fall too far behind.  i will be gone the week BEFORE going to SC, dog and apartment sitting for my youngest daughter...then possibly home for a few days before leaving again.
i don't want to get behind to the point that i feel overwhelmed, so therefore, i will be packing everything i need so i can try and do the lessons at night....because during the day i will be soaking in my beloved south, camera in hand!! :)