Doctored dahlia...

As those of you who have been using picnik.com know,  they are closing shop in April.  Since the premium options are now free I've taken advantage of the opportunity... until I set up photoshop on
a new computer sometime in the not too distant future.

Maybe you remember this downward dog positioned dahlia from last summer..a SOOC shot that drew a lot of compliments.  












Now she has been antiqued and grained with writing and texture for a new look or two...amazing differences, so thought I would re-submit her to Lisa Gordon's Creative Exchange for one more go around. 

Color bursts...

Photo Art Friday ~

For today my best intention was to read a tutorial on texture in photos.  However, I went back to picnik, and played with a few effects with this photo I took SOOC of a pink dahlia (right).

First I added a simple soft border.....then 'puddled' or 'rippled' it for this artsy result:

Then I made a 'waterfall' of pixels and a hypnotic setting for this original  kaleidoscope effect. (Below) For the last one I used black, white and sepia tones and the cross process with color focus at the center for a vintage look:

With the upcoming holiday there will be little time,  but I will have something else to share for that occasion. In the meantime, please visit the other outstanding photos submitted to Pixel Dust Studio this weekend:

                     http://www.pixeldustphotoart.com/

Downward dahlia!

                                  Entered at http://pixeldustphotoart.blogspot.com/

She was in a large dahlia garden belonging to the owner of a house on a corner when I drove by.  I stopped and got out of the car; the woman was wearing an apron and was down on her knees pulling weeds with very long roots.  I told her how pretty her yard looked and asked if I could take a picture.  She said many had stopped in late summer to take pictures.  She pulled her gloves off, smiled, brushed her mussed white hair to the side and went inside.

Many of the flowers, all dahlias, of all shades and different shapes had seen their best days but it was still a sight to behold with the mix planted in several straight rows, each about 40 feet long.   This one stood out and was closest to me.  I have done nothing to alter this photo....she's a-naturale.  I could have changed the exposure, made it sharper, or embellished the color and the background....or, I could have used a textured template...this I have yet to do! So that is my goal for next Friday...to try something I've not tried before with a photo.  I imagine a kind of "vintage seed packet look...I hope!

Please, feedback is welcome...as are tips, criticism, or comments on any of my posts. I am still a fledgling blogger, trying to find the right combination of creativity, art, and writing that will attract a fair amount of people who share the various interests I do and might return here from time to time.  downtheeyrieroad.blogspot.com contains a little bit of everything....and I've only just begun.  It's a far cry from what I imagined it to be (about my dream of having a cottage by the sea) with a page that welcomes, but it will evolve.  And it's not for my eyes only...then there would be no point in doing it..  I already keep records, a journal or day book for having some order of  thoughts,  plans, ideas, happenings, and all kinds of notes and lists.   But this isn't meant to be about me...it's an offering to you, from me.
Kathy