Category: photos

  • Assembly Required

    Assembly Required

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    As the Rolling Stones song goes “You can’t always get what you want but if you try, sometimes well, you might find you get what you need.” This was certainly the case with the Raven’s Eye and the challenges that I faced; alignment of the bird and moon, a full moon and a bird on…

  • Snow Blanket

    Snow Blanket

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    Covered in a blanket of snow, the sugar maple trees and dark spring-fed waters of Black Partridge Woods create a magical winter wonderland. The snow-kissed sugar maples stand guard over the spring-fed stream at Black Partridge Woods. The tranquil waters meander around snow covered logs and boulders on their way into the snowy paradise.

  • Country Lane Cranes

    Country Lane Cranes

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    Its meadows filled with gone to seed ironweed, goldenrod and aster, Country Lane Woods was recently graced with the elegance of two Sandhill Cranes. Crimson-capped, slate gray-bodied with stained rusty-orange feathers and long black legs, these birds stood out from the fading colors of the autumn prairie. Gangly in stature, the birds danced across the…

  • August’s Colorful Hues

    August’s Colorful Hues

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    Typically the colors begin to fade in the sun-drenched month of August. While this is true for most it is not necessarily true for all. Two birds, the Sandhill Crane and Baltimore Oriole, display their colorful hues while soaked in sunlight. The noble sandhill crane; crimson capped, grayed bodied and rust colored rump feathers, stands…

  • Once Lost Now Found

    Once Lost Now Found

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    Previously overlooked, ignored, forgotten or lost? Regardless the reasons, rediscovery of these odds and ends has been a treat. From autumn’s hues to spring’s delights, what was once lost has again been found. Creamy water glistens down the waterfall at Lake Falls in Matthiessen State Park in Illinois. The cascading spray provides a conducive environment…

  • Layer Mask Tips

    Layer Mask Tips

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    Layer Mask Tips and Techniques After applying a mask to an image, it is often desirable to see the exact coverage of the mask. A quick way to see the mask coverage is to make it active by pressing the keys option+click (alt+click Windows) on the mask in the layers panel so the mask will…

  • Forgotten Flowers

    Forgotten Flowers

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    Summer’s beauty has gone and now these aging wildflowers go barely noticed. The change of seasons has taken its toll, withering them into woody remains. With little resemblance to their previous delicacy and elegance, one has to look closer to see the beauty in their death. Stems, baskets and pods hold the seeds of a…

  • Autumn Color

    Autumn Color

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    Can’t see the forest for the trees, my feeling as I wandered the forest floor. Lost in autumn’s wonderland, trees stretching vertically toward the sky and leaves exploding in vibrant colors. Too much minutiae with little significance but how does it all fit together? Nature’s fanfare before winter’s rest; autumn color. Wilting goldenrod and joe-pye…

  • Lighting in Layers for a White Background

    Lighting in Layers for a White Background

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    A white background is a great way to bring attention to the subject of a photograph. There are several methods (capture and post-process) to create a white background and one of the most efficient methods is to create the white background at image capture. To create a white background at image capture, lighting the image…

  • Ole Number 11

    Ole Number 11

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    Beams withering, joints rusting and paint peeling, the adventures have come to an end. The once proud craft provided numerous safe passages through the chain of lakes for the many fishermen she has met. The vessel’s captain need not ever worry as he rode high on its wooden seat; he always had a trustworthy craft…