Erin and Mary

A Self-portrait, but I'm posting it for a random family day. This was at Radisson, a nearby place we often walk. Note the snow in the woods!

Sara and Mary at Great Bear

This is ana old steam house for a sauna at an old defunct estate near where I live. That is my daughter Sara and me. It's a self-portrait, but I'm posting it as family and for fun.

Click on the image to view larger. 

Re: challenge

Hi Val,

Val, were there pictures you wanted moved? I was a little confused.

We also need a third suggestion for our April themes. This is what we have so far:

1. Monday April 3, season (outtakes on the 2, and 4th--or anytime)
2. Monday April 10, Self portraits (outtakes on the 9th and 11--or anytime)
3. Monday April 17, reflections (outtakes on the 16 and 18th or anytime)
   
4. Monday April 24--People, other than family
   

I think we decided to post family pictures ANY TIME EXCEPT when we were having a special challenge day--is that what we decided? We had originally said this week and since there are no other challenges due, it would be a good time to do it.

A comment on Juanita and Wanda

I can't comment. The blogger is down again! How frustrating!!!! Grrr! Hope they fix it soon!!

I'm glad Juanita and Wanda arrived safely. You could just do Juanita, if two s too many.

• laying among pebbles on the beach
• wound around the seeds in a bird feeder
• pouring out of a jewelry box mixed in with real jewelry
• braided into the hair of a child or adult
• wrapped around the bottom of a short vase with glass flowers
• in the bottom of a fishtank
  

I braided them into my own hair and carried them around so that if anything appeared while I was out, I could do it.

I don't think there's a rush.

SEASON Challenge #2

On the 15th of each month, we will post SEASON photos. This will include such topics as "Signs of Spring," Winter's Fury, Summer Lushness, Fall Colors, etc. To post to this challenge on a date other than the 15th, be sure to change the date on the Post and comment Options on the lower left to Feb 15, March 15, April 15, etc. Include the actual date of the photo, if desired, since the posting date will not necessarily be the taking date or the editing date. Leave a comment below if you need further assistance.

Season: Spring at Shari's

I was visiting my friend Shari Carter yesterday and she had a tray of primroses--I love primroses--on her kitchen counter. More indoor signs of spring! 

SEASON Intake: Out My Back Door

SEASON Intake: Out My Back Door, photo by Mary Stebbins. This was my view this morning, March 15, 2006, out my back door. Click on image to view larger.

Season: Snowmelt and Rain: Outtake

This is the view out my study window at the melting snow and rain. Probably not worthy of critique, just a commentary on the weather. Yes I know the stop sign is cut in half. Click on image to view larger. Mary

SEASON: Signs of Spring Outtake

Daffy Down Dillies by Mary Stebbins. The only signs of spring around here are INSIDE the stores. This is not good enough to critique, more for fun, though if you have any helpful suggestions, that's fine. Click on image to view larger.

Snowdrops, Season Outtake

Snowdrops, Season Outtake, photo by Mary Stebbins. Signs of Spring.

I planted these in my Mom's yard in the 1960s. Now Erin lives there. Look, we're really having spring too. 

Snowdrops with Cut-outs filter, Seasonal Outtake

Snowdrops Cutouts, Mary Stebbins. I don't have buZZ, so I was trying this. Outtakes.

Snowdrops 3 Outtake

I worked on this, but it's still not good enough to use as an intake. Mary

Kate, I like your snowdrops much better than mine!

Cathedral Aisle Overworked

How about this

Cathedral Aisle Reworked

Well I'm not sure if this is too warm. I also lightened and brightened the ceiling over the choir stalls.

Family/Self Portrait Outtake

Us at Loretto March 12, by Mary Stebbins 

SEASONA - Signs of Spring

Honeysuckle is one of the first plants to bud. I love how the fresh leaves stand out against all the bare undergrowth.

SEASONAL - Signs of Spring 2

More snowdrops buzzed

SEASONAL - Signs of Spring

At last I get to show my snowdrops. I walked with my camera and tripod at least 5 miles to get these. I had to walk all the way through two lots of woods and then cross the Ramparts where Queen Boadica made her last stand against the Romans. Last year they were on the edge of the woods. When I got there they were all fenced off in someone's garden. I went and knocked on the door and asked if I could photograph them as I had walked so far to do so. The kind lady said I could have them to myself.

Cathedral Aisle Revisited

Back to the extra contrast with the original framing for comparison side by side

Cathedral Aisle Alternative

This is before I upped the contrast using the Offset and Gamma Sliders on the Exposure Controls. I guess my previous description of foggy was wrong. It is not foggy here but looks kind of wishy washy to me.

I know you can't compare the crop without the pics being together but this is the actual picture with no crop. The one I uploaded before I had cropped out a lot of the bracken in the foreground which at the time I thought looked better. But now I prefer it left in.

Off-Season and Abandonment Challenge

Our 1-3 Off-Season and Abandonment Challenge Photos will be published March 8. All Challenges and outtakes are optional.

Off Season, Abandonment Image No 3

WHERE HAVE ALL THE CRUISERS GONE?
Can you imagine the difference in this scene on a bright summer's day when every buouy would have a brightly coloured boat moored to it. At low tide there is not a lot of room for manouvre and you have to know where the deep channels are. They are of course right along the line of buoys so you have to stay close to the boats.

I was on my way home after taking sunset shots. I thought the show was over but when I drove up to this scene I knew I had to stop. Though the sun had been down for at least 20 minutes the clouds were still pinky orange and they reflected in the water. I did actually move the red buouy in the foreground which was in line with the withy, its reflection and the other yellow and black buoy. I figured it would balance the picture up to move it to the left.

Off Season, Abandonment Image No 2

SET APART
Another winterised boat in the boatyard. Set apart in a prime position for re-entry in the spring this boat does not mix with all the riff raff crammed together in the boat park next door.
I used f22 to try to keep everything in focus here but the stripe close up was out of focus so I drew two lines and cloned in up to the line on all sides to make it clear and sharp.

Off Season, Abandonment Image No 1

PRIME POSITION
This is late afternoon in a boatyard at West Mersea. I was wandering around all the winterised boats. This is taken from underneath a boat resting on some massive blocks of wood. It is a very lucky boat with a great view of the estuary. You can see the slipway for putting the boats in and out the water so I reckon this one will be first in. The little shed on the island opposite is the packing shed where they used to pack the oysters which are a speciality on Mersea Island, but it is now used for day trips and people hire it out for parties, weddings even. As you see it was taken against the sun and I hid the sun behind the wood block.

Metrobeach Light in Snowmelt Fog

Metrobeach Light in Snowmelt Fog, by Mary Stebbins.

This is one of my three official submissions for the "Off Season" Theme. I made this, not from whole cloth, but from pieces. I took the original picture at Metrobeach at a miniature Golf course. I psoted some of the steps at BP. I spent so much time working on it that I also had to submit it at BP because I didn't have time to submit anything else.

Click on image to view larger. (As always). 

Road, Path, Hedgerow and Fence Challenge

Our 1-3 Road, Path, Hedgerow and Fence Challenge Photos will be published March 7.

Fence Intake: Border Crossing

Border Crossing at Niagara, by Mary Stebbins. Here is my Official Fence picture. I took it tonight at the Border Crossing at Niagara, after driving across Canada. I have a bunch of outtakes too! Click on image to view larger. 

Road, path, hedgerow or fence challenge intake: Road at Onondaga Lake Park in Snow

Road at Onondaga Lake Park in Snow, by Mary Stebbins. This is one of my three "official" challenge submissions for Road, hedgerow, path or fence. One of the things I like about it is how subtle the road is in the snow. Click on the image to see larger. 

Val's dog snowmobile trail cropped

I am not sure if you will like this crop but for me I think it works better and helps to make the light from the sun more a part of the picture.

Val's dollar store straightened by Moo

Path Entry No 3

This to me is evocative of a cathedral aisle. It makes me feel very small standing in such grandeur.

The Forestry Commission are at this very moment felling the pine trees in parts of the woods. It has made a huge difference and brought light where there was darkness. Light enough to encourage all the seeds so long ago shed of our native broadleaf trees. I am looking forward to watching them grow without any further help from man. So far they have not touched these giants.

This is my favourite of these entries and I am considering entering it in the BP comp. I may be stretching your ideas of a path. In truth it is simply the middle of a wider row of trees than the other rows. It would easily be possible to walk down it but there is a well used path as an alternative. It is not straw but dead ferns.

Another Path Outtake

I was not going to submit this but seem to have selected the wrong image so will leave it in as an outtake.

Fence Entry No 2

This is taken from our back garden. It was not the reason I chose this theme. Normally this fence which belongs to our neighbour looks so uninteresting. But in the fog and frost I found it more inspiring.

Fence Entry No 1

Barbed wire does not make the most attractive fence
but I like the line that follows the dip in the ground.

Path Outtake

Out of four pictures I have chosen for the paths, fence, road theme this is the one I am putting in outtakes.
It is a close call but one of the hardest things for me is choosing the best images to upload to BP.
I would love to know if you agree with me that this is not one to post.

Road, path, fence, hedgerow Challenge Intake: Through the Frost

Through the Frost, by Mary Stebbins. Official Intake submission for the path, road, fence and hedrow challenge. Click image to see larger. 

Shopfront Challenge Photos

Are 1-3 Shopfront Challenge Photos will be published March 6.

Tangle: Shop Window Challenge Intake

Tangle: Shop Window Challenge Intake, photo by Mary Stebbins. My "official" (1 of three) submission for this challenge.

View an image of the whole shopfront.

Click on the image to view larger.

Outside Looking In, Shop Window Challenge Photo Intake

Outside Looking In, Shop Window Challenge Photo Intake, by Mary Stebbins. Trust me when given a challenge to do something totally unexpected and off the wall. Here's one of my official Shop window Photos, Gals. I know it's dark and a little grainy--it was VERY dark when I took it so I am lucky to get it this good. But I like it, so I'm submitting it in spite of its imperfections. Click on the Image to see larger. Intake meaning the opposite of outtake, LOL! (If in the meantime, I get anything better, it may have to be an outtake, LOL!)

I intentionally left the hotspots, the car headlights etc, as it added charater to the picture. (Or so I thought, anyway). I may post this also on BP.

The "Shop" window that this was taken through was a car wash on Mack in Detroit.

Shopfront Intake - Variety

Different styles of shopfronts have been chosen to suit the character of the buildings. Both shops are also to be found in the quaint old market town of Coggeshall

Shopfront Intake - The View

This shop is called the curtain exchange where you can bring and buy old curtains. They usually have some great stuff. I think they do upholstery as well and presumably must also sell these chairs with a view of the pub and the antique shop.