Weekly photo challenge

This weeks subject is suggested by Sherrytwinklz

Funny Faces

A few mixed photos for the challenge.

I took this photo at my nephews wedding the last of April.  Ducks seem to be a part of the humor in the family he married into.  This is the brother of the groom.  I thought he looked very much like the duck cakes that appeared on the banquet table.

This is a mix of older photos taken as my husband tried out a recipe I had fixed.  The recipe was Mexican Cornbread which he likes but was giving me a hard time about.

My graphics but not my photo.  It’s a mix of 5 photos taken by my daughter and my grand daughter of themselves and friends.  I had fun putting them into the backseat of this volkswagon that Eden got a shot of.

Another of my graphics using a self portrait taken by Eden.  She is a talented photographer as well as being talented in other academic and artistic areas.  I loved the photo and enjoyed playing with it.

 

Keep taking those photos.

  

 

This weeks subject is suggested by A_storm_in_Heaven

Surreal

“Having an oddly dreamlike quality”

I am giving this subject matter a shot.
I have displayed only one photo I felt really fit the subject.
Anyone looking can decide an opinion for themselves.

This taken from a vantage point at the Mt. Notre Dame Academy in Reading, Ohio

This image taken on a trip towards Louisiana. 
It rained from Cincinnati clear to our destination.  It was one terrible drive.

Northbound early morning I-75 Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio

A super storm in the works.  The view from the Home Depot parking lot, auto mall off I-75

Same storm, photos taken from the Home Depot lot.

A view from the local Chili Parlor window. 
I really love this photo and have others taken the same day, just as interesting.

Best regards,

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge

hosted by ok123letsgo

Trees & Sky

Both of my photos were taken North of Cincinnati, Ohio in local parks.  The one above is a very small park with a canoe ramp or drop.  The lighting was perfect to show off the colors displayed that day in the reflection in the river and in the sky.

This is a Sycamore tree in our local Hamilton County park, Lake Isabella.  I would love to own the property.  It has a very nice lake and the property borders the Little Miami River.  There is a lovely boat house that would make a wonderful home and it sits right on the lake with a full deck right over the water.  The deck is large enough for the groups who dine at the Friday night fish frys held during the summer months.  The evenings are filled with the sounds of the musical talent who play on those nights as well as any voices who might like to join in.  Also rangers bring wild animals they have in captivity because of injuries and these are used as a teaching tool for the kids as well as adults.  It all makes for a nice evening with cool breezes wafting in from the trees that surround the lake.

Happy Easter Xanga

Wishing you His blessings for this season of Easter

God bless us everyone

Becca

 

 I am involved with photo editing, regularly.  I love working with photos but am trying to cut some of life’s stresses so left a larger group I helped with for about two years.  I am now involved with a very small family group of 6 people.  Actually 3 in my family including myself and several very good friends.  It is much more personal and more enjoyable as there is much less stress.  Below are some of my photo edited pieces. 

I took the original photo on my front porch.  The nesting pair of Blue Jays built in what is considered a highly unlikely place as they are firm when it comes to tree nesting.  I took so many photos they decided not to return, to nest, the next year.  The mailman appreciates that fact.

Most of my Blue Jay photos really weren’t prize winning as I was trying not to disturb the birds anymore than they would tolerate.  They did pick a place above my head so reaching to get shots wasn’t easy.  The birds tolerated photography quite well until after the babies were a little bigger and then the tops of your head were not safe.  John wore a construction hat when he moved around, outside.  I covered with a coat and ran.

This photo came from my good friend Lil.  She challenged us to build new graphics after tubing her biker friends.  I did quite a few new graphics using the tube I made from this photo.

This was my favorite from the particular group of graphics I did for the biker couple.

This was another challenge.  We were given the bench to tube and the deer head and told to create a new graphic on this background.  I included in my finished graphic the farmer and the dog, also tubes I created from photos taken by members of the group.  Definition:  tube = a particular item removed from a photo, cleaned of all outside interference then saved for reuse in other graphics.  You can use them over and over and I have used my farmer and dog in many graphics.

These Elephants are Thai.  Their photo was taken by my daughter on a vacation trip to that country.  They had some wonderful experience as well as super photo opportunities.  I tubed the elephants and placed them on one of my photos, taken on a short trip to visit a friend in Ashland, Kentucky.  I felt the photo and the tube meshed well and I was very happy with my results.

Digital cams are a wonder and editing photos is a fun as well as a rewarding pastime.

All work on my site, dialogue, photography, graphics, tutorials are copyright © RSBlain

John and I are visiting in Virginia with family, our daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter. We have been here since Christmas Eve after a 12 hour drive that went pretty smoothly. We have filled ourselves with lots of good food as Halie and her husband are good cooks and every meal is treated as an event. It’s been a really good time. We have done our fair share of celebrating. I am now a year older and another year into a marriage after the end of today. I have few complaints other than aches and pains I could do without. I will be happy to keep them if I could have another 39 with the man I am married to.

Wishing all of Xanga the best of New Years.  Wishing each of you lives that become increasingly better. Be safe, stay healthy, love family and friends and each other a little more. The song says What the World needs now is LOVE and I believe that is a truism.

  God bless us everyone 

Becca aka PhotoGraphics

Merry Christmas Xanga

Plus my entry for the
Weekly Photo Challenge

The challenge topic “Ghostly Photos” was suggested by Mystical2 and works so well for me as I happen to have a Ghostly Photo of the magic of Christmas in action taken from my bedroom window this past year.  Christmas is such a special time of year and I always watch for any sign of it creeping closer.  A flash of light and the reindeer clued me in to Santa’s passing journey.

My Christmas “Ghostly Photo” …

In addition, my Christmas room.  I wrote in a comment that I would post photos of my room in a Christmas entry.  Some details I would like to share.  My Christmas room is small and cozy and in operation year round.  I wasn’t able to back away from the walls far enough to get proper photos but they came out pretty well and I think you will get the idea.  I am not a blue person but I had this room painted in a dark blue to accent the white Nativity and other white and Terre Cotta pieces.  It is a favorite spot to relax and enjoy the quiet of Christmas at any time of the year.

Many of the pieces are night lights and they are delicate lighting so at night if I turn them on and run the little fire place it feels very nice.  The fireplace is electric and sits below these shelves. 

The Nativity is lit from above.  John wired in small night lights.  I have a lot of angels that wait for their spot.  I don’t put a tree up anymore, I don’t need a tree as I have the small one you see on the shelf and I want a tree shape on the wall that my angel collection will hang from.  I’ll take a photo to share if it gets done.

I am a collector of dolls and stuffed animals as are my sisters.  What you see on the chair are a lot of Moose and a few other things.  My son’s dog which we eventually cared for reminded me of a moose and when she died I had her cremated keeping the ashes along with the ashes of my son.  The tiger is a back pack and it holds the containers of ashes. I add to the moose especially at Christmas remembering Jade and my son. 

This photo gives you an idea of the lighting in the room at night when nothing but the night lights and fireplace are burning.

These are what is left of my children at home along with a lot of other dolls you don’t see in these photos.  

My Terra Cotta lamps came from the Goodwill.  I painted them the color I wanted and dyed the lamp shades with wood stain.  Actually its a lot of dust collectors but I’m not ready to part with it.  I get a good feeling when I spend time in the room.

This was an early Birthday present and the Paper White Narcissus are almost gone.  The weather has been too hot and dry to keep a nice Spring flower looking fresh.  I am a green person and when I saw the combination of the flowers with that wonderful fluted green pot I asked for it for my birthday.  The bulbs will be set out in the Spring and I’ll plant something else in the pot that will then go to my bath.  The bath is done in greens and is another spot filled with more dust catchers. 

Please remember all persons in need and please don’t forget our servicemen and women in your prayers and any other way you are able.

Merry Christmas Xanga.  May your blessings for the season be many no matter what your religious persuasion. 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge

 ”Windows”
subject comes from Jeepind.

I love windows.  Coming in all sizes and shapes and colors they are used in every aspect of life to let in light, bright and diffused. 

Some of my “Windows” photos.

This is historic Waldschmidt House in Camp Dennison, Ohio.  The architecture of the house I grew up in is very close to what you see here.  The windows were exactly the same and the end wall of this one if it were mine is facing the street.  The panes froze up with patterns of tiny fairy lands I have never forgotten, in the Winter.  Rainy days all year round, I spent looking through the windows at raindrops hitting the pavement below picturing tiny ballet dancers. 

This isn’t the church I grew up in either but it did have spectacular leaded glass windows.  These windows have all the colors but don’t begin to tell the story I saw every Sunday from the pews.

I saw the yellow school bus with its windows filled with faces of the riders.  I walked to school, everyday.  Maybe that is why the yellow monsters hold a fascination for me.

This old post office with its style and plain rectangular windows was copied all over the United States.  This one sits in Delaware, Ohio and is still in service.

These wonderful mirrored windows are in many of the newer office complex buildings.  They help energy savings and give plenty of light on the inside for the people working.

These wonderful windows are part of a mural painted on the side of a building in the main street of Ashland, Kentucky.  The murals grace many a building in the area telling the story of the cities historic past.  They are amazing to see and quite the elite in outdoor art form.

 

Keep taking those photos,

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge

subject comes from Pictaker
… Neighborhood, Wild Animals …

 

There is a prevalence of smaller wild things around us but they aren’t for making a big display of themselves.  Most of the wild things in our neighborhood and in the greater Cincinnati area come on two feet and carry guns and knives and sell drugs.  We avoid direct contact preferring to stay as out of the way as possible  Our preference is the squirrels and birds and racoons and opossum and even some deer who manage to hide well among the vegetation that exists within city limits.  My squirrels come from a trip we made to our zoo and you can see from the photos just how wild they are.  They know where handouts come from.

 

 

It took this squirrel less time to approach and attack our bags we had carried in with our store of munchies than it took for us to turn our backs to be taking other photos.

 

Notice his laid back ears, an indication he plans on letting us know who is boss if we come any closer with our camera.

 

 

Having made his getaway with some cornchips he wrestled from our pack he sat eyeing us from the trees. 

 

My photos though repeats are indicative of what can be found around us.  Maybe I’ll catch something different and more exciting this new Spring and Summer season.

 

Keep on taking those photos,
 

 
 

The
Weekly Photo Challenge

subject

… The Unusual …
comes from Rigel_Hyperion

 

I wasn’t sure I had any strange, weird or ”unusual” photos.  I’m not the funniest person walking but on looking I discovered I do have a few pics that fit the mold.  I have a much weirder side than I thought . 

A conglomerate or collage of “THE WEIRD OR STRANGE” stuff, a chicken sandwich that when I opened it I couldn’t help but notice its shape and I have a fixation for feet having quite a few photos of my painted pigs, the sign struck John and I both as interesting and the bottom right looks like my sandwich.  I won’t name names.  The party favors were just plain fun. 

This photo is the ”FUN or OUT OF THE ORDINARY”, a mix from an experience we had several years ago.  All in all it covered a total of about 7 weeks from nest building to laying to sitting to hatching to feeding to fledglings.  Notice the hardhat and the coat over the head.  We were reduced to that condition in the later weeks as each time we opened our door about 6 feet from the nest we were told in no uncertain terms we weren’t welcome.  It was a great  experience we hoped would repeat itself but the birds learned in that single season they weren’t happy with the location.  Our mailman also won’t forget the occassion, he quit delivering our mail until we reported the coast as clear of any danger. 

 

Have a great week and keep on taking those photos.