Posted on April 3, 2011 in Black and White, Landscape, Topaz
I was out running errands yesterday and it was a beautiful Spring-like day with amazing clouds. There are several farms that I pass regularly and I have always wanted to stop and photograph them but never had the opportunity. I decided that yesterday was the day….and the wonderful clouds gave me even more incentive. Usually there are cows grazing on this farm, but they weren’t outside yesterday. Since I love cows, I was a little disappointed. Maybe next time!
Posted on December 26, 2010 in Architecture, Street, Topaz
The Hotel Bethlehem, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is built on an historic site dating back to 1741. It sits on beautiful Main Street where many quaint shops and grand buildings line the picturesque street. The hotel is thought to be haunted as guests and staff have reported strange happenings such as sightings in mirrors, apparitions, vacuums being turned on an off, a feeling of being tapped on the shoulder, pens dropping onto the front desk, etc. Some guests have even asked to leave early because of their experiences. The ghosts that haunt Hotel Bethlehem are believed to be from the Victorian and Colonial eras. One ghost is believed to be a little girl who grew up in the hotel and, while her life was filled with scandal and sadness, her happiest days were spent at Hotel Bethlehem. If you ever visit this hotel, be on the lookout for unexplainable events!
Posted on December 25, 2010 in Architecture, Black and White, Street, Topaz
But Santa, I wanted something shiny & new to carry my camera gear around in!! Sigh…maybe next year!
Posted on December 8, 2010 in Animals, Black and White, Pet Photography, Topaz
Most of my pet images are pretty much “unfooled around with” meaning that I do minimal editing on them. Usually just some contrast and levels adjustments. This image, however, was calling for something extra so I popped it into Topaz Adjust and used the Spicify filter along with converting it to black and white. In this image is a Dogue de Bordeaux hanging out with his owner at the Back Mountain Kennel Club dog show last month. This breed has such a unique look – I love their expressive face! I wonder if a little Oil of Olay would help with his wrinkles? 🙂
Posted on December 1, 2010 in People, Topaz
“Cotton” and “Candy”….now there are 2 words that don’t go together! If something is cotton, should you really be thinking about eating it? And so it is for me and cotton candy….I’ve never really acquired a taste for it. I can see where the name came from as it does look like a giant cotton ball in a bag or on a stick. But the taste and texture just don’t appeal to me. Not so for this darling little girl that I photographed at the Valley Forge Kennel Club Dog Show. She was riding high on her dad’s shoulders and was munching away on a bag of pink cotton candy while she watched all of the adorable dogs. This image was processed using two Topaz Adjust presets – sketch color and simplify – plus various tweaks in between.