Travelin' About

 I love following some wonderful photographers and teachers on a regular basis. There are so many out there filled with free, enthusiastic wisdom and challenges. Earlier this week, photographer Rick Sammon showed an image that he composited and enhanced with a NIK filter. He provided the original images and challenged folks to use those same images and create a different picture.  Here are the originals: Go to Rick's site to see the image he crafted.  This is what I came up with by duplicating the birds, placing them a few inches away from one another and then using Nik's Color Efex Pro filter Color Contrast. Actually, I used Color Contrast twice - an accident because I was looking up the name of the filter, but I decided I liked how it popped. Thanks Rick, for providing the challenge. It was lots of fun. Can't wait to see what others come up with. (Check out a really cool one at Darina Boycheva ) Happy shooting!

We were so blessed with a warm, sunny day last Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed strolling New York City's newest attraction, the High Line , with my brilliant and successful daughter, Kiryn. A city girl who resides in Brooklyn, Kiryn loves accessing all that the Big Apple has to offer.  I am just beginning to realize that I am leaving behind many wonderful places that I have not yet experienced. But, that's what coming back and visiting will accomplish for me in the future. Check out the High Line's website for a more organic view of what exactly it is. In a nutshell, it's a spectacular public park built on an elevated railway along 16th- 34th streets on Manhattan’s West Side.  Their website and blog do a whole lot more about telling it's story, but I will say it was a treasure of a find and a place I would like to go back to again and again. Brilliant daughter, Kiryn View of the Empire State building beyond an old church New Frank Gehry building

A New Year always brings new promise of change for the better. Here's hoping you keep up your resolutions and find the changes in your life that you seek! As for us, those changes are coming fast and furious.  Our house is looking mighty sad as it's contents are all boxed up. Our days in New York are numbered and we are in shock as we realize the enormity of change that we are facing. While moving to Austin, Texas holds a lot of promise for new adventures (and less snow) and lots more of being in our Granddaughter's life, it also means leaving behind a lot of wonderful friends. Saying goodbye has become a daily effort and it's not getting any easier. I thought I'd post a few pictures of Austin to remind myself of why we decided to move. May the randomness and color of Austin fill our souls, and may you find all that you are seeing in this hopeful New Year! Keep shooting!