Hiatus.

Taking a cue from the Europeans, I'm taking the Summer off.  Posting will return when it cools off..  meanwhile, enjoy this..

Sunrise

Scan of slide from around 1975 or '76. Sunrise over the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Rare, in that I've never liked to get up early.

"Painting" type manipulation in one of my editors.. forget which now. We'll be getting away from the ladies for a little bit, because I was starting to get a bit out of control with the tricks, so it's not likely you're ever going to see a full size version of this creepy image:



I have some in the works, combining old and new images, that are a little less over-the-top, so there's that.

Cactus Flower

Recently, I started practicing extracting elements from images.  Yesterday's "Moonshine" image was the first try, and it seems to have worked out well.  Here's another "assembly" of old and new images.  The prickly pear blossom was shot just this afternoon.  The nude, about 35 years ago.

Blossom was "extracted" using Photoshop Elements "Magic Extractor".  Tree limbs were distorted with Elements' "Liquify" filter.  Black and white image was colored using "Tint" tool in Picnik.  Other tools used have slipped my mind.

Double Shot of Moonshine

This one took a couple of hours, and has numerous effects, as you might imagine.  Only the smooth, young buttocks are from an old scan, (original below).  The moon, and hawk are from current digital captures.  In fact, that's the famous "Super Moon" of just last March.

Elements were separated from their original files with Picture Cutout Guide, and assembled in Photoshop elements.  Some additional lighting effects were also added in PSE.  Many effects in Picnik, went into the final image, including "Thermal Image", "Doodle" (the clouds and stars), and of course, the "Mom" tattoo.

Original image from mid-Seventies

100% Pure Aryan Goodness

I don't know that for a fact, but she was tall, blonde, and blue-eyed, with a German surname. Close enough.
I could regale you with amazing stories of things that went on in her mother's kitchen while her mother slept less than 20 feet away, but that would just leave you frustrated... use your imagination.

A pretty straight hand-colored image from scan of a black and white 35mm negative. Added "soft focus" filter in Picnik, then un-softened eyes and lips.

Oh! And because Mother's Day is coming up: the tattoo!

She Walks Away.

..and no matter how much you want her to, she won't turn back.

This is another of those "this and that" processes, most of which I can't even remember.. try this? Nah. Try that? Yeah, that works. Let's add something else. Original color print. Some Photoshop Elements, some ACDSee Pro.

Hey!, you wonder, is that Margaret? Why yes.. yes it is.

POV#3: Committed.

What once was a black and white, homemade porn snapshot, may not be quite your idea of "art", but you gotta admit, it ain't what it was.

POV#2: Curiosity

Like a headstone.   Pun intended.  Or maybe like plucking morel mushrooms.

"Embossed" tool from ACDSee Pro, colors from Picnik.  Original B & W negative.

Sheer.

Every day could be an exhilarating, terrifying adventure.

Starting point: a very small size digital file, (under 50 KB) from a scan of a Polaroid SX70 print. Using ACDSee Pro,eEnlarged to around 450KB, added "glowing edges". In Picnic, painted out all undergarment lines to accent the sheerness of the dress. Played around with light and exposure to get an effect of "nothing under the fabric". Added border.

Old School Racer.

You'd be hard pressed to find any rider wearing the nearly non-functional "hairnet" helmets these days. But this image was taken around 25 years ago at a street race in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm thinking that when this lady has her hands down on the bars, she's probably not very aerodynamic. Then again, that's not really a bad thing, is it?

Because it's "old school", I used the "1960's" filter in Picnik.. fades the color and puts those weird rounded corners on the image. Just like all the snaps in your parents' attic. It's also been lightly posterized.

The Twins

Your pride is showing.

Trouble.

....And if you can't see that, well, you're on your own, friend.
.

Suzie V.

Other than the lighting, and softening of the focus, this one is virtually untouched, because why would I mess with it when I nailed it?      :D