Love is love and love, and also love ...



Sweetheart Roses
I had my way with this digital photograph of mine,
along with adding watercolor effect to final image

 Here it is Saint Valentine's Day, the day which has come to commemorate love. I was curious to see if this was just another commercial Hallmark moment, conjured up to make beaucoup bux on the sale of Valentine Day cards. But I was grimly mistaken. Google it if you are of a mind, ironic history.

But in the here and now, couples are gazing into each other's eyes, heartbeats a pitter-pat, cards/flowers/chocolates/dinners/movies/trips/jewelry/other presents are offered as tokens of undying love. Such is the way of it.

Not being currently in an intimate relationship, my tokens of love were shared with my sons, grandchildren, siblings and dear friends.

Following my divorce aeons anon, I would chaff at being a single on a spectacularly couples day. I went to dinner with galfriends, or went to a movie, or stayed home and emotionally stewed.

But, no more.

I'm quite content to let my definition of "love" embrace more people, and if not specific people, then acknowledge that we all need to be more accepting, tender, tolerant, compassionate ... loving ... of one another. Is this but a rationalization? Perhaps, but I'll continue the intent and eventually it will comfortably slip right over Saint Valentine's Day and perhaps infiltrate the other 364 days of the year.

Oh my! I was simply going to share the digital photo I played around with! I hadn't even considered all this other stuff coming into the mix. I'm obviously still a work in progress.

Had fun working on the image. Did it rather after the fact, so it wasn't shared with my loved ones. I may print out some cards with the image and continue the lovin'!

AND ... today is also Paul's (my older son) birthday! Congrats, my son, my son! I well remember that rainy, wonderful morning we brought you home!

Elephant? What elephant?

Still no project in mind; I'll just keep shooting photographs.

However, I was out driving around and parked along the side of the road. When I finished my errand, heading back to the truck, I saw this first photograph. Couldn't pass it up. (click)

The morning was frosty, and there was some frost caught on the woodgrain on the barrier posts. (click)

(click) (click) (click) I'll share those with you later.

But I forgot to mention that as of January 4, 2012 my baby boy, Owen Eugene West, is now 33 years young! What a blessing my sons are to me!

I know, I know! You want photographs not all this family schmaltzy-waltzy.

Photographs du jour:



This photograph and the next one
are of the wood posts to which metal roadside guards
are bolted.
These two posts were butted up one against the other.
In the next photograph the posts were corner to corner.
The frost doesn't show as strongly as I had hoped for.
c'est la vie

 

 and pachyderm ...

(edited with poster edge effect filter)

Within a few blocks and farther a-field ...



Parasol Drum
iPhoto with Film Grain effect

 Today's photographs are inside and outside; here and there.

But first I have two Etsy treasuries in which my photographs have been featured, as follows:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQ0NzIzODF8NjcyMzk1MjUy/catching-fire

Catching Fire

Curator: Moody at http://www.mylittlethriftstore.etsy.com/

Photo: Harvest of Glass

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzYwNDkxOHw2ODI5NzU5NDI/waiting

Waiting

Curator: Heather at http://www.dylandogleash.etsy.com/

Photo: Beach Love

Okey dokey! The image shown above was photographed at Drop Your Drawers Thrift Shop, maybe 10 blocks away on Garland Avenue. I've shot a number of quirky things at that place. This shellacked paper parasol and big bass drum were on display and I've wanted to photograph them each time I go through the shop. It was difficult to decide how to photograph two large, round shapes and make it work. I think this works. Well, it works for moi! I applied a film grain effect because it was dark in the shop and this effect on this photograph lightened the parasol and added more yellow, and darkened the skin of the drum.

The photograph from farther a-field is a field farther away in the foothills east above Spokane. I could not resist the dark-light-dark-light and the red barn was a no brainer! Get that shot! Got it! This image, too, has benefited from the film grain effect, as it lightens the light area and effectively manages the darks.




Red Barn
iPhoto with Film Grain effect