While waiting for the Calgary Stampede Parade last summer I couldn’t help taking a photo of this little girl waiting for the parade to start so she could see the Duchess and the Prince ride by in their motorcade.

The Texture blending in this photo was done in Photoshop CS6 using textures from
www.TextureAPhoto.com

The Texture A Photo Package will be available for purchase on June 19, 2012

The Texture A Photo Package will work with-

- Photoshop

- Photoshop Elements

- Onone Perfect Layers 2

Waiting for the Duchess

Today I have another photo texture, this is the 3rd and last image in the Misty Sunrise series. It was a really beautiful morning, I spent quite a while wandering around and taking photos and just enjoying the quiet and the soft beauty. I added three separate textures to this photo texture blend, removing and blending in different areas to achieve the look I was going for. This image is the first that I have used Onone Softwares Perfect Layers to do the texture blending. They just made the program a free download, and it works really well. I will have a tutorial on how to use it to achieve this effect hopefully sooner than later.

Reflections on the Wind

Got up before sunrise about a month ago to shoot sunrise, in downtown Omaha. I mostly focused on the Durham, Museumbecause I like the structure and texture of the building. As it turned out I only had about a half an hour before it started raining. It is extremely hard to fit the entire building into the shot. It would have been a little easier with a  wider lens or larger sensor, but that’s not in my budget right now. The other issue that made it harder was the cars parked in the parking lot. I showed up very early hoping that there would not be any cars parked in the lot. Upon arriving at 6 am I was very disappointed to find 4 cars in the lot. If you look closely you can see one of the museum’s vans in the far corner of the parking lot, thankfully  I was able to work around the rest of the cars.

Before Sunrise, Durham Museum, Omaha Nebraska

I have been playing with blending textures with my photos a lot more lately. It seems to allow me to infuse more of my vision into the image that I am creating. I have been listening to a lot of interviews of exceptional photographers, the interviews were done by Matt Brandon of  Thedigitaltrekker.com. The interviews can be found in the Itunes store by searching for the “Depth of Field” Podcast. The idea of vision seemed to come through over and over again. Having a clear vision of what you are trying to create is very important.  I intend for this Image to be included in a 3 image series of misty sunrise I was privileged to experience a few weeks ago. I say privileged for a reason, in listening to the interviews I mentioned before most of which were with humanitarian and social documentary photographers, there was another idea that really struck a cord with me. The idea is this, life is short, fragile, and can turn for the good or bad at any second.  We really need to be grateful for the time that we have,  we need to be grateful for the beauty that we are able to see, the relationships we are able to form and the experiences we have.

When I shot this image I had a vision for what I  wanted it to look like but I did not have an emotion that was connected to it. As I was working on it tonight I realized that it really showed me how we should look when we wake up in the morning.  We should be gazing heavenward praising our creator for another day of life, and asking for the grace to make it a better day for everyone we meet during the day.

Greeting the Day with Praise

I’ll add the first image in the series so you can see them paired as well

The Mist and the Willow

This is an Okapi, as you can see they have enormous ears relative to the size of their heads. I have been trying to get a shot of them for a while, they have always been in a weird position compared to the light and how close I can get to them.  This time I was able to get the shot i wanted. I realize that it is the back of head and not the face. The shape and detail of the ears is really amazing. from the front it just looks like another relative of the horse.

This is a texture blend but only the background. I am really liking what an added texture can do to the Bokeh (background Blur) of a photo.  It can really make it look more hand painted or shaded.

"My what big ears you have"

It has been a while since I posted here,  we have been working very hard to get my Wife’s new book launched. It is an E-book that gives practical lifestyle design coaching.

321 Stop cover

You can click on the Image above and check out the book website and the reviews. You can follow the link to purchase there.

Last weekend we took a road trip to Roaring River State Park in Missouri. I managed to get a few shots mostly wild flowers. I did manage to get a lot shots to add to my texture collection. The image below is a sample of the Texture Blend Photography that I have been playing with more lately. This particular image includes three separate textures blended and  refined to produce the final product.

Signs of life in spring

While on our road trip this summer we stayed with some friends in Washington. One of the days we were there they took us out to the coast to Deception Pass State Park. The kids had a blast playing in the ocean. I love bridges and thought this perspective on the bridge was quite stunning.

Deception Pass Bridge, Deception Pass State Park, Washington

The main entry hallway to The Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. This building used to be the train station in Omaha. It now serves a museum showcasing the history of our country’s western expansion

The Great Hall - Durham Museum Omaha

This is another from my photo adventure in the artic air of Nebraska, early this January. When I took this it was about 15 degrees with a 20mph wind. Terribly cold, but worth it I think.

Golden rays of hope

Another composition of the sunset in the bitter cold of winter at Mahoney State Park, Nebraska

Windmill sunset

Interior of a passenger coach at the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Once started working on it I realize that the perspective was a little bit skewed and I could have set it up a little better, oh well, the hazards of working in a busy museum. I still like the shot though just wish it was that little bit better.

Riding Coach

We took the kids to the Durham Museum here in Omaha the day after Christmas. It has a lot of exhibits related to the western expansion of the United States and how Omaha and the railroad played a role in the expansion. This is an old street car they have on display that used to run the streets of downtown Omaha.

Lets ride the trolley

Sunrise begins a New Year

This is the picture that was painted for me on New Years morning this year. I love sunrises and sunsets, they create such warm rich colors. I am excited to begin another year, I am looking forward to spending more time with the family and my camera. On a side note, a quick photography tip, clean your lens before you go out to shoot each time. I forgot to clean mine before I took these and had to spend extra time in photoshop to fix the oversite.

A  random sculpture that my wife found in the Garden of the Senses at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. She took the photo and I did the editing. I’m not exactly sure what it is supposed to be but, I thought that it looked cool and I would share. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous new year.

She sells sea shell by the sea shore

From the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, NE

Petals of Velvet