Doorway Cat

This black and white cat seemed destined to become part of a black and white photograph.

His habit is to sit in the doorway of one of our farm buildings.  Perhaps he feels he is standing guard over the three litters of baby kittens currently being tended there by their mothers.  Ah, the joys of springtime…..

Lowly Violet

Dependable, predictable, common as can be…..

……rather undesired and certainly uninvited,

the lowly violet returns to the lawn each spring. 

Fragility

I like the delicate character of these daffodil petals.

However, and sometimes sadly, one reality of life is that the usual companion trait of delicate is, naturally, fragile.  Not very long after this daffodil was photographed in relatively pristine condition, wind and rain transformed its appearance to grimy and limp. 

Lilac Buds

A hint of future blossoms…..

…..though at present barely resembling what they will become.

Crocus Screen

Am still in want of new flower blossoms to photograph.

Thus, I’m reusing this crocus which was surgically separated from its twin via the modern wonder of photo cropping.  Following that procedure, I felt compelled to distort the lone bloom with a PS effect entitled “stained glass”, which comes suspiciously close to resembling something called a window screen.

Orange Milkweed

Stolen from one of my earlier blogposts…..

…..this photo of a butterfly milkweed. 

This plant does not grow wild around here; I purchased it a few years ago to add some bright orange color to my perennial garden.  “Facet” effect was applied to the photo.

Daffy Dilly

“Daffy down dilly has come up to town

In a yellow petticoat and a white gown”

If you are familiar with that Mother Goose rhyme, you will realize it should read, “green gown”.  

I’m blogging this nicely opened bloom from a couple years ago because this spring’s weather has left my daffodils in a sadly bedraggled state. “Paint daubs” added to the photo.

Droopy Daffodils

 

This photo was taken last evening after a day that included intermittent showers of rain, ice, and snow.  Can’t say that I blame these daffodils for their droopy demeanor.

Phlox

Here’s a bouquet of prairie phlox…..

…..with the “water paper” effect applied.

Yesterday, while composing this blogpost, I sat next to a window which framed an outdoor scene influenced by the “drab, cloudy sky” effect, compliments of an apparently unimaginative Mother Nature.  It looked as though some raindrops might soon be added, though an application of sunshine would have been preferable.

Milkweed Buds

First, “paint daubs” were flung at this photo, then a burlap texture applied.  Also, a 3D effect on the buds in the center, though I’m not sure if that is noticeable. 

Milkweed Variation

Just for fun I clicked the “pinch” and “offset” effects for this milkweed photo.  There was nothing else to do yesterday, anyway---a very strong, chilly wind kept me from venturing outdoors except for calf chores.  The day before that had been so nice and warm, providing a chance to do some needed raking and other yardwork.  Ah, well, contrasting weather moods in early spring are to be expected.

Detour

Taking a detour from the flower photos…..

 

……down a lonely railroad track.

A couple years ago, on a day in late autumn, I happened to be driving around right after a brief snow shower occurred.  I spied this scene and just had to take a picture of it.  “Ink outline” effect applied. 

Darker Crocus

A few crocus in this darker shade of lavender are blooming right now.  These two managed to remain upright despite the recent blustery weather.  I used “ocean ripple” effect in an attempt to hide the flaws, so you could see the pretty color.

Crocus Encore

Back not by popular demand but simply because I have no other photos to work with at this time:

The “paint daubs with a wide dark brush” effect was used.  I had hoped to take more crocus photos, but gusty winds the past couple of days have wreaked havoc with the delicate blossoms.  They are damaged beyond even the healing abilities of Photoshop.

Lilies

This photo was given a multitude of effects---too many for me to remember. 

Phlox Edges

Here’s a couple more PS glances at the phlox photo from earlier this week:

The above effect is called “find edges” and obviously that’s what it does.  Below is the “glowing edge” effect:

Crocus

At last…..

……a fresh and untouched-up spring photo from the outdoors. 

These crocus blooms kindly decided to survive the wind and pets long enough to be captured on camera.

Gray Kitty

The effect is called “smudge stick” and it took me awhile to find a photo it looked okay on.  Actually, I don’t even know what a smudge stick is.  Guess I should google it and find out.

Differing Phlox

A PS effect called “difference clouds”, applied to a photo of wild phlox:

Was about to hit the delete button, but then changed my mind.  The blades of grass look like mauve ribbons woven in and out amongst the phlox blossoms.  The original photo looks like this:

Off Set

Remember long ago in the old days when TV screens did this:

Yeah, how well I remember that.  As the picture flickered and rolled, we’d impatiently fiddle with the vertical hold button until stability returned.  The photo has PS “offset” effect applied.

Zinnia

A zinnia, accented and ink outlined…..

…..flaws and all.  The flowers in my garden tend to quickly become beat up and tattered by wind, bugs, cats and dogs.