photography

Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument

I never think of things like “monuments” which is probably due to the family I come from.  You can tell by the lack of almost all monuments in our family cemetery plots.  It’s not like our family has been destitute but most would rather drink away the money than “waste” it on a cemetery stone.

My Great Aunt Ruth, who didn’t drink, bought a stone for her husband after he passed and that was after he left everything to his brother.  My Aunt was one of the few righteous people I have ever met in my life.  Every so often I would travel the 30 miles or so to visit the family cemetery and see that lone gray stone in the midst of it.  On a visit in 2012 I was shocked to see two new large stones marking 4 graves.  Shocking since I was not aware of any living relatives on the Wagner side.  My Aunt and her husband were the last of the family I knew of and my Aunt passed in 1958.  It had to be a relative of her husbands because they replaced his stone with a double stone that included my Aunt and a double stone for his parents as well that both passed in 1928.  It states they brought their family over in 1900, I think from Germany.

MonumentCollageWagners

Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

Noticed the contrast of the one beautiful living flower against the background of the dead ones and the cold stone.
The bright windows peaking out from behind the tree branch.
A reflection from ? looking like a cross appeared on the side of an old garage in my neighborhood a few years ago. A light against the grunge.
created after all the solar flare warnings. Fire and ice!
Using PhotoDraw cutout and filled with dry earth.

Enjoy!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning

How about beginning again.

I am officially retired, I guess.  Lost both of my part-time jobs that I had in 2013 last month but just started collecting a not very substantial social security payment early.

I really am po’ now, but no longer a girl.  I just liked the title.  It sounds better than Po’ Woman Shines.  It also seems better to be poor if you are younger.  When you’re older it somehow screams that you have failed in life.

Thank God I don’t consider life pass or fail.  It’s just life.  I have had my ups and downs, good times and bad and I have never been a slave to money, though I have worked very long and hard in my life.

I still buy my lotto tickets and made sure to dig myself out of the 10″-12″ blowing and drifting snowfall that hit my area yesterday to purchase them.

So this is how I am beginning 2014.  Unemployed and not able to make all the payments needed to stay in my home.  I guess I can hang onto it for a while longer, but as soon as we get the spring thaw, I will begin to search for a place I can afford and have to let my super, duper upside down house go anyway they want it.  If I can’t rent it out, it’s either signed back over to the bank or a short sale.

I have also promised myself now that I have more time, I can really beef up my website or forget about it.

Post or get off the site is my plan.

Below are some pictures of probably the same weather most of you are having.

Good Luck, God Bless and Happy New Year to Everyone!


Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Many years ago I was designing various graphic images on other wars on terror.  This one was war on terror in the home to bring attention to domestic violence.  I layered images on some of the text before adding to the computer graphic image.

The base was a picture taken in a cemetery that was layered with busts of angels and parts of computer altered photographs placed at the top.  I then layered the altered designer text in place.

I can work for hours altering and layering pictures hoping for that perfect combination.

2004miscwaronterrorinthehome

Weekly Photo Challenge: Eerie

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I like to fool around with adding animation to part of my photos like these by cutting and “filling” other pictures or color combos and then animating only part of the picture.  Gives eerie effects depending on light, shadows, color, etc.  Hope you get some ideas for your software.  I am happy to answer any questions as to how they were created as well as planning many “how-to” posts way overdue.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgic

Marshall Michigan.  Love driving to small towns and cities all over.  They are all so different yet very similar.  Found some old building and signs nearby that really brought back memories.  I have not seen a Rexalls in forever!