Vignettes from the garden

Often I dream about leaving the house with the camera and driving to

new places, but then reality sets in and I once again find that it's 

better if I stay home; safer that way.

I'm a believer that photos are everywhere if we look at our 

surroundings with "new eyes." Some times it takes looking through

the viewfinder to see the ordinary in a new way. 

A pot of Agave is interesting enough

but what if the image is layered with a photo of barrel cactus?

Two daily visitors in the yard are more interesting with

multiple textured layers subtly done.

A blending of various cactus and textures.

Every spring a few Orioles arrive. They're particularly fond

of the hummingbird feeder and let me know when it's 

empty. I've probably photographed around a 100 shots of them

and finally got a different one today. Eureka! Getting a side

view this good has taken years. 

Extracted from the boring background of

the hummer feeder and layered with a succulent image followed

by texture layers and my Saturday has gone from

bleak to one full of Joy!

Digital Expressions

Simple collage.

Photos from earlier this month of 

The Grand Finale of the

 Sea Urchin Cactus.

Moon over the Salton Sea.

The base photo is of the Salton Sea.

The train image was taken at the Salton Sea.

The weeds in the foreground are an image from

the Back Bay in Costa Mesa. The moon is from

last August.

The Salton Sea is rapidly disappearing and if

it's not saved the air here

in the Palm Springs area

will become toxic

resulting in 

numerous health issues. 

The base photo is a vintage portrait of a man in uniform. His hands are in his

lap and ended up blended with both the parrot and cockatiels claws.

Two texture layers were added along with text. 

The base photo is a double image of the Palatine in Rome; a magical

trip six years ago. 

Other layers are a Sea Urchin Cactus and a dove.

I dream of being in Rome again; birds

represent freedom to me, if only I could

take fight and appear in Italy!

The base photo is a Salton Sea building. 

Layers of textures. I create all of the texture layers I use. 

Note: I just recently became aware that some of my images have

been pinned on Pinterest, being that my work is original it's my

hope that my copyright is honored. Thank you.

Train near the Salton Sea. 

Building below the track is a miniature train building.

Two layers of textures.

There is a mysterious quality around

the Salton Sea. This image

evokes not only mystery but a

desolate feeling that

hits me every time I visit

 the Salton Sea. 

A manipulated vintage photo of a woman layered

with an image of a Gazania flower against

Barrel Cactus. 

The story goes that an aunt was a Ziegfeld Follies

Dancer who was known for her

dramatic approach to life.

This image is in honor of her.

Sea Urchin Grand Finale!

This morning I was greeted with the Grand Finale of the Sea Urchin flowers, something akin to the finale of a fireworks show. Spectacular! Seven flowers opening at the same time rarely happens, 

usually there are only 1-3 at a time. (the 7th one hidden by an agave.)

Against the Agave.

Love the abstract below.

Below: Against Barrel cactus and Gazania on the right.

The image above is one of two times this year that one

 plant had two flowers on it.

This flower is in a pot, thus the different background.

And one last version. Until next year  . . .