Leaf

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 41-Texture Overlay

“….he said it was interesting. He used the word ‘textured’. He said ‘smooth’ is boring but ‘textured’ was interesting, and the scar meant that I was stronger than whatever had tried to hurt me.” —Jeannette Walls

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to create images using a texture overlay. For those unfamiliar, it means after taking the image you add an overlay in the post-processing to give the photo a different texture.

I’ve never played with this feature before and had fun trying out different effects. Some of these I blended until they almost disappeared but others I made more obvious. Let me know if you have a favorite and what you think of this type of editing. Not sure I’ll use it often but it’s a great tool to add to my growing photography skills.

  • If you are in the mood for some reading, here’s a short ghost story I wrote this time last year. I’m proud of this one. Week 41: The Cornfield
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  • Photos were taken with Olympus OM-D  and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
  • If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces
Week 39: Blossom
Week 40: Environmental Portrait

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 37-Shoot Through

“Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”—Dr. Seuss

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to create an image by shooting through an object. My photos were taken this morning at Folsom Lake.

The bird above, and its near twin #5, were shot through a hole in a leaf. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to capture the edges of the leaf so it’s more of an abstract image. #1 is through a piece of bark and #4 is through a discarded styrofoam cup. Let me know which image you think works best or if you have a favorite.

As a bonus, I’ve included a link to the story I wrote this time last year. It’s a fantasy story/tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll give it a read.

Week 37: With a Touch of the Tapestry

Have a wonderful week!

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I played my first Dungeons & Dragons game this week. I’ve been wanting to do this forever and it was everything I thought it could be. So grateful for new friends!

  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
  • If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 29-Macro

“The skies and land are so enormous, and the detail so precise and exquisite that wherever you are you are isolated in a glowing world between the macro and the micro, where everything is sidewise under you and over you, and the clocks stopped long ago.”—Ansel Adams

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was macro photography. The idea is to showcase a subject larger than it is in real life—an extreme close-up. These are my favorite types of photos and I was excited to spend some time looking for things to zoom in on.

I spent the morning at Folsom Lake with the dragonflies and then finished up with a few shots in my backyard. I alternated between my macro lens and my 14-150mm lens. Let me know which shot you like best and have a fantastic week!

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Bonus lake photo:

  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
  • If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 9-Patterns

“Humans are pattern-seeking story-telling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns, whether they exist or not.” ―Michael Shermer

This week my assignment for the 52-week photo challenge was to capture something with patterns. I returned to the beautiful High-Hand Nursery in Loomis and had a wonderful time with my daughter looking for ways to explore the prompt. For the first time in weeks, I’m happy with how my images turned out.

I needed this win because I’ve been stuck in my writing. My old friend Imposter Syndrome has taken up residence near my laptop and he’s telling me all kinds of nonsense. The market is too saturated. You aren’t good enough. Dreams are for young people with natural talent. You are working this hard for nothing. He’s gotten into my head again, but I pushed through yesterday and almost completed the short story I’ve been stuck on. It’s not my best work, but I’ve spent far too long on it and I’m going to publish it in the next few days and move forward.

I’ve got a new poetry idea I’m really excited about, a series of poems actually, and I’ll be sharing more about this project later in the week. Thank you to everyone who supports me and my work here. I was very close to quitting last week, but your comments have kept me going. I’ll push through, I’ve got a lot more work to do.

Let me know which shot you think best uses the concept of patterns and which is your favorite. Have a wonderful week!

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  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
  • If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space

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Poetry: Frosty

Crystalized tears form soft
uneven lines around youthful
forgiving skin. Bright veins 
turn brittle, trapped beneath 
unspoken truths—too many

days passed under harsh
sunlight. Hollow flowery voices
drowned out by chickadee
songs erupt into icy
frozen maps leading lost

souls nowhere. Glowing warmth
melts away glassy biting
shards—pieces of us
grown frigid. Numbed by
quiet moonless nights, we’ve

wilted.