Hey people....free stuff!

Do you love free stuff to enhance your photography?

Sign up for my email updates using the form to the <----left and I will send you a free texture!

Here's the texture.

How do you use textures??

In photoshop, open your image as well as the texture that I send to you once you've entered your email address. 
Then drag the texture onto your photo. You will now only see the texture on top of your photo.  You may need to resize the texture by choosing edit and free transform.  Grab the handles and resize to the same size as your photo.  In the layers there will be a small box that says normal.  Click the drop down menu and you will see options like multiply, soft light, hard light, screen, overlay..etc.  Select these different options and see what it does to your photo.  You can change the opacity of your texture layer, use the eraser button to take the texture out of some areas, add another layer of texture, burn the edges.... There are lots of ways to play with your texture.

Enjoy!....and subscribe!!

New Weekly Challenge - Weather

I don't know about you, but we've been having some crazy weather lately.  And I don't mean thunderstorms, I mean constant rain! It has rained almost 4 inches in the last month and that is very rare.  Normally at this time we are doing the rain dance hoping that the skies will open up. 

Seeding is becoming a challenge, normally we would be all done for the year, but the rains have put us behind.  And yesterday after two days without rain, the guys tried to get back into the field and ended up being stuck numerous times.
But, the forecast for the weekend is more freaking rain, but nice temperatures are in the horizon.

So I challenge you this week to show me your "weather". Whatever it may be or you can also post past images of crazy weather you have experienced. Click here for the flickr group.

Here are my favorites from last weeks challenge titled "Macros of Spring".  Some great shots people!!

I also would like to remind you to vote on the macro challenge at http://www.flickr.com/groups/theweeklyphotochallenge/discuss/72157624134400924/

Here's my favs, please click on the picture to visit the photographers image and give them a great comment!

Slowly Turning 1 by DEGCT

by the South Dakota Cowgirl

Wild Blue Flax by Prairie Sage(brush)

It's Planting Time baby!!

Yeah. I have finally started to plant my garden. BUT FIRST. Look there's grass! We've ripped up our whole lawn and levelled out the dirt and planted new grass seed.  I planted it almost three weeks ago, but if you look back at a previous post, the white fluffly nasty stuff that isn't supposed to fall in May, did.  So now because of the bi-polar weather that Saskatchewan experiences we now have short sleeve weather and the grass and decided to grow!  Its pretty patchy in places, but it's a start.

Back to the garden.

corn seed

I went into town yesterday and purchased my garden seed. Brought it home and filled with pure joy that today is the day this garden will finally go in!  I brought my shopping bag of seeds out to the garden with an ice cold can of Nestea Iced Tea.  My son grabbed the can and took a swig while I was rototilling and placed the can upside down into the bag.  A half an hour later I went to plant my magnificent garden and all of my little seed packets were drenched to the point they had broken and all of the seeds were mixed together on the bottom of the bag.

Oh Joy, so back to town that evening, this time for soccer, I went and picked up more seed.  The little old teller lady must think I have one hell of a garden.

So the garden is seeded (minus the carrots, which I forgot to re-buy) and I am one happy farm girl!

I also noticed one tiny strawberry plant peeking through the ground. Then I remember how many more I should, then realizing that I had rototilled the whole damn area and completely forgot my strawberry plants!!

The Weekly Photo Challenge - Rural Decay Here are my Favs!!

Wow, just wow. The photographs posted in the pool this week were truly beautiful.  I love the photography subject of rural decay. I guess living in the prairies, I see these kinds of things everyday, but the beauty that these photographers bring to these subjects are outstanding!! Great work people!
Of course, I could not pick just one.  Here are three that stood out to me, although they were all great photography done by some amazing photographers.  Please check out the flickr group page and view each and every submission by clicking here. Also make sure to click on each picture to visit their flickr photostream.


by vetbonkie


by razer1953


by BobMerco


by Vanvorst

Ok, so I guess I posted four!! Great job! The next photo contest starts Monday, May 10th at the subject will be: STRIKING SUNSETS

Start Snapping!

Oh Dear Mother Nature!!

Well, still no planting yet. We have had a crazy amount of moisture. This welcome, yet un welcome moisture came in the form of SNOW!

Dear Mother Nature,

You that we are farmers and are living relies highly on what you decide to do with the weather. The two inches of rain was wonderful, but the snow is unneccesary.

So if you wouldn't mind, we would like some sunshine over the next month so our airseeders can get into the field and sow peas, canola, lentils and wheat.

My Yard!

Once, seeding is complete, feel free to let 'er buck and give us another inch of rain (not snow).

And besides the farming part of it. It would like to get my potatoes in!

From, Me

Hopefully I will be spending my mothers day with my daughters planting our potatoes!

Flypaper Textures

I am getting pretty active in flickr. Not so much posting images, but looking at techniques that others are doing to their photography.
I came across this new technique called Flypaper Texture.  There is a flickr group dedicated to a designer that creates these textures.
I also wanted to link to this post on the Flypaper Texture website where you can purchase the sets.  Have a look at the photo of the yellow apples. If you move your mouse over and off the photo you can toggle between before and after. I'm not one for photographing still life, but this I love what this technique has done to this image.
Click through the group pool on the flickr group to see many examples on how this texture can enhance your photography.

More Photography

I thought I would post some pictures that I dug out of some old disks that were collecting dust high up in my daughters bedroom closet. Thank goodness I keep copies of all of my files, or with my awful luck with laptops they would surely be lost when my hardrives seem to have twitches once a year.
I guess since spring has finally emerged here in the prairies I have started to pull my camera out of my own dusty bedroom closet. My husband is now going on nightly road trips out to the pasture to check the cows that we took there last week. So hubby and kids and camera in tow I stop and snap pictures of all things that show why it is so beautiful in the prairies.
I snapped a few pictures last night and decide on processing them today.
But until then I've uploaded the ones I dragged out of the closet. I'm starting to experiment with textures and I'm loving the feel they give to the photograph. Just enhancing the beauty of rural decay.


Remember to post your photos and participate in my flickr groups.Unseen Saskatchewan & The Weekly Photo Challenge.
The new theme for the photo challenge starts Monday and it is: SUREAL SKIES

A beautiful red grain bin covered in texture.

Abandoned Barn with a winter sky.