An Americana Charmer

(click to enlarge)

I was looking for a different photo entirely when I came across these barn photos. I took them four years ago with a little point and sho0t camera when I didn't know much about taking photos. The bright afternoon sun didn't help. Let's just say the images are very grainy. Better yet, let's say they were very vintage looking. Yeah, let's go with that!

It's a wonder I didn't delete them but I'm glad I didn't. In this case the photo stands to document a piece of Americana History. Regular readers will know that the more familiar barn ad dealt with the Mail Pouch Tobacco Company that paid farmers for letting them paint ads on their barns. I tried to research what I could on the Melo-Crown company but pretty much came up empty handed in the forty-five or so minutes I surfed the net to find some information.

Assuming Blogger is being cooperative you should be able to enlarge the photo. Looking just past the barn behind this one you can see it appears the silo was being repaired or taken down. The gray outline of a building is the farmhouse. The barn is near Barlow, Ohio.

This was an equally grainy image so I added some texture to this one as well and gave it an Andy Warhol pop art effect. Not art gallery worthy but I like how it came out.
Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm and Ruby Tuesday 2.

Friday's Fences: St.Patrick's Day Edition

Look who I found reading in the sunshine!

Linking to Friday's Fences.

Friday's Fences: Meet #9

(click to see the bigger image)
Taken at a neighbor's nearby farm.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Linking to Friday's Fences and Camera Critters.

Putting Up Hay

Pat over at A View From The Edge started a new meme a few months ago for Things In A Row. I had told her I would join in and it has always slipped my mind to look for 'subjects.' On a recent drive Hubby and I came upon a recently mowed field of hay. From our viewpoint of the slanting land we could only see the middle third of the rows. Honestly the words 'crop circles' came into mind because you just couldn't see the whole thing and it looked rather strange not to see the whole row.

You can still see the rows in this shot even though they are the background blur. I really wanted to capture the tall grass left at the edges untouched by the farmer's blade.

The grass wasn't as defined as I wanted so I played around with adding a couple of different textures and blending modes and lighting to achieve the final result. Then I framed it and added a quote.

Posted for Things In A Row and Texture Thursday.

Viburnum: From Bud To Bloom

Viburnum Buds

(enlarge for best viewing)

(Does anybody else see a strange looking green butterfly?) ;)

Viburnum Blooms

The buds began to blossom and popped out almost all at once. We had lots of wind and rain for a few days so it was hard to photograph them and they are beginning to turn brown on some edges and will soon be gone. I wasn't pleased with the photos I had taken so I've added a texture to this one to give it a much softer 'artsy' look.

Posted for Macro Monday and Ruby Tuesday.

Today's Flowers: More Daffodils

My last post was daffodils but I love these first blooms of spring so I'm still playing with my camera and my photo software. The above photo was taken late in the evening with just the soft light of my dining room chandlier. I really like the blue jar in contrast with the yellow bloom.

"On The Fringes"

A little macro work.

Although I strive to get my photos right in the camera as I'm taking them I have also really been enjoying working with adding textures to my photos. I like how the texture in this gave it a more old fashioned look.

I'm posting for Today's Flowers.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

TEXTURE
(before)

(after)

I added a Kim Klassen texture called peeling paint to the image of the petunia and even though the texture seems a little heavy I like it. It reminds me of old fashioned vintage wallpaper.

FOG

Don't you love the quiet and introspective of a foggy day?

BUTTON

This is a heartshaped pin given to me by my best friend Doris a few years ago.
The back is heartshaped and layered with buttons.

BEVERGE OR DRINK

A little snow, some milk, some sugar, a drop or two of vanilla -viola, snowshake - YUM!

THE SEVENTIES

Long before CD's and IPods came along there were eight track tapes. I bought this player with money from the first job I ever had. The three tapes you see of Carole King and The Carpenters got played more times during my college years than anything else I had. The player still works. To quote The Carpenters, "It's yesterday once more".......

For more Scavenger Hunt Sunday join Ashley here.