AOL Community Photo Challenge-September

AOL Community Photo Challenge-September

To me September is the start of Autumn, Here in NY,
we harvest pumpkins, gourds, apples....we also start to see some leaves
change color. We really don't see to much color change, so I am joining
in & submitting this for 2 challenges, Ours, which is "September" and the
other challenge is for "Autumn", Carly's Monday Photo Shoot.
We plan on doing our own Autumn Challenge towards the end of
October. By then we should have so great color through out NY.

"Autumn begins with a subtle change in the light, with skies a deeper blue, and nights that become suddenly clear and
chilled. The season comes full with the first frost, the disappearance of migrant birds, and the harvesting of the season's last crops."
Glenn Wolff and Jerry Dennis

"The definition of a Harvest Moon is: the full moon closest to the fall equinox. The Harvest Moon was thus named because it rises within a half-hour of when the sun sets. In early days, when farmers had no tractors, it was essential that they work by the light of the moon to bring in the harvest. This moon is the fullest moon of the year. When you gaze at it, it looks very large and gives a lot of light throughout the entire night. No other lunar spectacle is as awesome as the Harvest Moon."
Harvest Moon Lore-

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.
--Stanley Horowitz

Montauk Lighthouse

This Lighthouse was taken in 2007 at Montauk Point, Long Island in October.

Round Robin Challenge: It's Not Easy Being Green

Round Robin Challenge: It's Not Easy Being Green

What inspires me is the great outdoors, so here are a few of my GREEN images. I posted on both AOL Journal & here. My collage on AOL of green are of the same images here....no need to visit both. So here are my pics for green!
Check out all challengers....@ http://roundrobinphoto.blogspot.com/

Ducks of GREEN pond in Irvington, NY

Green Pond

Bridge at Old Westbury Gardens

AOL Community Photo Challenge-September

AOL Community Photo Challenge for this week is........September!
Remember to follow guidelines & leave permalink on Our Community Photo Challenge Journal.
All entries need to be in by Thursday Sept 25th @ 9PM EST to be included for the selection that will be posted on Friday the 26th for the community voting.

If you haven't joined in yet....now is the time!!! Ü

Second Generation Collage

2007

The Barn Door

Round Robin- Wooden

Wooden door at the Old Bethpage Village on LI, take in 2007
My original entry is on my AOL blog for RR Challenge.

A Glimpse of Italy

Paestum, Italy 2008

One of three Greek Temples from a colony dating around 600BC in Paestum, it was known as Poseidonia but later named Paestum when it became a Roman colony in 273BC. It was later rediscovered around 1750. More photos of Italy can be found on my pbase gallery.

The Old Mill

I needed to post something here. I haven't been on much, concentrating most of my time on my AOL Community Photo Challenge. If anyone reads this, & wants to play along, stop by & check it out. Read the Guidelines & enter a photo. All are welcome.

I am planning a trip to Italy in 2 weeks....very nervous, but excited. I am hoping for beautiful weather, so I can photograph everything. I am praying to come back alive..Ü I don't fly very well, this is my first trip out of the country, yep....got my passport for the very first time. I guess it's time after 51 years....Ü

Come visit us @ AOL Community Photo Challenge & join in. We have bi-weekly challenges, but I may include an addition challenge between our main challenges. We're keeping it creative. I will post on Friday....Ü

So stop by & say hi~

Converting a Color Image into B & W

RR Challenge: Black and White Landscape

Photo was taken on Long Island at the Horton Lighthouse, overlooking the Long Island Sound. The North Shore of Long Island in New York.

Hello Robins

Time for a new challenge to enjoy. :) Marie(THATS ME!), author of the blog, "Photographs and Memories Too"(THATS HERE & THERE) submitted the challenge topic, "Black and White Landscape" during our recent challenge topic round-up, and I thought it sounded like a nifty idea. With the weather changing to rain and snow throughout the country, what better way to see the beauty in those cold days, then to get out with the camera and let the creative juices flow? You might even see a beautiful, picturesque scene out a window, and capture it, so don't feel like you have to go out into the rain and snow if you don't want to. :) Perhaps you took a lovely landscape photo last summer, that works as well, although a brand new photo taken by you is always enjoyable to see.

I posted a group layout on my AOL Journal.

When I convert a color image into a black & white, I use that Channel Mixer in Photoshop.
I go to Image/Adjustments/Channel Mixer. I then Click on Monochrome & adjust the sliders.
This is the best way to convert. I like making sure there is enough contrast so it doesn't look flat.

A Christmas Poem


Twas the month before Christmas When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying Nor taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a "Holiday".

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzer
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded.
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!
~Unknown

Autumn in Infrared

Nov. 2007

Another shot from Rockefeller State Park Preservation.

Autumn in NY

Autumn in B & W

I've search for autumn color for weeks so I can just make it into B & W.
I try to get an infrared look & it works best with yellow trees & dark blue skies.
In this case the sky was cloudy so it really didn't come out exactly the way I wanted it to.

Happy Thanksgiving

This was created for a special person.(Only he knows) I was not going to post it but decided to. It represents some of the little gifts that God has giving me.

I also want to thank all the special people I have met through AOL, with all it's problems, if it wasn't for the AOL Journals I would have never been so connected with so many wonderful people.

Wishing everyone a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!
~Marie

Autumn 2007

Tarrytown, NY

RR Challenge: "Offer Three and Shoot One"

Round Robin Challenge

Click on image to see it larger on my AOL BLOG.

Montauk Point Lighthouse
Nov.11, 2007

RR Challenge: "Offer Three and Shoot One"

Greetings Robins! Time for your next photo challenge. Put on your creative caps as it's an open challenge. Post three future challenge topics with your entry and then pick one of your topics to photograph for your challenge entry. "Offer three and shoot one," your choice!

1. Anything in 3's, must be the same theme & presented in 3 images.

2. Photograph of your hometown, home state, country. Something beautiful that you love about where you live.

3. B & W landscape, you can use different techniques, use Photoshop filters....anything you want but has to be in B & W

My e-MALE Blog Favorites

On AOL, we've had some entries for blogplugs, so here are mine. This time guys only. These are my favorite male blogs that I enjoy reading. It's too bad we don't have the best alerts system on here because Blogspot has come a long way since many of us switched over from AOL. I admit I still use AOL Blogs, but Blogspot really has some cool features. Soooooo, You will see more posts, here, for now on.

Here are the blogs that I picked(in no particular order):

Paul, aka Waterboy & he can be found @ http://singlemanwriting.blogspot.com/

Paul drives me crazy, b/c you can't leave a comment on this blog, I hate when a guy has the last word! Ü He is talented in both writing & photography.

Jimmy, aka Stupidsheetguy @http://stupidsheet.blogspot.com/

Well, we all know Jimmy, what can I say, he knows EVERYTHING!!!....far from stupid~ (but then, he is a guy) Ü
I just want to add this, just in case you don't know Jimmy, he has a heart of gold, he is a people pleaser & always ready to lend a hand.

Marc, Grains of Sand @http://journals.aol.com/grofsand/GrainsOfSand/
He's our AOL's nostalgic, romantic dreamer. He's a very sweet guy who can make you melt with just a few words. Every comment he leaves is more like poetry.....He just has a beautiful way with words~

Greg, Photo Trek @http://journals.aol.com/radar446/PhotoTrek/
Amazing photos & very knowledgeable in photography, gives advice & photo tips.
He is an expert on capturing beautiful waterfalls!

Horton's Lighthouse

Horton's Lighthouse Sept. 2007
North Fork
Long Island, NY
Click here for My Photo Gallery
or on the title or image

Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Old Bethpage October 21, 2007
Long Island, NY

Click on the title of the top 3 photos & it will bring you to pbase galleries of each place I have posted.

Sunnyside

Sunnyside October 2007

These last few posts are my visits to local Landmarks, parks & Villages. I have posted more photos of my visits on my pbase site.

Lyndhurst Rose Garden

Lyndhurst Oct. 28, 2007
Tarrytown, NY

My Round Robin Photo Challenge is on Reflection

Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.

~George Bernard Shaw


The only service a friend can really render
is to keep up your courage by holding up
to you a mirror in which you can see
a noble image of yourself.
~George Bernard Shaw

"When the power of love
becomes stronger than
the love of power,
we will have peace."

Jimi Hendrix

Both my Journals are celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Round Robin, so stop by Photograph & Memories on AOL to view my entry on Nature.
Happy Anniversary, Robins!

As you may have guessed from the subject line, the Round Robin Photo Challenges are two years old this month! Yes, on the weekend of April 2nd, 2005, Carly and Karen challenged each other to photograph "A Special Part of Your Hometown." There were three of us for the next Challenge, "Tacky Hometown Souvenirs," and the whole thing just took off from there.

So, in honor of our two year anniversary, we're interrupting our usual rotation of topic suggestions for a special "Best of the Round Robin Photo Challenges"

Early Spring 2005

The day the Lord created hope
was probably the same day he created Spring.
~Bern Williams


The seasons are what a symphony ought to be:
four perfect movements in harmony with each other.
~Arthur Rubenstein

Southampton, LI

Shinnecock Bay, October 2006

The Butterfly

"Let us not look back in anger,
nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness."
- Leland Val Vandewall

Visit my AOL Journal for more postings @ AOL Photographs & MemoriesToo!
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariebm56/PhotographsMemoriestoo/

Shinnecock Bay 2006

Working with images in Photoshop using layers & blending modes.

Autumn Tree

2005

Muscoot Farm, Somers 2006

My AOL Photogarphs & Memories
has the same photo but I edited in Photoshop.
Check it out & let me know which one you like.

The Mill 2006

Colorgenics Test

Take this test by clicking on the above link.
this is mine below. This is me at the moment

At this time you are feeling 'uptight' and you are urgently in need of rest and relaxation; but perhaps even more than that you need to overcome that feeling that you have been 'hard done by' and treated with a complete lack of consideration. Maybe you have, but whatever may have been the cause of your inherent anxiety, you regard the situation as intolerable. Your are, however, sufficiently competent to turn that situation around - you have overcome similar problems in the past, and really this one isn't too different.

You are working extremely hard trying to improve your image. You need for those people in positions that matter to recognise your potential and to acknowledge you.

Your confidence has been shattered. There are so many things that you would like to do with your life, so many dreams to be fulfilled - and you know that your hopes and dreams are not just figments of your imagination, they are real and you are looking for reassurance from someone. Basically your fears are such that you may be prevented in attaining your hopes and dreams. Even now you would like to broaden your fields of endeavour but in order to develop your 'inner- self' you need peace and solace. You are distressed by the fear that you may be prevented from attaining your goals. What you really need at this particular moment in time is quiet reassurance from someone close to you to restore your confidence.

As of late, you have been experiencing untold stress and this is a result of continuous frustration. You haven't been taking care of all your physical needs and it's beginning to show. It would seem that you have a need to find someone to whom you can really relate - someone perhaps whose standards are as high as your own. You want to be different - to be individualistic - to stand out from the common herd. Your inherent control of your sensual instincts is restricting your ability to give yourself to open up freely but this being on your own, being lonely, often makes you feel the need to give up some of your strict standards to surrender to the general flow - to be like everyone else; a part of the herd. Deep down you regard such instincts as weaknesses to be overcome. You would like to be loved or admired for yourself alone. You demand recognition and tender loving care.

You have so many ideas that you would like to revitalise but you need to realize a stable and peaceful condition to do so. Once you can free yourself from all the aggravation and tension around you, you will make strides that may amaze you. You will not be prevented from achieving all the things you so desire.

A Buck At Fire Island

I really was this close to the deer, It was amazing how people friendly this deer & other deer were at Fire Island. I posted my lighthouses on my AOL journal. Click here to see them.

Croton Dam Falls

October 2006

Croton Dam Falls

October 2006

Waterfalls

My first attempt at waterfalls. 2006
To view my other shots on waterfalls
Click here

Wildflower

None can have a healthy love for flowers
unless he loves the wild ones.
- Forbes Watson

click on here for My Butterflies on my AOL

TEATOWN LAKE

click on image for a larger view

Photoshop painting of a photo I took on Oct 2, 2006. The original is on my AOL Journal.

John Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot: Color Opposites

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Color Opposites

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Post a picture that focuses on the contrast between two opposing colors. What colors are opposites? Green and red are opposites, as are blue and yellow, and orange and purple. So a picture that has something purple in front of something orange would work, or a picture that features blue and yellow in alternating stripes. The subject of the pictures could be anything you like -- but there have to be opposing colors in there.

For more color opposites click here -Photographs & Memories AOL

Autumn

I've decided to post an autumn photo here & a summer photo on my AOL. It felt like summer today, but the next few days will feel more like fall. For my summer entry click here AOL Photographs & Memories

This was taken in 2005 at Muscoot Farm in Somers, NY

Sunset On Golden Bay

Round Robin Challenge: Transportation

Round Robin Challenge: Transportation

I know I haven't participated in a while & I hope
I don't get yelled at either...; )
But...I want to play too...; )
At least for the moment.
I have been away the past couple of weeks
& I am on my daughter's computer, so It's not Me friendly.....; )

I edited this photo in Photoshop & posted it on my AOL blog.

Make your own Tombstone & post it on John Scalzi's Blog

John's Scalzi's Monday Photo Shoot: Life in Negative

My other entry-click here