Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Light the Way

Outdoor_Wednesday_logo I've been playing around with PhotoShop Elements, using pictures I've taken over the years of various lighthouses. Thought it might be something to show for Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

I've always been fascinated by lighthouses, and starting with a trip to Maine a few years ago, I began photographing the ones we came across in our travels. Monday I started playing around with PhotoShop Elements, and trying out different filters. Each of these pictures has had the ink outlines filter applied.

scan0002 Here is the original of the first photo, which was taken at Pemaquid Point, not too far from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. This was one of the last rolls of film I took with my old Canon AE-1.

We took a sailing trip from Boothbay Harbor to took at lighthouses that you can't get to from land. Unfortunately, just as we set sail the winder on my camera broke, so I don't have any pictures from those island lighthouses. Shortly after that trip, I got my first digital camera.

Below is the artistic version, using the ink outline filter.

scan0002Pemaquid Point, Maine

This photograph of the lighthouse at Bass Harbor Head, on Mt. Desert Island near Bar Harbor, was made on an earlier trip to Maine. I actually made three trips to Maine that year, while LBeau was working on a paper mill project in central Maine. What a beautiful part of the country.

scan0001Bass Harbor Head

These next two photos were made in April of 2008. I went to Los Angeles with LBeau for a concrete convention, and afterward we spent a few days traveling as far north as Monterey on the Pacific Coast Highway. The first is the Piedras Blancas Light Station just north of San Simeon. It is no longer operated, and you will notice that the lens has been removed.

California 251 Piedras Blancas Light Station

We were able to get a close up view of Point Pinos Lighthouse at Pacific Grove, California.

California 304Point Pinos Lighthouse

This past spring and early summer, we've been up and down the Atlantic coast from Annapolis to Savannah. These trips gave me an opportunity to add to my lighthouse photos. On the way to our son's graduation from St. John's, we took a side trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where I photographed the Bodie Island Light Station.

outer banks 025Bodie Island Light Station

We also spent a couple of days with my cousin in Accomac, Virginia, and drove out to Assateague Island. The red and white lighthouse is in the process of being spiffed up, and will get a new coat of paint.

eastern shore 072 Assateague Lighthouse

Finally, before returning home from a trip to Savannah in June, we drove out to Tybee Island and made a special point of getting a close up look at the Tybee Island Light Station.

fort pulaski 004Tybee Island Light Station

From the East Coast to the West Coast, I hope you've enjoyed this mini-lighthouse tour.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Interesting! I didn't remember that you liked lighthouses. The effects are fascinating. I went over some of my old photos with my modern tools and made them 100% better.

JLS Hall (Joysweb) said...

Gorgeous photos! I love playing around with special effects, but I never get such great results. Your lighthouses are beautiful.

Sarah Frost said...

Don't you just love that part of the country? Jack and I have been to Boothbay Harbor twice and I could easily spend summers there! Love the lighthouse pics!

Hootin Anni said...

Texas has two that I know of...one on each boundary [north and south] along the Gulf [one near us, but it's on private land]

Excellent O W!!!!

MY Outdoor Wednesday is now posted if you'd like to stop by for a visit. WEATHER or not, here it comes! Finally!!

Love Bears All Things said...

These are so neat. What a collection you have. They would be interesting in a series of framed art.
Mama Bear

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Beautiful! Love lighthouses -- thanks for your offer and I'm going to take you up on it! I'm going to look around to see exactly what I like on everybody's blogs and make a list -- so we can see how we (you) can jazz mine up! I'm so excited!

Mary Bergfeld said...

I love the theme and the photos you chose to share with us today. Your images are terrific. I hope you are enjoying these last few days of summer.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Great job. I love the pictures.

Candy said...

I did enjoy the little tour and didn't have to climb all those stairs. But I'm sure the views are spectacular.
Driving test was really just a short written test...now comes the driving practice.
Happy rest of the day!

Becky K. said...

Great idea for an Outdoor Wednesday.

Your photo of the Tybee Island Lighthouse took me right back to our favorite vacation ever. We went in February. Funny thing, though, the day we chose to visit the lighthouse it was closed. It was ok, though. It was still beautiful.

Becky K.
Hospitality Lane

nanny said...

Love what you did with the pictures,,,,,very good!!

Karen at Nittany Inspirations said...

I like lighthouses, too. I think there is something romantic about them.

Blondie's Journal said...

When I think of lighthouses, I think of Maine. Your photos are beautiful with and without the effects. I have heard photoshop is very cool. I'm just still trying to work my casmera right!!

Happy OW!! :-)

xoxo
Jane

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Some of those "photoshopped" light houses would look great in a frame. I enjoyed seeing all of them. laurie