Posts for: stavros
Mar 10, 2023 17:42:10 #
nervous2 wrote:
Nice. On some of these I would have liked to see a 'before' and 'after'.
Thanks. That's what my wife suggested I should do too - before and after
Mar 9, 2023 14:28:57 #
JeffDavidson wrote:
Very nice series! 
Thank you
Mar 8, 2023 16:56:58 #
Mar 8, 2023 16:56:34 #
ChaplainPlato wrote:
These are wonderful! I feel they would be beautiful as chapter graphics for some romantic adventure. Just great. Keep doing these -- thanks
Thanks!
Mar 8, 2023 16:56:16 #
NMGal wrote:
A beautiful place. Interesting treatment.
Thank You
Mar 8, 2023 12:09:58 #
Lucian wrote:
Why would you need to go through sooo many steps just to get this effect? Try just converting from a RAW to a Jpeg and then doing the Topaz things and I think you will get about the same results. I've used those pastel paniterly effects many times and it is a simple click and minor adjustment, rather than 6 plus different programmes.
Because it's fun for me. Thanks! How did you like the pictures or not?
Mar 7, 2023 17:01:34 #
Annette and I visit Bays Mountain Park, a 3,650-acre nature park and planetarium located on Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee, probably more often than any other park in our area. It’s about a 40-minute drive from home and we often pack a picnic lunch and take our twin grandkids along for the fun. Founded in 1971, it features a 44-acre lake and forty miles of hiking trails, a nature center with a planetarium theater, fire tower, and animal habitats.
Its nature center and outdoor native animal displays include a bobcat, raptor center, river otters, wolf pen and captive and free-roaming white-tail deer. Wolf howling sessions are held regularly where visitors can experience the sounds of the gray wolf. There is also a herpetarium with reptiles and amphibians.
The park also features an educational pontoon boat ride attraction that runs through the Bays Mountain Reservoir, called the Barge Ride.
Other activities include hiking, orienteering, mountain biking, camping, and fishing. There is also an adventure course with a zip line and the Steadman Heritage Farmstead Museum, a 19th-century period living history farm museum.
In 2017, the Pavilion at Lily Pad Cove was added for events rentals and special events and in 2019, 75 extra parking spots were added to alleviate peak season parking issues.
These photos with pastel effects were taken in September. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
Its nature center and outdoor native animal displays include a bobcat, raptor center, river otters, wolf pen and captive and free-roaming white-tail deer. Wolf howling sessions are held regularly where visitors can experience the sounds of the gray wolf. There is also a herpetarium with reptiles and amphibians.
The park also features an educational pontoon boat ride attraction that runs through the Bays Mountain Reservoir, called the Barge Ride.
Other activities include hiking, orienteering, mountain biking, camping, and fishing. There is also an adventure course with a zip line and the Steadman Heritage Farmstead Museum, a 19th-century period living history farm museum.
In 2017, the Pavilion at Lily Pad Cove was added for events rentals and special events and in 2019, 75 extra parking spots were added to alleviate peak season parking issues.
These photos with pastel effects were taken in September. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
Jan 2, 2023 16:06:05 #
My grandson, Eli chilling in my magic studio on New Years eve
Dec 27, 2022 16:04:19 #
Grayson Highlands State Park is located in Grayson County, Virginia a little over an hours drive from our house. It is adjacent to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and lies within the Jefferson National Forest. The park was established in 1965 and contains a total of 4,502 acres. The park hosts a number of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, and backpacking. A 2.8 mile portion of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park in addition to a number of other hiking and horseback riding trails
The park hosts forests like those on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of mountain meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent views of the surrounding area and present a striking change in scenery from the surrounding forests. The balds are dominated by large rocky outcroppings clear of vegetation excepting the occasional windswept tree and low grasses.
The balds are also inhabited by a herd of introduced ponies allowed to run wild within the confines of the park. The ponies are very accustomed to humans and rarely halt their grazing as hikers pass close by. Many locals touch and feed the ponies, though this practice is frowned upon and against park policy. Each year, park officials round up the herd and check for health problems in addition to reducing the herd size if necessary; the excess colts are sold at auction.
When Annette and I visit we usually have a picnic lunch near the visitors center and then hike to Wilburn Ridge which starts from the Massie Gap parking lot. You can take a few trails to get up to Wilburn Ridge however we usually take the recommended path per the park brochure which is the aptly named Rhododendron trail as it seems to pack the most punch when it comes to beautiful vistas and a trail lined with blooming Mountain Laurel and Flaming Rhododendrons.
The hike is a moderate one and only about 1 mile until you get to the grassy bald that is Wilburn Ridge. Once on Wilburn Ridge, we might run into a herd right away, or we may have to do a little more hiking.
These photos with pastel effect were taken in September. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
The park hosts forests like those on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of mountain meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent views of the surrounding area and present a striking change in scenery from the surrounding forests. The balds are dominated by large rocky outcroppings clear of vegetation excepting the occasional windswept tree and low grasses.
The balds are also inhabited by a herd of introduced ponies allowed to run wild within the confines of the park. The ponies are very accustomed to humans and rarely halt their grazing as hikers pass close by. Many locals touch and feed the ponies, though this practice is frowned upon and against park policy. Each year, park officials round up the herd and check for health problems in addition to reducing the herd size if necessary; the excess colts are sold at auction.
When Annette and I visit we usually have a picnic lunch near the visitors center and then hike to Wilburn Ridge which starts from the Massie Gap parking lot. You can take a few trails to get up to Wilburn Ridge however we usually take the recommended path per the park brochure which is the aptly named Rhododendron trail as it seems to pack the most punch when it comes to beautiful vistas and a trail lined with blooming Mountain Laurel and Flaming Rhododendrons.
The hike is a moderate one and only about 1 mile until you get to the grassy bald that is Wilburn Ridge. Once on Wilburn Ridge, we might run into a herd right away, or we may have to do a little more hiking.
These photos with pastel effect were taken in September. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
Dec 6, 2022 17:51:01 #
Annette and I think Gibbs Gardens is one of the prettiest places we have ever visited. And trust me, we have visited a lot of pretty places. We love this venue so much that we became season pass holders even though it’s about a five hour drive from where we live. The gardens are located in Ball Ground, Georgia about an hour north of Atlanta. When we visit, we make it a long weekend and include a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We usually stay overnight in the Alpharetta area.
Gibbs Gardens consists of 376+ acres of artistically landscaped gardens surrounded by majestic forest, spring-fed ponds, streams, waterfalls and bridge crossings. Sixteen garden venues include four feature gardens including the Daffodil Gardens, 50 acres of daffodils with more than 20 million blooms, blooming from March to early April; the Manor House Gardens, designed to offer color in spring, summer and fall, with lush terraces, waterfalls, sweeping lawns and woodland; the Monet Waterlily Gardens, featuring 140 varieties of waterlilies blooming from late spring through fall; the Japanese Gardens spanning more than 40 acres with spring-fed ponds, islands, bridges, boulders, rocks and 40 handcrafted Japanese lanterns. A large collection of Japanese maples provide brilliant colors in autumn.
These photos with pastel effect were taken in October when we stopped to visit on our way back from our annual Florida family vacation. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
Gibbs Gardens consists of 376+ acres of artistically landscaped gardens surrounded by majestic forest, spring-fed ponds, streams, waterfalls and bridge crossings. Sixteen garden venues include four feature gardens including the Daffodil Gardens, 50 acres of daffodils with more than 20 million blooms, blooming from March to early April; the Manor House Gardens, designed to offer color in spring, summer and fall, with lush terraces, waterfalls, sweeping lawns and woodland; the Monet Waterlily Gardens, featuring 140 varieties of waterlilies blooming from late spring through fall; the Japanese Gardens spanning more than 40 acres with spring-fed ponds, islands, bridges, boulders, rocks and 40 handcrafted Japanese lanterns. A large collection of Japanese maples provide brilliant colors in autumn.
These photos with pastel effect were taken in October when we stopped to visit on our way back from our annual Florida family vacation. I shot in RAW with my Nikon D750 camera and used Corel AfterShot Pro to convert the files. Then I used Topaz Denoise, Corel PaintShop Pro, Luminar AI, and Exposure 6 to further adjust and enhance the files in post processing. Finally, I used two Topaz legacy plugins, Simplify and Detail to add the pastel effect and soften the final results. I hope you enjoy!
Sep 21, 2022 08:20:25 #
Sep 19, 2022 17:17:14 #
One of the most popular attractions at Bullington Gardens in Hendersonville, North Carolina recently made its re-appearance. At the end of August, the approximately 600 dahlia plants in the Dahlia Garden were on display. This is the 6th year of the Dahlia Garden and Annette and I were excited to see and photograph the exciting splash of color across the garden.
Current day dahlias bear little resemblance to their native cousins in Mexico and Central America. There they grow as tall shrubby plants with single petals. It is the national flower of Mexico. It was Europeans who started hybridizing them to create many forms, colors, and sizes in the flowers we see today. Forms of dahlias range from the traditional single flower, to various sizes of balls to the large decorative flowers.
The American Dahlia Society recognizes18 forms which are based on the shape and arrangement of the petals. The colors of dahlia flowers are vibrant and wide-ranging and can be displayed as single colors or combinations of several. Every year new hybrids are created and added to the huge list that already exists.
These were some of our favorites!
Current day dahlias bear little resemblance to their native cousins in Mexico and Central America. There they grow as tall shrubby plants with single petals. It is the national flower of Mexico. It was Europeans who started hybridizing them to create many forms, colors, and sizes in the flowers we see today. Forms of dahlias range from the traditional single flower, to various sizes of balls to the large decorative flowers.
The American Dahlia Society recognizes18 forms which are based on the shape and arrangement of the petals. The colors of dahlia flowers are vibrant and wide-ranging and can be displayed as single colors or combinations of several. Every year new hybrids are created and added to the huge list that already exists.
These were some of our favorites!
Aug 25, 2022 18:53:00 #
Aug 25, 2022 08:24:15 #
I sent a PM to the admin asking to consider removing the section from UHH altogether and make this forum a more pure photography discussion site. It's gotten to the point that often there are more posts in the Attic then the main photography or general chit chat sections. The posts in the Attic are mean and vulgar. I realize that I don't have to subscribe to the section, but I think UHH would be better off altogether without it. I never received a response from admin on my suggestion.
Aug 24, 2022 15:25:03 #