Texture Tuesday : French Country Breakfast Still Life

This is one that seems to have lost a lot in the process of re-sizing for the Web.  The original looks so much richer, textured and much more interesting.

In France on this last trip, we stayed in a small country hotel for a few days.   We were there for a family wedding, and this part of France was not known for tourism.  Just real everyday people/everyday scenes in France.   The woman who ran/owned the hotel was also the town mayor, and the person who did civil marriage ceremonies.  She did not do the Church wedding ceremony, however.  It was a small town, and she had a lot of jobs there.  

This is the scene that greeted us one morning at breakfast.  Some scenes just present themselves ...  Glad I had my camera along!

For what it's worth, here's the recipe :
Layer 1) Background image
Layer 2) "15" Texture by ??? ; Multiply Blend Mode at 35% opacity
Layer 3) Golden Contralto Texture ; Soft Light 85%
Layer 4) 2LO 1(4) Texture ; Soft Light 24%
Layer 5) My own Sweet Leaf Texture France 9891 ; Soft Light 65%
Layer 6) Kim Klassen Chalk Magic Texture ; Screen 20%
Layer 7) Hue Saturation adjustment (to tone down the too bright green of the leaves)

Sharing with  The Texture Artists FaceBook Group and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

Texture Tuesday - Stitch in Time in LaCanourgue, France

Here's another one of the historic street signs in La Canourgue, France.   This one is for a seamstress/tailor shop with a wooden spool and metal needle and thread.  I considered removing the wire above the spool, but it lined up parallel to the needle, and I decided to leave it for the sake of repetition and pattern.

Image Processing Recipe :
Layer 1 ) Background, cropped.
Layer 2) 2 Little Owls Artisan Texture 3(5) ; Multiply Blend Mode at 96% opacity
Layer 3) Copy Layer 2 ; Soft Light  96%
Layer 4) 2LO 3; Soft Light 51%
Layer 5) Kim Klassen's Sonnet 2 Overlay Texture ; Overlay 63%
Layer 6) Text - Aquiline 2 Font

Here's the original photo pretty much SOOC:

It just amazes me how textures can turn a blah picture into something much more interesting and artsy.  Thank you, Texture-makers of the world!

Sharing with  The Texture Artists FaceBook Group and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

Texture Tuesday - LaCanourge Hair Dresser

When we visit France, we sometimes get to visit with old family friends at their "country house" in La Canourgue.  The town is old European old - Medieval Old - Old World Old.  Lots of history there, and they've kept it up, by restoring many of the old buildings.  I LOVE some of the old shop signs in town, like this one.  I added a few textures to enhance it.

Image Processing
Layer 1) Background Image
Layer 2) Kim Klassen's Lola Texture - Soft Light Blend Mode at 64%
Layer 3) 2 Lil Owls Junkyard 2 28 Texture - Multiply 62%
Layer 4) Levels Adjustment to brighten and increase contrast - Normal 66%
Layer 5) Vignette - Soft Light 70%

Sharing with  The Texture Artists FaceBook Group and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

A Few More Waterlogued Travel Pics

 Breakfast in France.

Nothing like a buttery, crispy croissant!

We weren't actually at THE Notre Dame in Paris.  There is another Notre Dame Cathedral (Hec--There's a bunch of them all over France) in a tiny village called Orcival, where there's a tiny little Hotel Notre Dame with really good food.  ;-)
Used the Travelogue Preset in Waterlogue.

Yup!  Still playing with the Waterlogue App for iPad.

This photo was taken in Fairbanks, Alaska.  I didn't quite know what to do with the image -
an old enamel saucer and cup on the shelf of a dimly lit cabin.  

But the Waterlogue treatment was very good to it.
Used the Natural Preset in Waterlogue.

 Spectacular Wildflowers in Banff, Canada.
Actually, these were outside our lodge, so probably not wildflowers, but they were spectacular!
Used the Travelogue Preset in Waterlogue.

Happy Travels!

Gold Door and Scooter in Toulouse

Gold Door & Scooter in Toulouse, France - May 2014

 I was channeling my inner Kat Sloma when I took this shot.  Kat is known for capturing scooters on virtual film, especially in Europe--and they are everywhere in Europe!   (Really, Kat, this one's for you!)   As soon as I saw it walking the city streets of Toulouse,  this scene made itself!  The tall gold doors coupled with the horizontal stripes on the other garage-type door, along with the idea of movement and mobility in the scooter.   I took the shot,  added a few textures and voi la!

Image Processing in PhotoShop Elements :

1) Background image

2) Nancy Clayes Texture nc_0607 - Multiply Blend Mode at 34% opacity

3) Kim Klassen's Sissy Texture - Soft Light at 34%

4)  Kim Klassen's Rest Magic - Luminosity at 13%

5)  Shadowhouse Creations M08-2012-3 Overlay Texture - Screen at 56%

6) Added a solid color frame in black (a la Kim Klassen) - Soft Light Blend Mode at 76% opacity

Of course, I couldn't stop there ...   I had to play some more.
Here are 2 versions from the Waterlogue App on my iPad (BEFORE all the PSE work) :

Bold Color Waterlogue Preset

 Rainy Waterlogue Preset

Here's the original street scene taken in Toulouse, France last May.

Sharing with  The Texture Artists FaceBook Group and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.