Finally Inspired

For those of you that follow Clicks' goings on, you must have noticed that I have not added new photos for quite some time.  Lately, I have been uninspired and haven't really ventured away from home; until yesterday.

Yesterday, we took a drive to lovely Beaufort, SC; about a 2 1/2 - 3 hour trip south and east.  On the river, there are quite a few antebellum houses and Spanish moss hangs all about the town.  Our first stop was at the marina, nestled on the banks of the Beaufort River.  Of the many photos I took, I chose these to share.

The first is your basic marina shot, but what I found most intriguing about it is the difference in the boats.  Some are boarded and look overused.  Others look cared for and loved.  Some seem to be expensive while others, well, they get the job done I am sure.  

The second photo is just odd to me.  The water here is only a few inches deep; surely the tide is out and the dock seems "over embellished" (probably why I loved it so). 

Further from the shore, we found a National Cemetery; along the likes of Arlington National Cemetery but in contrast, quite small.  Nevertheless, I was compelled to stop and pay respect to our veterans.  This cemetery is very well maintained and tidy.  

Across the street from the National Cemetery, literally across the street, was a cemetery that has seen better days.  The gravestones were "dirty" and the sites needed raking.  The Beaufort Cemetery had a mixture of old and new, young and old as most cemeteries do.  Loved ones left flowers and flags and this one angel caught my eye; serene and covered with dirt.  

While a day trip for you may be quite different than a day trip for me, I can say that inspiration comes in many forms.  Thought provoking grave sites and neglected marinas make me think.  

What inspires you?

HANDY FREE SERVICES

Often I stumble upon a service or item that I think makes my websites and/or operations of my store just a little easier or a little more snazzy.  One of the items I found is called PicMonkey.  Having an online store, I have discovered that pictures to display stock are extremely important.  I have tried several programs and found that PicMonkey is so easy and FREE that I wanted to share.  Some of the features it offers are resizing, color saturation, text inlays, sharpener and special effects; just to name a few.  Below I have used some of the services on my own photos just to show you what it does.

This is the original photo from my library called "Charlotte's Skull.

Applied "Dusk" and "Focal Soften".

This image has been altered with "Overlay" and "Text".

Focus Zoom was used on this image. These techniques would probably not help me sell my photos but perhaps you could draw more attention to your wares by using this nifty (and best of all - FREE) photo editing program.

Wide Range of Interests

Occasionally, I am asked about the fact that my photos don't really have a theme.  Some photographers shoot landscapes or black and whites.  I shoot whatever strikes my fancy.  We travel alot around the area so I bring my camera and look for things... just look around seeing what I can see.  For instance, we went to Charleston, SC.  History is a big part of our lives so we stopped to visit Ft. Sumter; where the Civil War started.Charleston is also a very old, very "southern" city.  So between the two contrasting areas (of the same area) we have two contrasting sets of photos.

Eventually, I may one day decide to be passionate about one particular subject or style.  For now, I think I will just enjoy what I do and observe the world through my lens.