Hanging Basket, Red Blossoms

At the Keller Homestead, Mt. Olive, Virginia

• See this house in my 2010 post on the Germanic Heritage Museum

Lynn Gets a New Dog

My older daughter got a new dog. He was rescued and fostered by MidAtlantic BullyBuddies, and he is now healthy and very friendly. She wanted him because he looks like the dog she had for many years named Rock. Although he was large, Rock was a very gentle dog and remarkably obedient most of the time.

Red Tree

I saw this maple in Winchester last week. For some reason the leaves started turning color there before they did here. We're not in the full glory of autumn yet, but it's coming!

Two Themes with One Scene

I took these pictures yesterday in the parking lot at the Winchester Medical Center. Either one is suitable for both Skywatch Friday and Orange You Glad It's Friday.

More B&W Conversions

I managed to complete all the Photoshop exercises that I missed from last week's class. It takes longer to do it on my own because I have to keep looking back at the textbook while using the mouse and keyboard at the same time. In class the teacher reads the instructions while we carry them out so it's easier.

The second image has a tint of color from imitating the old toning processes that we once did in the darkroom. This one was done in Photoshop but it has the warm tones of a sepia print.

Both of these pictures are converted from color images that I took last weekend on a farm near Berryville.

The first scene looks like an old jail cell, but it's just a downstairs room that was probably used for potting or storage. I think the light and shadows benefited from tweaking the contrast, and also from considerable cropping that I decided to do since I was changing the picture anyway.

I'm including a link to the textbook in case someone is looking for an indepth workbook on Adobe Photoshop. If you buy something through one of my Amazon links, I get a small credit towards a future purchase.

Frank Loves Autumn

 The crisp sunny days of fall are pleasant, and the changing colors of the leaves are so gorgeous! I like this season but my favorite season is spring. Frank's favorite is autumn, and he even looks forward to winter and the "coziness" of staying indoors.

Every weekend there are festivals and events, although this will end when the weather gets cold. We went to Art at the Mill in Clarke County and will likely go back before the current show ends on October 20. Work is sold right off the walls and replaced with other pieces so the exhibit changes constantly.

By the way, I updated my Shenandoah.co page so that I can easily find the events links even while viewing from the iPad. Apparently tables display differently on a mobile device so I had to add a tiny bit of HTML to keep my link panel near the top. There are several websites that list local events but none is complete so I check more than one every week.

Split Toning Experiment

I followed Scott Kelby's instructions for split toning an image in Adobe Camera Raw and came up with this version of a photo that I took at the arboretum in Boyce. It's interesting but not an effect that I plan to use very much. I don't think I ever used it in a conventional darkroom, although I took three semesters of B&W darkroom at NOVA.  (We did some toning with one tint and that involved somewhat toxic chemicals, so perhaps there were health considerations.)

Now you use software to convert an image to grayscale and then modify the highlights to one tint and the shadows to a different tint. Looks quaint, doesn't it?

New Linky: B&W Wednesday

Squirrel by the South Fork

Our Lake in Black and White

Photo Converted to Grayscale Image

I missed Digital Darkroom class last week! We spent the day going to medical appointments and by the time we were done, my mind was too full and too tired to remind me to go to class.

But I have the textbook, Scott Kelby's Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, so I'm working on the lessons at home. This image is the result of converting a color picture to black and white using Camera Raw's HSL Grayscale function and then increasing the contrast using sliders and the adjustment brush. I must admit I like the sliders and the adjustment brush!

Related Post: Bright Sky

Train Station, Harpers Ferry

Although Harpers Ferry is not a large city, it has an Amtrak station with daily passenger service. Commuters use it to travel to Washington, DC.

I've parked near the station more than once. There are a couple of snack shops nearby and historical museums a short walk away. At the moment the museums are closed for the government shutdown. It's not far to shops and a wax museum, but the hilly terrain can turn your walk into a workout.

Are you affected by the government shutdown? Find Your Members of Congress and contact them.

Harper Cemetery and Jefferson Rock

Another great place to see spectacular views in Harpers Ferry is Harper Cemetery and the nearby Appalachian Trail. I like to park next to the cemetery( at the east end of Fillmore Street), visit the cemetery and walk down the steps. At the edge of the woods there are a few steps down to the trail and from there it's a short walk (to the left) to Jefferson Rock. It's named for Thomas Jefferson who famously raved about the views here.

There are other ways to get to Jefferson Rock, if you like climbing steps or want to hike on the Appalachian Trail. (Marie and I took the trail route in 2010.)

View of Shenandoah River

Appalachian Trail

Earlier Posts:

• Harper Cemetery
• The View from Jefferson Rock
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Hilltop View, Harpers Ferry

Normally Harpers Ferry is a great place to take visitors. At the moment, however, a government shutdown has closed our national parks and that means not only many historic sites in Harpers Ferry are closed, but also the shuttle bus that transports tourists to the historic area is not operating. There is very little parking available in the historic district, although you might find a spot at the train station, and I read that the town has relaxed some of the usual parking restrictions.

We have visited the town a number of times without using the park service bus. There are sites uphill from the the old historic district that are well worth visiting. One is the view point next to the old Hilltop House Hotel. (It's at the end of East Ridge Street. I posted pictures from there early this year.)

Train Crossing the Potomac

Old Hilltop Hotel, Now Closed and Crumbling

Link: Historic Harpers Ferry

Pumpkins Near West Fort

The farm market on Route 522 is now decorated for autumn, and even the Civil War Trails Marker for West Fort is adorned with corn stalks!

This is northwest of Winchester, Virginia.

Small Plane

This was probably headed for the Warren County Airport.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Wood Ducks?

My sister-in-law bought three wooden ducks for us in Pennsylvania and placed them in our yard after we returned home. I laughed out loud when I saw them.

So far the real ducks and geese have kept a safe distance away, but I'm sure they will adjust to having these newcomers around.

The Theme is Orange

The festival in Saxonburg included an art show with some really nice paintings. As you can see, the theme was "orange" which reminded me of the weekly theme day at Writings of Maria: Orange You Glad It's Friday. If you like bright colors, click on over and see the images submitted by bloggers from all over.

Festival in Saxonburg

While in Pennsylvania we went to a town festival. I learned that Saxonburg was surveyed and planned by John Roebling, inventor of the wire rope that made possible large suspension bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge.

The festival was lively and we had a beautiful day for it.

His Grandfather's Mansions

Frank was named after his grandfather Frank Canuti, whom he never met. The elder Frank died in 1943 at the age of 76. Born in Italy as Felidio F. Canuti, he came to the U.S. with his parents when he was eight.

He became a successful lawyer and built a substantial home in Oakmont, PA. Later he had another home built nearby. Both houses are still standing and look very fine from the street.

"Castle Court"

This large house is pictured in local history books  — see it in the Oakmont Historical Image Collection.

Mr. Canuti wrote a book, The Siege And Fall Of Constantinople. We have a facsimile copy which is again available through the wonders of modern publishing.

Bill showed us an old photo dating from the time when Mr. Canuti was a candidate for judge of common pleas court.

Neighborly Chat

When Frank and his brother and sister were strolling around their old neighborhood, they stopped to talk to a woman who they remembered from childhood. She had operated a dress shop in town.

That's Bill on the right side of the first photo. And here's the woman's friendly dog making his contribution to the conversation.

They Grew Up in Oakmont

 When Frank was born, his family lived in this house in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Earlier this month we went there with his siblings. It's a charming town northeast of Pittsburgh. You may have heard of the country club that shares it's name for the U.S. Open has been held there numerous times.

The last photo shows the second house where Frank lived. His parents had it built. His father worked for Edgewater Steel, which has since been closed and the buildings removed.

No one in his family lives in Oakmont now, although his brother still lives in Western Pennsylvania.