Tools to stir things up

When it is time to stir things up there are a variety of tools available--right on my kitchen cupboard.  These get used most every day.  Although we are just fans of the basic foods simply prepared (we leave all the creative, unique, hard-to-pronounce the dish cooking to my little brother), these basic tools don't sit idle or gather dust.

Tools to stir things up

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Who said all the tools belong in the garage?

Who said all the "tools" belong in the garage?  These tools here are certainly used much more often that those kept in the garage.  And they fix and prepare some of the most useful items on a daily basis.  After all, even though I love my garage tools, I can still go weeks without pounding a nail.  But I have to eat every single day!

Who said all the tools are in the garage?

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Aging Amaryllis

Old age is not for sissies!  Applies to this Amaryllis blossom as much as it applies to many you know too... Beauty can be found in every stage of life.

Aging Amaryllis

Details:

iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, Snapseed, PhotoStudio

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View from the warm side

For those who do not to be out in the cold (IMO cold is much easier because I can dress for the cold--not much I can do to dress for the sweltering heat....) there is this gorgeous inside view.  Take in all the scenery while breathing warm, heated air....

View from the warm side

Details:
iPhone 5S, Pro HDR, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Hide and Seek with the Sun

Look into the sun and be blinded from its bright rays.  Hide the sun behind the pine tree and a whole new vista opens up.  View from Mid-Gad Lodge, Snowbird, Utah.

Hide and seek with the sun

Details:
iPhone 5S, Pro HDR, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Rocky Mountain High

Up high where the sky is clear and the view is refreshing.  Capture the scene and tweak it ever so slightly to look a bit like a painting.  Strap on the snowboard and head down through the scenic paradise.  Now that's my version of a Rocky Mountain High!

Rocky Mountain High

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, Glaze, PhotoStudio


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Going up! Next stop 11,000 feet.

Some folks take an elevator to go up.  Here in Utah we take the tram.  Gives a different perspective to the phrase "Utah--life elevated!"

Going up!  Next stop 11,000 feet.

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Music to My Ears

Lego Man Joe gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "music to my ears" with his new CD.

A bit of retouching with the Clone stamp in Filterstorm removes the logos and cleans up the image which is then darkened and given a touch of saturation and sharpening.  The final image looks more dramatic than the original image which was just taken in the middle of our family room--up close enough to remove most of the background (and the rest was darkened for effect).  Yep, with Joe we turn the ordinary into the dramatic--but then Joe always brings drama to life.

Music to My Ears

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Morning Stroll

Some of us get out and walk through town for morning exercise.  Lego Man Joe just gets out and walks.  And he can be found walking anywhere.  Here is combines his walking routine with a bit of balance training as he walks the narrow window blind slats

Morning stroll

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Stand up and stand out

Some guys just have to be up front and center everywhere they go.  Lego Man Joe is one of those guys.  When he wants to get attention, he always finds a way...

Stand up and stand out

iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Orange, orange on the wall, who is fairest of them all?

Reminds me of Sleeping Beauty but this time with a talking orange.  Maybe this is what it would look like if kids grew on trees....  Anyway, it should certainly brighten up your day as it did mine!

Orange, orange on the wall, who is fairest of them all?

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Juxstaposer, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Tough way to wake up from a nap

Lego Man Joe was found a nice soft sweater, laid down for a power nap and was fast asleep.  That is, until someone broke out the lint roller and mowed him over....

Tough way to wake up from a nap

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Mitt's shirt pressing tip for those in a hurry

DANGER:  Do NOT try this at home!  You may melt your plastic body!

This photo set-up was done by Lego Man Joe--a trained professional--in too big a hurry to take his shirt off but still needing to get the wrinkles out.  (inspired by a scene in the movie "Mitt"--a documentary of Mitt Romney's personal life during two presidential campaigns) which premiered this week at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. When you see the movie you will know exactly what I am talking about...

By the way, California has determined that everything in life may cause cancer and requires everything to carry a printed warning.  Thanks California.  Hey, did you know that life causes cancer too you idiots?

Mitt's shirt pressing tip for those in a hurry

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Let the screenings begin

Got to see a world premier showing of the documentary movie "Mitt" as the 2014 Sundance Film Festival opened.  An inside view of Mitt and his family on two unsuccessful presidential campaign trails--a view never before seen in a political race at this level.  The Sundance Film Festival is brings a huge economic impact to our local economy.  We welcome all the visitors (and the cash they spend too).

Let the screenings begin

Details:
iPhone 5S, native camera app, Snapseed, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Soft Roses

A beautiful rose arrangement, left over from a family funeral.  Just a slight touch of blur added to soften the image along with a few other post-processing adjustments.  A reminder of the joy of memories mixed with the sorrow of mourning.

Soft Roses

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Blender, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Warm those bones

Come on in out of the cold.  Sit here by the fire and warm those bones!  There is plenty of fire to go around.

Warm those bones

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

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Stairway to....

Word of the day--experiment.  Today's image is a result of simply experimenting with Curves adjustment inside of Filterstorm and moving three separate points around on the Curves graph until obtaining the colors in this result.  Add a little cropping, a vignette and a frame and the original image changes to this pink stairway to.....where ever your imagination and experimentation may take you.....

Stairway to....

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm (mostly Curves adjustments), PhotoStudio

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Vibrating Bug

Time for a back massage?  This little vibrating bug--as I call it--does a super job with its four round plastic feet and enough vibration to satisfy the back muscles but not put the hand of the operator asleep.  Yep, one of life's little pleasures...

Vibrating Bug

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Retouch, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

Waiting

Waiting.  Forever waiting.  Sitting this time instead of standing.  If I have to wait, I would much better be sitting.

Waiting

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

Window to Heaven

Sitting in a mortuary while the family takes care of the many details necessary relating to the passing of a loved one...  The lone window on the wall, in its simplicity, can't help but cause me to think of the metaphor here.  Our earthly life journey comes to an end as it will for each and every one of us.  A thin veil covers the window to heaven where bright light, joy and reunions await.  All else around us fades away and the veil grows ever thinner, and the light ever brighter.  Mortality comes to an end and the time comes when we all will pass through the window to heaven.  Any regrets?  Now is the time to fix that before our turn arrives to pass through the window to heaven.

Window to Heaven

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio

Time to hang it up

Time to hang it up.  What ever it is...there are plenty of hangers so take it off your shoulders and hang it up.  You will feel the burden lightened...

Hang it up

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Waiting for Action

They are just waiting for someone to pick them up and help them get a workout.  Do you hear them calling your name?

Waiting for action

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Looks Easy Enough

Looks easy enough, right?  Just sit down and pedal away for heart-pumping, leg building exercise.  Yep, looks easy enough.  So why is the chair empty?  Yea, I'm talking to you...

Looks easy enough...

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Orange Abstract

While playing around with my Olloclip lens I happened to slice open an orange.  Yesterday's post came from the fisheye lens view.  Today's post comes from the macro lens view.  Although the depth of field is shallow and provides little that is in focus, I like the abstract and unfocused final image more than I even liked the orange itself (which is now long gone--although this image brings back enough of the memory to start my saliva glands flowing again....).

Orange Abstract

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Olloclip macro lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Orange

Nothing like a sweet Mexican orange this time of year when it is the dead of winter, almost the entire country in locked in a deep freeze and the tropics are so far away!  Savor the flavor!

Orange

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Olloclip Fisheye lens, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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Clean Air at Last

After weeks of dirty air trapped in the valley by the winter inversion a storm moved through and washed out all the gunk.  Finally!  We can breath again and see the blue sky.  Lego man Joe celebrates by doing his Chinese deep breathing, cleansing routine under the blue sky.  Although it may be hard to tell this is Joe, rest assured that it is.  Its just that Lego figures have not 3D profile features--they all have flat faces.  All the better for Joe to become invisible when he is in his Ninja mode....

Clean air at last

Details:
iPhone 5S, ProCamera, Filterstorm, PhotoStudio


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