Lovely shots - they look almost like paintings - quite surreal. What is that circular wipe effect on the 2nd and 3rd photos?

Stephen:

The effect you see there is a bit of radial blur, faded to about 30% and then applied to the "dissolve" channel. That's what gives these images that painterly/grainy look today.

I had a lot of fun with these images, turning them from chilly winter scenes into something a little warmer and more hopeful that spring is on the way up here in Chilly Land!

Thanks for the question and thanks for stopping by!

Kathleen

I really like the painterly effect on the last two images. Speaking of warmth, it was 93 degrees in Palm Springs today! How's that for warmth?

My favorite is the first one. The mix of colors, angles and shadows is quite nice. When I first looked at the title, I could have sworn it said DELICIOUS Woods of Bulls Island. LOL

ARGH, MIKE! 93 degrees! Now all I want to do is get on a plane to Palm Springs. Thanks for stopping by again and commenting! :)

Yes these are absolutely wonderful. :-)

Great colours Kathleen, personal favourite is the top one because of the warmth and the good contrast between the trees and sky. The next two don't work well for me personally, although the effect does soften the images somewhat. What a fantastic landscape you are privleged to live in. Thanks.

All are beautiful, but love the last one, like waking up and remembering a dream! Noreen

Beautiful images (as always). A little constructive criticism: (I hope you dont mind) but while I love the "paint" effect on the tree branches and in the water and skies, I think it looks a little out of place on the snow (particularly in the third image, middle to bottom right). Just... I don't know... a little "dirty" looking.

Some new tricks? Delicious! Mrrr... /"mrrr" is cat's sound in Polish/

Kathleen, these are genius! You've applied this effect so well, I think it works on all these images beautifully! Now I just need to steal it :)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

:)

(Mmmm is my girlfriend's sound in Hungarian. :) )

The third is my favourite. Actually there is an ivy-room in the Leningrad czar castle (if I am right) and your picture makes me remember that room. Which is also beautiful.

I've been wondering... What's American cats' sound?

Jezebel:
We say "purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" for the cat's sound.

Andras:
We also use "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" for the girlfriend's or boyfriend's sound! :)

This is a very nice effect. Placed next to the water does the impression that one is looking at the landscape though a water mill wheel. It is very appropriate.

I really love winter Sycamores (which I assume the white barked ones are) - That's a beautiful classic winter landscape. I like the filtering, particularly on the canal shot where the circular effect echoes the trees' leaning.

Thanks, Bill:

There are two varieties of "sycamore" you see in the landscape around here:

Platanus occidentalis is native to North America and is identifiable by its stark white bark near the top, as well as a solitary fruit (that fuzzy ball you see). That's the white tree you see in top my photo.

Platanus acerifolia (also called London Plane tree) is a cross between the native Platanus occidentalis and the European Platanus orientalis; it has a much more "khaki" colored bark near the top of the tree and two fruits per cluster. (Although if you're seeking to identify it by fruit, make sure you look at many examples throughout the tree, as one of the fruits tends to fall from the cluster, leaving it looking more like the Platanus occidentalis.)

The European variety, Platanus orientalis, doesn't grow here. It has six fruits per cluster.

There's everything you ever wanted to know about "sycamores." It just so happens you're talking about my favorite tree. :)