Weekly challenges are here again, provided by Andre Gallant.  For this month, the weekly challenges were:

• Decisive Moment, first shot of 2015
• Puzzle
• Candlelight
• Lone Tree
• Pattern

So far this has proved to be a lot of fun and the group who is participating really causes you to push out a bit.  Here are my submissions for this month.

Decision Moment

This photo was the first of the 2015.  Taken of my deck and then enhanced using Topaz filters, predominantly Topaz glow.  What I liked about the use of Topaz Glow is how it accented the light dusting of snow that was on the deck, transforming the photo into something with a little more pizzaz!

First Week: First Shot PAD Jan 1 First Shot with a touch of glow

Puzzle

A long time ago I bought a jewelry puzzle box at a local art fair.  My daughter was very young, then, and was intrigued by the many openings and would explore it periodically resulting in seeing a few of my earrings within the hidden boxes.   I only slightly modified this image, using B&W underpainting.

Third Week: Puzzle Pad Jan 10 Puzzle Series Two

Candlelight 

I slightly modified this photo using Topaz Simplify filter and also used one of Andre Gallant's techniques called a Dreamscape to get this .

Second Week: Candlelight WD8A3218 Topaz Resyle

Lone Trees

I had many different variants of lone tree.  This was a fun assignment and got me out to shoot everyday.  I thought I would share my favorites of the many ones that I took.

This first shot was taken at Calumet County Park, taken in manual mode.  There were no other modifications made.  What attracted me to this particular shot was the ice piles that have heaved up on the shoreline and the lone willow tree that was hanging horizontally over the shoreline.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree PAD Jan 24 Lone Tree at Calumet County Park

This next photo was taken along the Fox River by Heesakker Park in Little Chute.  Our photo club was having an outing, trying to take photos of Eagles.  Well, the Eagles were rare and pretty far away even for a long lens.  So, I started to play around with the trees along the river.  This was modified using mainly Topaz Glow.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree

And, lastly, this is probably one of my big time favorites.  I loved the feeling of coldness of the January Day and the feeling of isolation with the one small cluster of trees on the right.  I also appreciated the simplicity of the shot.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree Oh, I almost forgot the one that I submitted for the Lone Tree challenge.  This photo was taken at the Menasha boat lunch while on a drive on a cold day.  What attracted me was the ice and the lone tree on the island.

Fourth Week: Lone Tree.....PAD Jan 23 Lone Tree with topaz adjsut

Pattern

I had two shots that I liked for the Pattern challenge.  The first one is what I actually submitted, called Morse Code.  It was the pattern of snow on my deck that reminded me of the dots and dashes of Morse Code.

PAD Jan 9 Morse Code

Although I have to admit that this photo of the LocksMaster Residence that is being restored on the Fox River is probably my favorite.  There is something charming about all of the windows and the pattern that it creates.

Fifth Week: Pattern Jan 21 LockHouse Five

So, this is one look at what I put together during the month of January, where things can get very cold and snowy around here.  Thanks for looking.