DETOUR! Giant Dragonfly ahead . . .

This is one of my favorite photos of my mother taken some years ago. I added the dragon fly. Doesn't it look real?!!! The insect is a scan from an early 19th century entomology engraving. I deleted the background and moved it to the tree. Then I added a drop shadow.

I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 as my editing software. I might have been using either 4.0 or 5.0 when I did this exercise. I call it Photoshop Fun!

If you like this photo manipulation, please look at one of my very first posts using the same photo and a GIANT MOTH.

I am sad to report that the magnificent tree has been cut down by the town of Mendham, NJ. The roots were lifting the sidewalk; such a shame. Only part of the centuries-old trunk appears in this snapshot.

Butterflies and wildflowers...

First butterfly photo of the season! I told you the thistle flower would bring them!

This is a tiny blue wildflower that looks huge in this macrIt's an Asian / Asiatic Dayflower, Commelina communis.o shot! I wish I knew the name. For now let's just call it beautiful blue flower.

Mystery solved--an anonymous reader identified this as an Asian / Asiatic Dayflower, Commelina communis. Thank you so much!

YIKES! Big moth on the loose! (Photo Manipulation)

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mother taken about 20 years ago way before digital. She is almost 88 years old and still just as beautiful. She has actually outlived the huge old tree. It was on Main Street in Mendham near a white church with a red door near the pizza place and it has been cut down because it was destroying the sidewalk. What a shame! I scanned the snapshot and when to town with Photoshop Elements ~ my favorite processing program. I am still learning how to use it. I started out with 4.0 and am now using 6.0. I collect and sell antique prints. If I sell something amazing, I usually keep a high resolution copy. The moth you see on the tree was one of many on a single sheet of an 18th century entomology engraving. I picked the one that was easiest to outline and deleted the background. Then I moved it to the tree and added a drop shadow. I added a drop shadow to the entire composition to make it float in mid-air. I love the end result and hope you do too.