Theme: Past Prime

[Jackie Schuknecht]

My sister and I spent from the end of December until around the middle of April this year moving my Dad into assisted living. His 10 acre farm just got to be too much for him to manage, since he is 88. Sort of heartbreaking to post, because in its' prime it was really pretty and well kept.
I added a texture from Flypaper (Aqua Sparkles), softened it, to give the clouds the appearance of Bokeh. Toned in SEP, and other LCE.

[Dennis Bishop]

This is beautiful -- both visually and metaphorically. The converging treeline and fence caught my attention immediately and drew me in. Using Aqua Sparkles for its effect on the sky was a very creative touch. I like the softness of the image, the toning, and the special character it shows. This is an image that speaks volumes when one knows the story behind it.

[Hazel Grant]

Yes, those moves are sad. Been there with both my parents. As your photo shows, you have beautiful memories, even in the older places. Nice texture placement of the fence and the slightly smoother dirt area behind. Like the color.

[Paul Lagasi]

Very nice, the fence placement in image works for me, love the angle of the fence and treeline. Well done

[Nancy Bell]

Totally understand the heartbreaking part of moving a parent from their "normal" life to one in a retirement home. As my dad sadly observes, "I worked my whole life to spend my last years in a tiny retirement home apartment?" They are the reason I moved here to Arkansas where my parents now live.

But back to the image. Very well seen and created! The leading line of the decaying fence draws your eye into the image and sets the feeling. The toning is just right for this as it does add the bit of sadness you want to portray.

And thanks for posting a theme image. We all need to see what we can post for the theme!

[Diane Miller]

Beautiful and obviously touching image, even without the story -- much moreso with it.

[Anita Bower]

I like this image a lot. A pleasing composition with the fence, grasses, trees. Sharp detail brings out the textures (how did you get such nice detail?). It is a scene I can identify with as I see similar ones most days. You captured the feel of a rural scene. I'm not enamored of the bokeh texture. For me, it is distracting. Maybe if the circles were smaller.

So sad about letting go of the farm. The leaning fence and tall grass suggest that this farm is no longer being used.