the everchanging beach

[Dennis Bishop]

The waves along Lake Erie are generally mild. They lap against the shore unnoticed except for their soft sound. However, the waves borne of storms are different. They're loud, and they cover, uncover, take away and deposit things large and small. This shot was taken after a storm broke last September.

iPhone 5s, PureShot camera app, ISO 200

processing highlights

• converted into a four-bracket (-1 to +2) HDR using the Exposure slider in Adobe Camera Raw
• flipped horizontally for composition
• Topaz Simplify -- saved watercolor preset, partially masked and reduced opacity
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- saved watercolor wash preset, Hard Light blend mode
• Fractalius (Topaz Glow hasn't been usable since I reverted back to Windows 7 from Windows 10) -- three saved black-on-white presets; Multiply, Divide, Multiply
• Snap Art and Simplify -- saved black-on-white edges presets, Multiply
• Alien Skin Eye Candy -- Swirl preset, partially masked off sand, Darker Color
• Eye Candy -- Rust preset with the sliders changed to give a sand effect, applied to sand using a selection, Lighter Color (layer used to restore some of the sand texture)
• red-orange fill -- applied to the sand at a very low opacity as a complement to the existing colors

[Nancy Bell]

I really like the wonderful swirled look of the smooth stones! The bright green objects are a great place to first focus on, and then visually wander around the image exploring, like water flowing up and around the stones. The subtle repetition of the swirl-shapes from the sand to all the stones creates a unity & flow among the elements. And I really like those unexpected punches of colors! As always, Dennis, you have a unique & interesting view of things and a unique processing technique that I enjoy seeing!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, this is a peaceful still life after the turbulent storm. I especially like the contrasting with the greys and the textures. Beautifully done