Sundown Sailing

This photo is more surreal than real. I thought the photo needed just a little touching up and then a little more and a little more.... until it because this.

If you interested in what I did: The photo was a broad daylight shot, or at least late afternoon. The reflection on the water darkened the sail on the sailboat so I pulled it up in Gimp and used the scissor to select just the sail -- I like that tool because of it automatic form fitting alogrithm means I have to click on fewer points.

Next I used the "Color| Curves" tool to lighten up the sail. Next I used the "Select | Invert" tool so that now I had all but the sail selected. I used the "Color| Desaturate" to take the color out of the the rest of the picture.

Then I selected the sky using the "Scissor" and then used "Filter| Render| Clouds| Plasma" to put a brightly colored sky in the scene. Then I used "Color|Desaturate" to take out all that color but leave the cloud-like effect.

Next came the "Color| Colorize" tool to change the sky to a blue hue and darken it down. It looked great now, but the reflection on the water looked out of place with out a moon. So I used the Airbrush tool with a fuzzy circle brush and a low opacity setting ( so I could make several passes and paint the moon in). I also changed the setting of the brush from "normal" to "overlay"

I went to town painting the moon using several different sizes of the brush first a large bright area, then a real bright center. Then using a very large brush I took quick passes around the moon to better blend it in. When I had what I wanted the moon still did not seem to blend it to well -- too much of a contrast difference. So I got a royal-bluish color on my brush and made a few passes -- I liked that so much I made some random passes around the sky with it --it added a better texture to the clouds.

While I had the brush like that I made a few passes over the water to add some blue.

Voila -- sundown sailing

--steve buser

Wind walking

How do they do it?

They look about as graceful as a tank. But still they stay in the air. Almost seems to me that if they can fly, I should be able to. You alway see them around in places where there are good currents of air -- must help lift them up. The cruise along the Causeway, enjoying the breeze that that cars and trucks create rushing by. Here, this brown pelican heads into the wind and shows a few earth bound wind-lovers how to sail.

-- steve buser

Lagniappe (a little something extra)
A seldom cited law of the universe is that when an ersatz cowboy climbs aboard his steed, he will always pick the wildest stallion in the stable. Let the merry-go-round begin.

Today on Pixel Eyed

Late for class

Flat tire?
Sailing classes were going on out on the lakefront of New Orleans. The class of these small boats all sailed out of the harbor together -- minus a few stragglers with last minute equipment adjustments. This brave sailor heads into the wind to get to the bouy where the class is gathered. In the background is another class of bigger boats -- probably older students.

Further out the rest of the class battles the strong breeze and swelling seas (swelling lakes?)

--steve buser

Lagniappe

Today on Pixel Eyed -- the studmeister struts his stuff and a New Orleans wedding reception

Any sail in a breeze

While the sailors at the top of this photo set their sails into the wind to get away from it all, a dockside ersatz sailor faces the breeze on her "sail phone" -- as far out on the breakwater as she can get.

--steve buser

Sail Dog

This dog was taking his owner out the the other day for an excursion on Lake Pontchartrain.

He's got his keen eyes on, staring along the channel and catching some of the breeze.

Oval-shaped Lake Pontchartrain is a very popular sailing place. The lake is the second largest saltwater lake in the country. It is about 20 miles across south to north and I wculd guess 50 miles east to west. It sits just north of New Orleans and divides the New Orleans metro area.

It's a real favorite for sail dogs.

-steve buser

Chase the wind

Caught this shot the other day on the Lakefront in Mandeville. This guy is running along the breakwater (I doubled him up -- sometimes reality just misses a few things). Seems to be chasing the sailboat in the background. Way back in the background is the Causeway across the lake (23+ miles long.) If you look about 1/4 of the way from the left side of the picture, you can see a car crossing the bridge.

One thing you've got to know about this breakwater at the Mandeville harbor is that there is no way to get to it without swimming out to it. And as you can see, it's quite a climb up. Not sure how he got up there.

Hope you have success chasing your dreams today.

--steve buser