Tag: xingfu mama

Photo Challenge – One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge/August 2025

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges20 Comments

I haven’t taken part in Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge for a few months and thought this rather drab background behind my sunflowers might be worth perking up a bit.

I processed the photo three ways with an end vision in mind. I first cropped a bit and then used Ribbet to create a focal color with black and white.

I wondered if the original would look better boosted and posterized in Ribbet, but decided against using the brighter version for the final version. I might use this for another project. I like the chunkiness of the color blocks in the leaves and petals.

I next loaded my tweaked photos into Adobe Express and created a background of blue sky to really make the sunflowers stand out. I downloaded a flipped version of the image and removed the background, adding a second layer of the same sunflowers to the composition. I was happy with the finished product and decided it was perfect to use for a poster for my Signposts blog. Thank you to Xingfu Mama for this fun challenge.

HEAVENLY SUNLIGHT

BY

Henry J. Zelley

Walking in sunlight, all of my journey,
over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,”
promise divine that never can fail.

Refrain:
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
flooding my soul with glory divine:
hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
singing His praises, Jesus is mine.

Shadows around me, shadows above me,
never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the light, in Him is no darkness;
ever I’m walking close to His side. [Refrain]

Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
He is the Light, in Him is no darkness;
Ever I’m walking close to His side.

Photo Challenges – One-to-Three Photo Processing/January

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges12 Comments

I call my photograph Snow Shadows with Prints. I like how the table casts a highly cut shadow onto the snow. You can also see that the squirrels have ventured out of their nests in the pines to search for the birdseed and peanuts I put out for them. I chose this photo for Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge/January. It is a good depiction of the weather we are having, and since we are also in the deep freeze here in southern New Jersey, playing with photo filters is a fun way to pass the time.

Filter one, gritty, accentuates the silhouette appearance of the snow shadows even more. (Filter available through Ribbet.com)

Filter two, heat map, accentuates the snow’s glow and the table’s hardness.

Filter three, neon, highlights the lines and curves of the objects and shadows.

Thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting this blog challenge.

Photo Challenges – Pull Up a Seat – Forest Chairs

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges10 Comments

Sometimes, old photographs inspire me to revisit crafts from the past. These sweet fairy chairs, created from pussy willows, moss, lichens, and other dried finds from the forest, would be fun to create again.

The small chairs are also a perfect answer to Xingfu Mama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge for this week.

Colder months are the best time to search out dried materials to use. There are no ticks and other biting insects in the woods. Dried materials are also easier to see when the disappearance of tree foliage and undergrowth is gone. I only take surface materials; disturbing the leaf cover can cause harm to the nests and burrows of hibernating animals.

Another way to use small chairs like these would be in a terrarium.

Phlowers – Whatsoever is Lovely/Amaryllis

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers11 Comments

I managed to choose a very cooperative Amaryllis from a local nursery. It budded up and bloomed in a timely fashion for the Christmas Eve gathering at our house. As always, the leaves and stems became too heavy for the pot, so I added some long branches of holly to help hold them upright. I like the extra bit of Christmas cheer the holly adds.

This amaryllis was a perfect choice for this week’s Whatsoever is Lovely challenge hosted by Xingfu Mama.

Photo Challenges – One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges10 Comments

I find many posts on WordPress that inspire me through challenges, how-tos, and devotionals. Today, I rediscovered Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge for December. I used a recent photograph taken after the summer season ended in Wildwood, New Jersey, an ocean town about an hour from my home.

I used Ribbet to tweak the photographs for the challenge. The first photo is the original cropped down to focus on the Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster. Top right, I used the True Vintage filter. The bottom left is an example of the Sketch filter. The bottom right shows how the inverted filter changes everything around. My favorite filter for this photograph is the True Vintage.

The collage presentation of the photographs was also created in the Ribbet app.

Phlowers – Schlumbergera/Christmas Cactus

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers10 Comments

The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) I bought as a prize for a family game was so beautiful I wanted to keep it for myself. I will keep my eyes open when I go out this weekend for a similar plant. I have had several over the years, but I only have a small Thanksgiving cactus now. I want to find a new Christmas variety and grow it into a large specimen.

I’ve experienced rebloom on my Christmas cactuses, but never to the extent of the number of flowers they have when you purchase them brand new from their greenhouse start. This one may prove my experience with them wrong. I hope the winner of this plant enjoys the beautiful pink flowers.

When viewed sideways the flowers look like a bird on the wing. This Christmas Cactus bloom is part of Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge.

Phlutters – Hummingbird Moth

On By TimelessladyIn Phlutters13 Comments

This beautiful moth is my choice for the “Whatsoever is Lovely” challenge hosted by Xingfu Mama. I got several good captures of it feeding on the flowers of the Butterfly Bush. The plant lives up to its name, although it resembles a tree instead of a bush. We cut it back, and it grows even taller.

The multiple blossoms of the flower sprays make it a perfect setting for photographing butterflies and bees. They are usually so intent on moving from flower to flower they ignore the trespass of my camera into their space. I love the way the photograph captures the face of the moth and the blurry whirr of its quickly fluttering wings.