Photo Art Friday - Feeling Squirrely

Hello and Happy Friday! - It's time for one of my favorite weekly features.  Photo Art Friday on Bonnie's Blog, Pixel Dust Photo Art.  This week she challenged us to try a new technique, new editing tool, something out of our "norm" etc...So since I'm pretty much a "newbie" when it comes to anything photography related that left things really wide open for me.  I'm going to start by saying that I am slowly but surely searching out tutorials on how to use the Gimp program to edit my photos.  Since I don't own PSE and can't afford it I'm using Gimp as it's "Free".

For starters this week I found a short explantion on how to use the Brightness/Contrast feature to edit an (okay) photo and make it a (better) photo.

I started with this picture of a Squireel that I'd taken awhile back on the shed in my mom's yard. 

This is my "Before" version

Here is my "After" version. - I think this one looks much crisper/sharper.

Next up is another Squirrel photo I took out in our back yard area where we park our van.  We have a Feeder there that the squirrels visit on a daily basis for the Peanuts and Corn that I put in the feeder.  This one was up in a tree just under the feeder.  Later there is a video of this squirrel so be sure to check out my entire entry.

I did a little editing with the Microsoft photo editing program.  Then I decided to play around with this photo using Gimp.  I ended up using a feature called, Pencil Sketch and came up with this photo below.

I really like this effect and it's something that I haven't ever tried before so I think it qualifies under the challenge.

























Now I promised that there was a "Video" so be sure to watch this little ditty.  -  I happened to be outside when I heard some squirrels chattering back and forth.  I went in and got my camera and decided to video tape them.  After locating them in the tree I started filming.  You can obviously tell that something was really upsetting these poor squirrels.  The one really starts chattering rather boisterously.  I couldn't figure out what on earth was bothering them (until later)...

Later after I'd gone to the store and returned home I spotted something on the shed behind the fence next to the squirrel feeder. I happened to have my camera with me and was able to snap this photo just before said squirrel deterrent fled the scene.

Kitty must have been laying on top of the shed while the squirrels were in the tree hoping one would come down for peanuts and become said kitty's lunch! Curses....foiled again.