Some Days You Just Want To Play

I’ve had a very busy couple of weeks and at the same time a very sore ankle which together have kept me from going out shooting.  So, today with the windy, rainy weather, and after things have slowed down a little, I just felt like playing with some photos.  The news a few days ago took me to one of my favorite places, Seal Beach, CA, where a mass shooting took place.  I traveled there often for work in my previous job and even vacationed there with my wife.  It’s maybe the place I’d like to live if I could choose anywhere in the U.S!  I was there last summer for a job and took a walk one evening on the Seal Beach Pier.  I was shooting with my point-and-shoot and had a few mediocre record shots.  Today, wanting to play, and with Seal Beach in my mind, I pulled up a few of those photos and applied some digital effects to them using a Photoshop Plug-In.

Seal Beach Pier, early evening.

This first photo captures the crowd of walkers and fishermen on the Seal Beach Pier.  The effect gives it a painterly look and makes the two foreground figures look like they are looking into the scene from outside of it.

Surfer off of Seal Beach Pier.

The second photo of a surfer off of the Seal Beach Pier also has the painterly effect.  I like these photos, with the effects, much more than the original record shots.  What do you think?  Do you like these effects?  Have you ever tried using any plug-ins or filters on your digital images?  I’d like to hear about your experiences.