Florentine Trattoria

This appealing trattoria is located in the historic center of Florence, not far from the Piazza della Signoria.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations.

Pienza Bar

I loved the streets and views of Pienza, a hilltop in Tuscany famous for its pecorino cheese.
Texture by Jodi Dogma.

Old Harbor, Dubrovnik

View looking past St. John's fort from inside Dubrovnik's Old Harbor. The town adjacent to this harbor is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations

Il Faro, Sorrento

As you descend from the town of Sorrento to the harbor below, one of the most prominent landmarks is the Il Faro Hotel and the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittorio perched above it.
Textures by Dyrk Wyst and Shadowhouse Creations.

Wooden Stairs

Taken on the beach at Carlsbad, California. I loved these multi-tiered wooden stairs that gave access to the beach from the cliff above.
Textures by Distressed Jewel and Kerstin Frank.

Dungeon Door

Okay, so I've been getting an early start on Halloween by watching a few scary movies, and it led to this image based on the photo I took of an old door and stone walls at the Gravenstein Castle in Ghent.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations.

Roofs of Dubrovnik

The roofs of Dubrovnik taken on an overcast day the the old wall.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations.

Ocean House

This Victorian building in Carlsbad Village has a 200-year history. Formerly an inn, it is now a restaurant with banquet and wedding facilities. No textures were added, only adjustment layers in CS3.

Town Gate, Rothenburg

The western town gate of medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Travelers entering the town from the valley would have to pay a toll as they passed through this gate.
Texture by Stephanie in Love

Iron Gate

This lovely wrought iron gate in a quiet lane in Rothenburg, Germany offered a mere glimpse of the private courtyard beyond.
Textures by Shadowhouse Creations.

Sable Antelope

I photographed these antelope, including the male with his impressive horns, at the San Diego Safari Park near Escondido, California.
Texture by Lenabem-Anna.

Lifeguard Tower 32

Carlsbad has a number of lifeguard towers that line the beach. They are a popular subject for the local art scene to explore, as well as serving a very functional purpose.

Brussels Museum Banner

The bright red banner of the City of Brussels Museum. The museum is located in the Grand Place, inside the Maison du Roi, or King's House, and was built in the 14th century.  It showcases the history of Brussels and contains a room filled entirely with costumes for the Mannekin Pis, the famous peeing boy statue. Many of the costumes have been donated by countries all over the world and include costumes of Elvis and Dracula.
Textures by Shadowhouse Creations and Natmarie

Afternoon in Ghent

This image was taken during a stroll along one of the canals in Ghent, Belgium.
Textures from Shadowhouse Creations and Batabidd.

Ligurian Coast

Taken on the road from Manarola to Genoa, this part of Italy is stunningly beautiful.
Texture by Paree Erica.

Irises

These irises were photographed in the beauiful Jardins des Plantes in Paris.
Textures by Shadowhouse Creations and Stephanie in Love.

Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine was erected by the Roman Senate in 312 A.D. to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius. Over 1,650 years later, it was used as the finish line in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Textures by Shadowhouse Creations and Tim in Ohio.

Tropical Courtyard

I photographed this lush tropical courtyard in Taormina on Sicily. The hand painted ceramic planters resembling faces are very common in Sicily and are modern versions of those seen in many museums.  Like this one, they are often placed on balconies

Gateway to Bruges

This is actually a composite of two of my Belgium photos. The wooden doorway is actually a part of the Ghent castle property and the view through the doorway is a street near the train station in Bruges. I added a texture for which I have no source, unfortunately, as well as several adjustment layers in Photoshop CS3.

Lion Door Knocker

Ornate brass door knocker seen in Brussels, Belgium.
Texture by Brenda Starr.

Palm Leaves and Lattice

I've added a gold adjustment layer and vignette to a photo of some palm leaves that I took in the gardens of Balboa Park in San Diego.

Catch the Wind

I noticed these banner kites attached to a pole at a campsite above the beach at Carlsbad. I decided to replace the plain blue sky with a more interesting texture from Stephanie in Love.

Bikes in Brussels

Bicycles for rent on the Place Agora near our Brussels hotel. This is a popular and busy square, surrounded by restaurants and hotels. There was also a flea market underway on this day.
Canvas texture by Shadowhouse Creations.

Brussels Clock

The Jacquemart carillion on the Mont des Arts in Brussels was built for the 1958 World's Fair and originally depicted 12 folkloric and historic Belgian figures. The figure on top represents the Brussels mayor, who strikes the bell on every hour.
Texture by Ellen vd.

Star of India

I captured this image a few years back during a visit to San Diego. I wanted to experiment with a new process, trying for an aged look.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations.

Lions at Leisure

This image began with a photo of two lionesses sunning themselves at the San Diego Safari Park.
Textures by boccacino and Paree Erica have been added.

Lorikeets

These lorikeets at the San Diego Safari Park were hoping for a handout of nectar. I watched several of them swarm two small children who were holding cups of nectar. These were waiting their turn.
Textures by Shadowhouse Creations.

Antares

A statue of Antares, the butterfly-winged love god and brother of Eros, in a small grotto at the Villa Ephrussi in the South of France.
Textures by Joes Sistah and Eddi Van W.

Gardens of the Fountain, Nimes

The Jardins de la Fontaine in Nimes was laid out in the 18th century as paths alongside canals, stairs and sculpture. You can also view ruins dating back to Roman times.
Texture by Shadowhouse Creations.