I take pictures nearly every day and have done so since 2011. I’m a member of Capture Your 365, although as time goes on, I don’t follow the prompts very well anymore.

In this case, I was captivated by the loveliness of my neighbor’s front porch – the comfy looking chairs, the bright flowers and the green tree / shrubs are made for bright colors. It’s a porch that anyone would sit on to view the neighborhood and visit with friends. Of course, her and I tend to stand in the street as we visit since we often have a dog on a leash!

My neighbors are often my muse. I’ve taken pictures of their trees, flowers, side yards and back yards. They’ve nicely moved cars and locked up dogs when I asked. I’ve gotten some very nice pictures right around where I live, such as this snow scene taken from my driveway.

I’m not alone in finding my neighbors to be my muse. The American father and son painters, N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth, both painted frequently from the environment around them. They painted the landscapes and farmers, men and women. I was fascinated at the Brandywine Museum in Chadd’s Ford, Pennsylvania at how many of their paintings were of their neighbors and farms. Clearly, where they lived had a strong influence on what appealed to them for their paintings.

The front porch photo was finished using Topaz Cartoon, textures from 2 Lil’ Owls (Chalky Bits, Soft Grunge and Black Magic), and a torn paper border from ON1.

The ice covered trees was from my cell phone and finished using Snapseed.

Architecture Photography Topaz Labs Andrew Wyeth Capture Your 365 front porch neighbors Snapseed