I hope 2023 has started off well for you! As much as the new year symbolizes hope and new beginnings, there are times in life when things don't turn out the way we want, or unpleasant situations occur that are beyond our control. Rather than commiserate with others (although that may bring a sense of comfort), we can look at it from another perspective and try to find positive aspects from the situation. As the saying goes, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"! 

Those who live in my neighbourhood (and many others in Toronto) will have noticed the increased number of pigeons in the city over the past few years. They became such a nuisance that I had to install netting on my balcony to prevent them from making a home there, and leaving a mess which I had to clean up on a weekly basis. Although the pigeons are now kept away from settling in my balcony, they dot the nearby overhead wires making it a risk to walk directly underneath - you'll notice many people now pulling hoods over their heads before walking there! 

On a foggy day I captured this image from across the street - this series continues on both the left and right sides...

Pigeons on Wires-Grey

It made me wonder what song they're composing on the wires, like musical notes on the 3-lined staff. I turned it into the image below by adding a vintage texture, giving it a brighter feel. From this perspective, and enhanced by the delicate patterns in the texture, they don't appear to be such a nuisance, right? Don't they make a beautiful art piece?
 

Pigeons on Wires-Texture

If you're living in the Northern Hemisphere, there's still a few more weeks of winter before spring officially arrives (as predicted by several groundhogs last week). You may be experiencing a case of winter blues with the cold temperatures and grey skies. Even on such days, there are art pieces to be found if we brave the cold and go out to explore. 

This is a tree trunk just outside my building, covered with snow blown onto it from one side. I was captured by its simple curvature and the patterns formed on it by the snow, complemented by the thin branches poking out from the sides.
 

Winter Art-original

My first instinct was to turn it into a black-and-white image, as it most closely resembled its original tones in the image above.

  Winter Blues-BnW

To create an image with more artistic feel, I applied an oil painting and canvas filter, producing the result below. This is more inline with the winter blues theme, don't you think? Which of these versions do you prefer? 

Winter Blues-canvas

As shown in these examples, we can find ways to turn nuisances and winter blues into photo art. What are your tips for "turning lemons into lemonade"?

May 2023 bring fresh opportunities and positivity into all areas of your life!