Photo by Louis.
c2011 (S)
The above picture was created with a digital camera and two different editing programs. The effects were generated using Paint.NET, which is a free download. The free version has certain features withheld, but I use it with the limitations it has.
I used the colour select and the 'bucket' to make the sky all one colour in Paint, for example, while using Nero Photosnap to tilt the photo a half a degree in order to straighten up the horizon, a horizon which disappeared in the final picture.
This is actually a beach scene, whereas it looks like the side of a sand-dune. Possible improvements would include touching up the fine screen of curving branches, and that's about it. Other effects include ink drawing and oil paint effects, sharpening, brightness and contrast, and the 'curves' tool in Paint.NET.