flowers

flowers

May 22, 2013

Fishing Guy chose "flowers" for this week's Headbanger's theme.  Take your Benadryl and check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

Taking flower pictures is almost intuitive if you have a camera in your hands, isn't it?  By that I mean that if you have a camera and see something nice in the flower genre, it's hard not to snap a pic of it, right?  For me, they represent a challenge, because so many people do such a fine job taking flower pics (like my friend George).  Nevertheless, I can't help myself.  I like the challenge of figuring out how to work the light source(s), shadows and camera settings, so that I capture minute and delicate details without letting the brilliant colors overpower the sensor.  As wonderful as our cameras may be, they still fall far short of the capabilities of the human eye.  Don't forget: you can click on any image to enlarge it.
 

I liked the little "florets" within the flower here.  Reds are usually hard for me.

Don'tcha love the curly-q filaments?

Forgive me, but these tiny details make me think of nose hairs.  Sorry.

 

Besides the proverbial "red challenge," I liked how this shot serves as the poster child for the anatomy of the flower.  Here we clearly see inside the petals to the stamen and pistil.

This shot arrested me with its unique direction of sunlight and shadowy background.

They're so full, it's almost fluffy!

Oh, the texture on these petals!

A favorite technique of mine... low flash on the subject with the sunset in the background.

"...not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers." (Luke 12:27)

spring colors

Spring Colors

May 8, 2013

Lew picked this week's Headbanger's theme.  We are going with "Spring Colors."  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

For me, Forsythia is what does it.  It has become to me the official announcement that Spring has arrived.  This started some years ago when I learned that the right time to put the first application of lawn product is when you see the Forsythia bloom in the same region.  That's how you know what's happening under the turf with the insidious Crabgrass, and you can catch it before it grows up and chokes out the good grasses like Fescue, Rye and Kentucky Bluegrass.  I used a polarizing filter for the header shot, because I wanted to show the deep blue in the sky in contrast to the gorgeous Forsythia in full bloom.
 

Spring offers a lot of options for this theme, and here are some other ideas.  I hope you like them.

a neighbor's tulips just before sunset

a pretty pixie hides among paper flowers

Periwinkle experiment with selective B&W

a Magnolia tree's first bloom

Crocus buds emerging from rain-drenched soil

I'm fond of this one--it's a juvenile (American) Robin up close and personal

the color purple

Header Challenge:the color purple

May 13, 2013

The Color Purple was Fishing Guy's choice for today's challenge.  This is my favorite color.  I associate it with royalty.  Purple had special significance in Bible times.  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

pollen covered bee inside the crocuses

reversed (negative) shot of the light green decoration in my home

 For some reason, I thought that I lost last year's crocus photos.  They sprouted on Saint Patrick's Day (March 17).  Up until a couple days ago, they were buried under a thick blanket of snow, so I panicked and looked for purple in the stores.  That's what I used for the vertical collage on the left.  [click to enlarge]  While visiting this particular store, I saw someone I knew, and she asked if I was "allowed" to take pics of those items in the store.  Maybe it was because I temporarily rearranged some for lighting and composition.  Maybe it was whether we must always ask permission before taking pics.  This lady was probably thinking the latter.  I figure that if I was taking purple pics one time, and not compromising store security, there is no harm in snapping a few pics.  If they didn't like it and asked me to stop, I would certainly comply.  As you can see though, I did indeed recover last year's crocus pics as well as a couple other things around the house.

another home decoration

 

fold

Header Challenge: fold

May 6, 2013

Katney picked "fold" for today's challenge. I was afraid it would be tricky, but once I started looking, I found it wasn't too hard to find good folds to use. Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

This week I picked African headwraps from Sierra Leone for my header.  It's like one long satin scarf that they wind and fold to create a distinguished and ornate, flower-like flare to their attire.  I do not remember the women's exact title, but these ladies were like the "Aunties," or esteemed friends of the Mother-in-Law.  Trying to photograph a wedding from another culture can have its challenges, but I was honored that they asked me.

folding and stretching homemade taffy  (Mrs. Craver snapped this shot.)
Yes, that's me on the left.  My good friend Sharon is on the right.

little girl in a giant pile of folded paper flowers

African headwraps from Sierra Leone