Grape Leaf

Our grapevine is out of control. In a few days time with the help of some heavy rains it has grown and reached well beyond its usual borders.

I took advantage of my perspective as I was sitting at my dining table, getting some work done. Though a windy day, this leaf was pretty still, clinging to my window, beautifully backlit by the daylight. I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of shots with my macro lens, wanting to get as much of the detailed pattern in the veining as possible.

Still wanting to add to the image, I brought it into photo shop to add a texture layer, partly for mood and partly to mask my dirty windows!

Light

May Light shine through me.

House Finch

We have some house finches nesting in our grapevine this year. We've had robins in the past but never house finches. They are active, sing sweetly, and so much fun to watch through my dining room window.

I set up my tripod with my camera and 75 - 300 mm zoom lens and waited. They are fast birds, that is for sure but using a 1/1000 shutter speed helped me to keep up - mostly. I got a few shots of males perched on the branches but those were not as interesting to me as this male taking off to get some more building supplies.

After the Storm

A stormy night gives way to morning. Having caressed her face, a raindrop lingers for a moment before dropping to the ground.

The visit to the leaf's surface refreshes. Reaching deep into her soil, it sustains.

I used my 60 mm macro lens to capture this drop. I didn't bother with my tripod. Instead I chose to put my camera on burst-mode. I used a faster shutter speed, hoping at least one of the shots would be sharp. As the wind moved the leaf, the speed of shooting managed to catch a few decent shots.

I'll leave you with one more picture from the same shoot.

New Life

Tired and withered. Bare and parched.
Until now.
New life is born.

I used my 60 mm macro lens to get deep into the grapevine where the new life was hiding.  Using the lattice work, the vine and the brick lines I framed this young leaf just a little off centre. She is angled slightly, creating some depth and interest with the blurred side of the leaf.