Tulips in Motion

Studio Flowers

I have a bouquet of flowers sitting in my studio. When the morning light comes, it sure makes me smile and I cannot resist grabbing my camera to take pictures. It is interesting that each morning, or afternoon or evening, something new catches my eye. It is never the same.

Once on my computer I brought this image into photoshop to add a texture layer. After sharpening the focal points and brightening the image up a bit, I was done.

My shutter speed was 1/13 (used a tripod), aperture f/2.8 and ISO 100. I used my 60 mm macro lens.

Midnight Steel

The full guitar need not always be included in the shot. Consider a part of the guitar as your focus.
I took this shot with my 60 mm macro lens. My shutter speed was fast as I was shooting directly into the sun: 1/3200. My aperture was f/2.8 which allowed for some sweet bokeh.

Shooting into the Light

The most interesting details can come alive in some subjects when shooting into the light. I took this image of these flowers in a vase directly in front of a window. Shooting from behind and maybe at a bit of a an angle to the light source, the translucent petals showed their delicate veining so beautifully.

Blowing out the window in order to get adequate exposure on the flowers was no problem. I didn't want any of that in the image to distract from the subject.

I much preferred this image in black and white so I converted it from colour in Lightroom.

I shot at a speed of 1/50 with an aperture of f/2.8. My ISO was 100 and I was using my 60 mm macro lens.

Baby's Breath

One wee tiny baby's breath.

Colour Splash

Snow Keeps Falling

I thought I was done with the snowflake pics but this morning's gentle snowfall drew me outside again.

Chilling with the Flakes

Finally

Here is the November 30 post in November's Pic of the Day album. I have finished the challenge and posted an image each day except for one in the album you'll find here. It was harder than I thought, not because I don't shoot every day...I do. Taking a picture and choosing a picture that I thought was good enough for the album was a challenge...and sometimes I was in a rush to do so...so I posted and then ended up taking better pictures, more interesting pictures later in the day. And so it went.

Composing this picture, I decided to have the more interesting things in the lower corner of the shot, leaving negative space up top as a contrast. The yellow lily in the background made for a brilliant backdrop. I was using my 60 mm macro lens with an aperture of f/2.8 so the lily was only colour, instead of detail that would distract.

My shutter speed was 2.5 seconds so you'll guess correctly that I used my tripod for this shot. My ISO was 100.

28/30

This is 28 of 30 in November's Pic of the Day album. Almost done!

I was in too much of a rush! I left the persimmon out and as the light changed I continued to snap. I think I prefer this second one over the first. What about you?

Morning Light in the Garden

Like a Whisper in My Ear

I can almost feel this.

Summer is Sad Today

Taken through my screened window with my macro lens, I used f/2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/25. Admittedly, this shot is on the blurry side but I decided against re-shooting. Who sees clearly through tears?

Going against my protocol of using ISO 100, I bumped this up to 500 because of the low light on this rainy day - and because I did not want to haul out my tripod.

My shooting is definitely impacted by the sunshine, or lack of sunshine. Still moved to show you what I see on grey days, I find the results are touched by lower energy yet still true to what is.

Pod

My daughter planted a vegetable garden before she left for the summer.
Her efforts are beginning to pay off.

I took this picture early in the morning; the light was beautiful. Placing the pod on a rough railway tie, I began to shoot.

What I love about this image is the contrast between rough and smooth, colour and neutrals, lines and curves, new and old.

Sharpening up the image and bumping up the contrast in processing helped to accentuate these things. Adding a soft layer warmed the blues of the morning light just enough.

How this might look framed.

On Closer Inspection

Look closely at the ordinary; it is exceptional.

When you are out and about be sure to have your camera, even if you are out and about in very familiar surroundings. There is always something new to see.

What you see from a distance is not the same on closer inspection. Use those feet of yours and your knees too if you have to, to get in close and see what there is to see. The ordinary weed or bloom about to burst open is really an exceptional sight!

For this shot, I used my 60 mm prime lens with settings of 1/125 and f2.8. There is an obvious texture layer over-top but I was careful to make sure it was not over-the-top - less is more and more is less, yes?

Whisper's Breath

Slice of Summer

Today we had a slice of summer. It was hot, sunny and beautiful here in the city. After a trail walk, what better way to cool off than with a little citrus?

Using my macro lens I got in nice and close, putting more focus on the citrus slice than the glass it was perched on. I thought about cropping this square, leaving the glass out entirely but decided against it as the glass is still important, just not most important. Taking the image into photoshop, I added some texture and a teal overlay to create visual interest.

Choosing Perspective - Hyacinth

Often I will get down on my hands and knees and sometimes I'll even be belly-to-the ground to get shots of flowers. I find that the lower perspective makes for a more interesting photo just as getting down to the eye level of a child and then taking their picture almost always makes for a better photo than standing and shooting downward.

Here I've chosen otherwise and I think the exception to my habit has turned out pretty well.

Enchanted Garden

Sweet Morning

I pulled back the curtains this morning and saw that my grape hyacinths had bloomed...overnight it seemed. What a sweet morning greeting!

Getting close, and then closer still was the magic in this morning greeting. How often do we miss details like the white lips of the bells gently opening to the earth below? The rest of the garden did not help tell this sweet hello so I moved in with my macro lens and shut out the rest, the noise, the clutter.

Using some sepia toned layering in processing enhanced the images in a way that was pleasing for me.