Category: Flowers

Lens-Artists Challenge #247 Back Lit Photos

Anne-Christine tells me that “backlighting is a great way to create stunning, eye-catching effects. Here are a handful of specific images you can make with backlighting: Street and portrait silhouettes, bird-in-flight silhouettes, portraits, and macros with beautiful background bokeh, landscape silhouettes, and sunset/sunrise landscapes.”

Glass

I always enjoy looking at glass objects. I found some of these images in stores, in windows, and in displays.

I first saw an example of Chihuly glass at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The first and third photographs are examples displayed at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.

Chihuly Glass
Seattle Underground Tour
Cary House Hotel in Placerville Ca

The next two stain glass signs are located on my sister-in-law’s property in Indianapolis, Indianna. They are created from images of the property.

Animals

Wild Turkeys strutting their stuff
A spider has cast its web at the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve
Great White Egret found at UC Davis Arboretum

The Oakland Zoo features some interesting exhibits like fruit bats and primates.

Flora

Pets

Here my grandson is holding his pet Love Bird Peaches.

I can’t believe my grandson will be 26 years old this week.

Canine Companions starts training early.

Learning all about the leash.
Fun watching dock diving at Petapalooza years ago

Black puppies are particularly hard to photograph. Lighting is key. Libby was an English Black Labrador Retriever and my very first dog. I waited 40 years for her! It has been 4 years ago this month that we parted.

This is Liberty Love at 8 weeks.
Here is Moxie! Backlit.

Lots of images benefit from backlit lighting. I hope that you may be inspired to look at the world from a new perspective. Positive, beautiful and peaceful.

Lens-Artists Challenge #244 Glowing Moments

Siobhan from Bend Branches created this challenge. “What glowing moments have been special in your life?”

I looked up the definition of “Glow” and found that I was looking through my library and paying attention to lighting.

Flowers

Lighting from the back is my way of capturing flower power.

Tulips and daffodils are a sign of spring.

Backlit pink tulips, and a narrow depth of field soft daffodils
Beautiful rose
Captured this flower in high-key lighting
This little beetle found its way on a California Poppy

Sunrise and Sunset always emit a glow

Sedona, Arizona offers a great opportunity to capture sunrise and sunsets. In August, it is best to get up early for sunrise, take an midday nap, and watch the sun go down. Plan to eat a later dinner.

Water glowing

Dewdrops on a spiderweb
Swimmers splashing in the golden hour
Slow shutter speed captures a water glow of a fountain

Painting with light

Does this doll conjure up a movie?
Playing with glow stick and flashlight as I paint with light

Slowing down the shutter speed can make for some interesting effects.

Tunnel lights
I have so much fun being a passenger

Thank you for taking the time to view my idea of glowing moments. Enjoy your own glowing moments, stay safe, and be kind!

Lens-Artists Challenge #241 Spring

This week Sophia invited me to show you what Spring means to me. Is it about new beginnings, nature reborn, or a new chance to go and enjoy the outdoors?
When I think of spring in Sacramento, I think of saturated colors. After our years of drought, California has seen generous dowsing of rainfall. Many of our old oak trees have been taken down because their shriveled roots could not hold up the tree. They are calling these rains “atmospheric rivers”. I say, everything in moderation. Nature is not listening to me.

First – Almond blossoms

Daffodils show up next

This usually got us going up to Daffodil Hill. But the crowds overcame the little town of Volcano, and the local farmer closed his farm to visitors. I remember times in the past when there were few visitors during the week. Too bad.

The Crystal Hermitage Gardens bloom with tulips.

Located in Nevada City, and this year tickets need to be purchased before the visit. This will limit visitors, and make the visit more tranquil.

This year the rainy season has created many changes. But soon the wildflowers will be on full display. Among my favorites are the Californian Poppies.

Full disclosure here – none of these photographs were taken this year. Plans to visit Ananda and the Crystal Hermitage Garden will happen in April. I missed the almond blossoms with all the rain we have been blessed with. My own plants are also waiting for things to dry up. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

When I sit outside with my coffee, and Moxie suns herself I hear many birds, That is enjoyable. But not something that my camera captures.

What do you like about the upcoming season?

Lens-Artists Challenge #237 Bringing Softness

This week Bren challenged me to use processing magic in my photographs. I am particularly pleased with this push to use more of the features in my Adobe Lightroom Classic software. It has been a while since I left my college classes. I enjoy photography, and I have gotten comfortable with my camera. I must say that I often rely on the same settings and processing steps. So I want to thank Bren for showing me what I have been missing. Now I know what masking and clarity can do for my images.

There are so many advances to this program. Today it was fun to try using masking to either bring down the clarity or increase clarity to highlight the subject. This technique can be applied to flowers, landscapes, and architecture. Lowering the clarity and creating softness in those areas frames the subject in an image, be it a tree, path, bridge, even a door or house, or just a dreamy-looking image. 

In these photographs the difference is subtle
Along with changing the clarity I also changed the background lighting
I took this photograph in Bodie, Ca.

My pareidolia is playing tricks again. Can you see what I see in the following photograph?

Iris from Horton Iris Garden
Red Pagoda Succulent

With this technique, I am able to improve my photographs.. But mostly I use i my macro lens or I choose a large aperture to decrease my depth of field and try and set my subject apart from the background.

I hope that you enjoyed my blog post, and again thanks Lens-Artists.