Macro Saturday

I spent yesterday morning getting to know my new Macro lens (Nikor 105mm, VR). I must say, I'm a bit surprised at the versatility of it. I'd also say, though I'm no expert on equipment, VR (Vibration Reduction) is a must in any lens I might add to my collection. The pics of the pups yesterday were also taken using this lens, as were the these ...

Reflection of My Day
(reflection in glass door)



Green (Sunlight through Palmetto Palm Frond)



Green II (Sunlight through Fern)
I like how the macro blacked out the background

Tenderness
The selective focus almost makes this image seem photoshopped

Thanks to the Palms and Ferns, there's still something with color to shoot out in our yard. We might not have gotten any snow, but it was a cold winter for us, with many frosts. Lots and lots (LOTS) of pruning to be done (great exercise, anyway). Got a good start on the front yard yesterday afteroon and now it's time to get back out there again ...

Enjoy your day!
xoxo

Dog Day Afternoon

What a beautiful day! A million things I could (and probably should!) be doing, but instead, I'm enjoying a Dog Day Afternoon with The Girls, the Boatman and my camera ...

Tanqueray "Oh Cabana Boy! Where are you with my snacks?"

Tequila & Tugboat - Best Buds

Tugboat "I brushed my teeth Mom, look!"

Update on picks of the pics (for my entry to the photo contest) ... 

Kings (pic 3) .......... 4 Votes

Enchanted (pic 1) ... 3 Votes

Merangue (pic 2) .... 2 Votes

Dog's Life (pic 8) .... 2 Votes

Have you voted yet?

xoxo

Show Worthy? Help Me Decide ...

I'm thinking about entering a local photo contest. Actually, it's bigger than that. Its a national contest that will be held locally, with the top 50 entries to displayed at a very prestigious art center here in town. I'm certain of two things ... 1) It's very likely out of my league and 2) I don't care, I want to enter anyway :) What I don't know, is what to enter!

There's no subject category for this contest and there's only one entry per applicant.Eeeeks! What to enter?! Below are a few I picked that I feel have a certain essence, but judging one's own art is a just a weird thing. Of course I'm going to have attachment to it, it's my vision, my memory ... how do I know if I'm being too sentimental, too judgemental?

So I'm hoping for input ... please give me your votes, opinions, suggestions ...


Enchanted



Sunset Meringue



Kings of The Road

 

Boy Watching Sunset



Living The Life



Romantic Flame



Fantastical Friday



Dogs Life

I'm leaning towards the Kings of The Road because I thinks it's a sharp image, has a photojournalistic quality to it (street scene), with an unexpected twist of characters.

What do you think?

PS: You don't have to be a blogger member to post a comment; just select "comment as: anonymous".

More from the Gardens ...

A few more pics from our trip to Naples Botanical Gardens.

So many nooks and crannies to this place! There was a tiny garden, near the entrance to the Butterfly house, that reminded me a bit of the treasures in our own yard (the pottery post). Besides the Unicycle and huge Toad pictured below, there were a variety of unexpected items used as planters: handbags, a pair of ladies cowboy boots, even a toaster! It was all very artsy, interesting and, in some cases (an aqua colored toilet), humorous.

Unicycle finds new Life as Garden Art

Honey Bee with full Pollen Sacs



Huge Toad! I almost expected his tongue to whip out and grab a bug!



Macro Monarch

In the Butterfly House ... My, what pretty colors you have!

I really loved this shoe! Hope to catch it again, in better light next time.



In the Butterfly House ... My, what pretty wings you have!

I have a few more to share from this adventure ... next post :)

Photo Adventure ~ Naples Botanical Garden

We (my friend Vicki and my Aunt Mary) went to the Naples Botanical Garden this Saturday ...
Photo-Topia! What a beautiful park! We spent 2-1/2 hrs and didn't even hit every spot in it. It's defintely a place worth multiple visits! There's more to post from this adventure, bur here are a few of my favs from the day ...



Lizard Getting Drink from Pink Flower

Lotus to Reflection: "You complete me"



Texture! Love the "hair", the color and the water drops :)



Bee on Passion Flower



The Mean Tree! N'uff said?



I Love Reflections!



Romanesque



All natural Teakwood Pagoda; imported from Borneo

Capturing moving water is always a fun challenge!



 

Update on the bunnies :/... so bummed to report that neither bunny made it :( One died the first night and the second one the following evening. They were so very tiny. It also dawned on me today to wonder if they were a bit out of season (January bunnies?); even in Florida this seems a bit out of season. Sigh... we tried; not much else you can do.

Shooting The Moon

Wednesday nights full Moon ... Expect to see these again around Halloween!

Trapped Moon (Palmetto Palm against Moon)

Enlightened Moom (Xmas Lights against Moon)

Hallows Eve Moon (Ivy Leaves against Moon)

All auto/no flash, free-hand, cropped only :)

Tomorrow morning I'm headed off to Naples Botanical Garden with Vicki & my Aunt Mary (Ree), so I hope to post some more photos soon (and hopefully of the bunnies!).

Baby-Bunny-Mama-Drama

On Wednesday evening our min-pin, Tequila, discovered a bunny nest less than 10-feet from our front door, in a shallow nest at the base of a pony-tail palm. Ray had only seen the head of one and thought it was a mole.

On Thursday morning, I discovered a tiny dead little creature. I wasn't sure what it was, but was certain it wasn't a mole. Later that evening, while out taking pictures of that fabulous full moon, Tequila again went near the nest, which apparently caused one of them to come out. Thankfully I caught her before she caused any damage (heart attack!). She apparently only nudged it with her nose, as evidenced by the wet mark on it's neck. The poor thing was obviously stressed, rolling around and breathing heavy. I petted and then cupped my hand against it, and it immediately snuggled against my hand, making a suckling sound. This drew out the remaining bunny. I nudged them back towards their nest and, after several attempts, got them moved back in the nest and moved the clover leafs and mulch back over the hole (they kept coming back out).  Then I searched Florida Critters, Varmints, and Rodents. The pic that matched the closest was a bunny!

These are the pics from last night ...

I had my mom pick up a can of powdered KMS Kitten formula earlier today, just in case. Ray called  me late in the afternoon to tell me that while he'd been sitting on the front wall, they'd both come out, blindly stumbling around - seemingly searching for mom/food (only one has one eye starting to open).

Ray made a nest in a cardboard box, I fed them and they're presently resting in their new "nest " on a shelf in our bedroom closet.

I read several sites on wild bunnies and they all indicate that the mom only comes by to feed once per evening, for about 5 minutes. But the nest didn't haven't any fur around it, as is typical, and the entrance (until we roused them with our activity) did show signs of her return for two days in a row and they don't quite have the fat bellies supposed to be evident with a cared for wild bunny. I couldn't bear the thought of them starving, so ...

We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. I'll keep you posted!

Breaking The Rules - Part I

In a recent photo class we were advised to "always" use a flash (except at night); and to avoid taking pictures where the user might have to ask, "What am I looking at".

However, a few recent photos of mine came to mind, in which foregoing flash made the picture, or where use of same proved a hindrance that I couldn't quite overcome with my beloved photoshop. Secondly, a few of my favored photos are the ones where one was forced to ask, "What am I looking at?" (see Fantastical Friday post of 11/19/2010 and follow up Revelations on 12/04/2010); so long as it's interesting, I don't think the answer is imperative to enjoyment. So, I'm decidedly going to break these two rules on a regular basis.

Don't get me wrong, it was a very good, very informative class and I have volumes to learn, so I will continue to attend, to learn, and to listen (and to selectively disregard, lol)!

These first two photos were taken using my new light bar, with a yellow filter,
which seems to have really brought out the reds:

f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO-800 with filtered flash - without Tripod

f/8, 1/30 sec, ISO-200 with filtered flash - without Tripod



And these two were taken foregoing flash:



f/3.8, 1/30 sec, ISO-1100, No Flash - with Tripod

f/3.8, 1/60 sec, ISO-800, No Flash - with Tripod

I think each was best served by the selection of flash, or lack thereof (and none were subject to color saturation with photoshop). Comments?

Finding New Life From The Old

Broken, but No Less Interesting
Nikon D90, Nikkor 85mm Macro Lens, f/5.6, ISO-360



Ties That Bind
Nikon D90, Nikkor 85mm Macro Lens, f5.6, ISO-320

Here We Rest
Nikon D90, Nikkor 85mm Macro Lens, f8, ISO-250, Sepia Tone



I am a self described pack-rat! Honestly, it would be absurd of me not to openly admit this. A visit to our home will instantly reveal this. We have an eclectic collection of knick-knacks and mementos (both inside and out). Thankfully, my husband is not a minimalist and actually appreciates my creative side and very often contributes to the rediscovery and/or placement of said items.

These pieces of pottery are just a few of many examples of old treasures that find new life. In its first life here, the broken one was in the company of like little pots, that hung from the eve of our front porch. Over the years, the sun and heat dry-rotted the hemp and one by one, they fell to the rocks below (most intact, amazingly enough). I wasn't ready to give up on any them though, initially intending to "someday" re-string them (somehow including the broken one). On a recent cleaning frenzy, however, I faced the likelihood that this would not happen and decided that, if not to be discarded, they should be displayed; and so made homes for them among the garden rocks. Besides being pleased with the results, I inadvertently created another "go to" place for photos (bonus)!

Wishes to all that you can find a new way of looking at things in this new year, 2011!

xoxo

PS: If you're following me from facebook (and like my blog), please hit the "Like" button on the right column, just under the slideshow (shameless plug!). Heather wants some company there! lol

Eye Spy ... A New Year!

I've been enjoying the long weekend, taking a close look at things ... that is, getting to know my new macro lens ...

Eye Spy ... Me!

Moss

Ant Warrior (note: missing antennae)

Deer Track

Vine

Garden Angel

When you're lonely, I wish you Love! When you're down, I wish you Joy! When you're troubled, I wish you Peace! When things seem empty, I wish you Hope! Have a Happy New Year!

xoxo