Purple Pansy - Macro Mode with Camera +

I liked the light shining on this colorful pansy. Used Camera  + app to take the image. I cropped it slightly for better compostion.  Adjusted some midtones and highlights with sliders. Vignette applied. Image was sharpened slightly. Post editing done in PSE 11. It was necessary to use some cloning in PSE 11 to get rid of some stray artifacts I did not notice when I was  taking the image. It would make a pretty note card

Leo Does Not Recognize iPhone as a Camera

Normally, Leo, does not let you take a picture of him.  I had my iPhone out and he did not recognize it as a camera.  If he sees a regular camera which is bigger he immediately gets up and comes toward you.  It is like he thinks it is food or ?
Jack's incandescent light was on by his chair.  I tried putting a filter on in Instagram and sent the picture out to my friends on Instagram.  He is part Rhodesian Ridgeback but the rest of him is probably a mixture.  He was a rescue dog.  The grandkids like to take him for walks and he gets lots of petting when they vixit.  Strawberries are coming in season in NC.  I once took a photo of him eating strawberries and it won honorable mention  for the "people" category because some of the judges were dog lover's.

Lady Banks Rose - Close Up Mid-April 2015

My neighbor has a Lady Banks rose growing around his lamp post. I tried to get a close up of the yellow blooms.  This rose is an early blooming variety. It is native to central and Northern China. It can grow quite tall. It is practically thornless, though it may bear some prickles up to 5 mm long, particularly on stout, strong shoots. The leaves are evergreen, 4–6 cm long, with three to five (rarely seven) leaflets 2–5 cm long with a serrated margin. The flowers are small, 1.5-2.5 cm diameter, white or pale yellow with semi-double or double petals. All Lady Banks' roses are said to smell of violets to varying degrees. The rose is named after Lady Banks, the wife of the botanist Sir Joseph Banks (after whom the Banks Peninsula is named

Lily of the Valley Close Up of 1 stalk

Lily of the Valley is one of my favorite plants.  When I was in grade school I would stay after school at my Grandmother's house.  In May the Lily of the Valley were in bloom next to the sidewalk. I had a great facination with these flowers and their smell.  It is not an easy flower to photograph because the stems have a tendency to blow in the wind if there is even the slightest hint of a breeze.  The flowers are not all in the same plane and so can be difficult to get all the flowers on the stem in sharp focus.   I had to try several days to get the shot I liked.  Only cropped slightly and sharpened.   These were in a neighbor's yard, but I am hoping I can try again when mine bloom. I used Camera + app to take the photo.  I feel that it helps to get better control of exposure and focus than the native app.  I think it would make a pretty note card.  

Oriental Pink & White Lilies & CU of Stamens

Mother's Day is not for about 3 weeks, but I was shopping at Lowe's on Wed. and saw these Asian lilies for sale.  There were 5 stalks and only one starting to bud out. I purchased it with the intention of taking images, but it is also has a wonderful fragrance. 

Because of the low 40 degree temps outside at night I brought the pot in the kitchen.  I must admit my kitchen smells much like my memories of a funeral parlor.  They did not have any Stargazer cultivars but I bought one with similar colors called After Eight Oriental Lily.  The image on the left is of several blooms with the pot setting on some grass as a backgrounf.  The image on the right is a close up which I liked that leading lines from the petals direct you to the center.  This was taken with the Camera+ app--used some macro slider to get closer to the center stamens.  I used Camera+ app to crop but the clariy and exposure filters I did not like.  So I used PS 11 and to sharpen a tad.  More blooms have popped out and I still have about 5 more in the bud stage.  I plan to plant in the garden and have for Mother's Day next year.  

Lavender Shortbread Cookies with Milkglass Plate

Took lavender shortbread cookies for lunch at the Herb Sale for the NC Unit of the H.S.A. I used outdoor lighting and square photo format. The plate of cookies  was placed on a purple tee shirt. This milk glass dinnerware I inherited from my Mother. It was common to obtain with gas purchase at the filling stations during the depression or shortly thereafter.  ??Pattern unknown.  I only have salad plates, cups & saucer, creamer & sugar container, and large serving platter for cake or cookies.  Because of the sheen of the glass at different angles it was difficult not to get some highlights.  I added some sprigs of lavender blossoms.  The original photo showed the background more blue than purple, so, I used PSE to change the background color to purple and applied a vignette.

Rain Drops Falling on MyFront Car Window - Abstract Trees

Last week we had  a lot of rain.  I admit this abstract photo was not my original idea.  A friend of mine had taken a similar image and posted on FB.  She shot in shade and lighting was actually about this color. I used the front car window of my Prius to capture this image of the tall trees in my backyard with the raindrops out of focus. This image was originally shot in color but I decided to use color variations in PSE 11 to give it a different more painterly appearance.  The leaves were just starting to come out . If I ever get into using my phots for digital art, I am sure this would be one I might start with as a background, change the opacity. and try other filters. I did end up sharing the image on the FB page for the iPhone Photo Academy yesterday.  

Iris Blooming in the Neighborhood 4/22/2015

When I lived in Ohio, we always associated the blooming of Iris in association with Memorial Day.  The irises in my NC neighborhood started blooming about a week ago. I took one image of a small clump, but then used Camera + to zoom and use the macro mode for a CU.  I could see down into thethroat center of the iris. I did the post processing in Camera +.  The image on the left was not cropped.  I did adjust sliders for shadows, highlights and midtone...plus sharpened to bring out the veins and color in both images.  HDR mode was used. I think I will post the close up image on the iPhone Academy FB page.   .

Storm Clouds in the Neighborhood

Yesterday on my neighborhood walk there were some storm clouds.  The best I could do was to try to capture the tops of some trees in the foreground. If you really don't look close, the shape of the middle tree almost looks like a mountain top.  This cloudy sky was not a precursor to a funnel cloud & tornado.   We only got a couple sprinkles.  I did some minor cropping of trees that were on the right, but no major post processing edits or filters.  The image was taken in color HDR mode. Because of the height of the cloud, format was best in vertical mode.

Taco Pie Served at a Luncheon for My Stampin Buddies 4/17/15

Last week I made a taco pie as the main dish for a meet up with my stamping buddies.  So I took a picture of it using what I call my outdoor studio, i.e.somewhere outside on my deck.   I had a difficult time with my background using various cloths.  I really did not want to spend a lot of time fixing this post processing.  So, I just used the dropper to select a color and then use the paint bucket to fill in the background in PSE 11.  Well, it did clip part of the silver edging on the right side of the plate but I am going to post anyway.  It is not like I am submitting this for a magazine or contest. Basically it is like a lasagna with a Mexican flavor.  I did use scoops corn chips crushed instead of the corn tortillas which can get soggy if you make this up ahead of time. You could vary the seaonings in the meat, the condiments and toppings and have various hot sauces available.  My friends do not like jalapenos nor do "spicy".  I got the recipe called "One Dish Taco Pie" from the spring issue 2015 BHG Ground Beef Recipes. Jack and I have been enjoying the leftovers.

Savory Herb of the Year 2015 - Macro & CU Images

I 
This week is the annual Herb Sale for the Herb Society of America - NC Unit.  They wanted some photos for a display board since savory is "Herb of the Year 2015". My winter savory (Satureja montana) has come back. On the right I took a macro image with the Camera+app with overcast skies. We were having a light rain.  The left image is a sprig close up that I took with overhead halogen lighting (over my cooktop stove).  The sheet of cardstock I used was actually white but the camera saw it differently. I used minimal editing using PSE 11--slight sharpening, increasing lightness/darkness. .  
Winter savory is a perennial.  Summery savory (Satureja hortensis) is an annual.  Both have a peppery flavor if you taste the raw leaf.  At one time when pepper was expensive, it was used as a substitute flavoring.   I have made herbal vinegars and plan to try using in some for mini biscuits or savory recipes as well as other Mediterranean herb mixtures. May post some of those images for culinary uses of savory tomorrow.  

Tree Bark with Diagonal Texture & Invert Variation

I found a tree on my walk yesterday that had a deep diagonal pattern in it's barkamd some very small patches of lichens. Not sure what kind of tree as leaves just now starting to come out.  It looked like a great image to use for texture "as is" or to play with various filters in PSE or other photo apps.  The image on the left is the orginal with some adjustment of shadows, midtones and sharpened in PSE 11.  The  image on the right I further enhanced by darkening.2 steps and increased the red by 3 steps.in color variations in PSE 11.  

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Selfie with the Azaelas in Bloom

I have wanting to take another selfie for awhile.  Last one was for NewYear's Day with props.  My neighbor's azaelas were blooming and good backdrop to try a selfie.  The azaelas a distraction rather than looking at all my wrinkles and freckles. LOL.   I did not want to set up a tripod and it was late evening with shade.  Had to use front camera which is only 3 megapixels. It is really difficlut to know what the camera is seeing and when doing close ups--has a tendency to crop what you think you have in the LED screen.   So after maybe 20 shots this one is the best expression.  Unfortunately there is a patch of sky in the upper R corner.  I need to try again on a tripod with a self timer or using the ear buds a a cable release.  My daughter says she found a remote at Hobby Lobby called SnapIt amd requires an app. Will have to look into it.

Varigated Hosta Beginning to Leaf Out - Plus Line Drawing Texture Variation .

 My hosta plants are beginning to leaf out and I love the designs at this stage before the slugs or insects decide to have a picnic. The image on the left is the original with minimal sharpening. It was taken on an overcast day.  Decided to see what kind of texture I could get with PSE 11.For the image on the left I selected Line Drawing filter, Then tried to change opacity with some color.amd it increased the thickness of the lines. It has the highlights increased to max. I like the textured appearance. I wonder how it might look as a black and white image?  

Native Woodland Plants at Tanger Bicentennial Garden - Woodland Path 4/2/2015

Some spring wildflowers are beginning to bloom.  The one on the left is a native Virginia bluebell (Botanical name: Mertensia virginica) in bloom at the Tanger Bicentennial Garden, Greensboro, NC. on the "Wildflower Path".   It is important to know the botanical name when identifying plants as common names can be misleading.  I try to take a picture of the labeling marker when it is present in a garden to help me remember when I look on the computer or want to obtain more information about the plant.  When these first start to bloom the buds are a pink color but turn to blue as they mature.   I took this in the square format and would be a good photo to send on Instagram.  Another wildflower on the path (image on right).was a Celandine poppy  or wood poppy which is also a native woodland plant.             ( Botanical name:  Stylophorum diphyllum). HDR mode was on for both images which had minimal  post editing--mostly sharpening in PSE 11.

Tree Bramches with Photographer Silhouette

Tried to take tree branch silhouette but captured myself in the foreground. Do not know why there is texture artifacts on the tree trnks and the photographer image. I did not like the scene which was taken in color. Converted to sepia under old time filter in PSE 11.   Unfortunately there is a white line  across the top 1/3 of the photo that is the curb         The leaves of this maple tree just starting to leaf out.  Could use in an art journaling page with other photo related images.

Azaelas and Dogwood in Bloom on Green Needle Dr. (A Neighbor's House)

This time of year, my neighborhood has a lot of spring flowers blooming
So, it is not easy to say I am not going to take pictures of flowers.   Sometimes I am more into closeups or macro, but today I am posting a picture that I think represents some of the beuaty of spring in the Triad of NC.  We have a lot of azaelas and dogwoods that start blooming about the first week of April.   In fact, the Wilmington area has a big festival which has been on my "wish list" for years. My neighbor has a lot of varieties and colors of azaelas. I like this one best taken at an angle which limits the distortion caused by small sensor in the iPhone.
The one pink cultivar I like has double petals and when it first starts to bloom. It reminds me of a small rose.when taken as a macro. It blooms about 10 days later than the others.  I may have to take a selfie when that cultivar is in bloom.  I am posting a close up of one of the pink ones within her display.of these azaelas. Azaelas and rhododrens can be difficult to find an image with everything in focus because not all blossoms in the same plane.

Erynn & Logan Viewing Fish Tank @ Sciquarium, GSO, NC 4/10/2015

Grand children were here last week. We went to the Sciquarium, Greensboro Natural Science Center on Friday.   I previously posted a picture of the penguins.   I am posting an image like I saw done by Greensboro Daily Photo, but I took with the iPhone 5C.  You have very little control of the fish movement since fixed speed and this is a low lighting situation.  I did increase the shadows and midtones, and cropped slightly in PSE 11.  Sharpening would not help this image.  Logan is stamding in the middle and Erynn is to his right.  When I took this image no sharks were swimming past the glass.    

Cinda's Decorative Heart Box Using Polymer Clay

Cinda, my daughter, has been using polymer clay to make jewelry and decorative boxes.  She brought this one for me to see when she came to
visit last week.   Camera may not do justice to the pearlized finish unless you click to enlarge.  She and Ginger made mosaic tiles for a picture frame for us when we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary 2 years ago.  It has a very special place on our mantel.  We were supposed to work with UTTE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder) but we ran out of time for doing crafts. She got me some Vintja blanks that I need to use Ranger Patina inks for jewelry for myself or friends. Cinda also is doing some resin jewelry.  Too bad bead store in W-S closed.  

Small Sedum @ Tanger Bicentennial Garden - Texture

When I was at the Tanger Bicentennial Garden a week ago, I took an image of this small sedum.  These plants are not very big.  I did not have my Ollie Clip 4 in one macro lens with me which may have been interesting to use.  There is a lot of texture and design here.  Believe it or not, I did not do any post editing.  This is the way the camera saw it. This may be the first image that I did no editing when I posted to the blog. Now, Scott Kelby believes that every image needs sharpening.  This may be an interesting shot after it has rained.   I don't think Greensboro is going to get any more snow now.  Will see if we get snow by Dec. 3lst when this challenge ends.   .

Penguins - Greensboro Sciquarium

Went to the Scquarium at the Greensboro Natural Science Center, Greensboro, NC,  with my daughter and grand children on Friday, 4/10/2015.   I took this image throigh glass which had water spatters on it.   It wasdifficult to get a tack sharp image.  I wanted to try to get a group picture. I did edit in PSE 11.  I increased the highlights and mid-tones, cropped slightly, harpened,  and tried a little cloning of some white spots. The overhead lighting contributed to highlights and it was difficult to get the black right.  I used a vignette to help decrease highlights around the edges.  It is not like you can shoot RAW with an iPhone.

Dogwoods in the Neighborhood

Dogwoods in bloom now in my neighborhood in the Triad of NC..    I took some white blossoms and some dark pink ones. Image on left cropped, midtones increased, and sharpened. Rght image cropped, increased midtones and highlights, sharpened, applied vignette.  Both taken in HDR & edited in PSE 11.

Eggs Shells Crushed as Texture and Color

Easter traditions can include dyeing eggs. I am always looking for textures.  After I peeled some boiled eggs, I was going to crush them and spread in my garden.  However, I decided to capture an image of the crushed shells. On the right image, I used overhead stove lighting and the shells were on a dinner plate but no surface was showing.  I cropped, added highlights and mid-tones to make more colorful, sharpened in PSE 11. I tried various filters and it made very intersting backgrounds.  The left images is anrtistic filter  - neon glow.  I changed the glow size and selected white as the glow color, but moving the sliceders got a more opaque velllum look. Hard to image original image was eggs shells.

Redbud Blossoms - Tanger Garden

Redbud blossoms can be tricky to photograph, especially if it is windy.  These were part of the trunk and not a branch.   The image on the left was cropped, highlights increased, sharpened.  There is something on the trunk that I did not see when I took the picture but I am pretty sure it is not a butterfly but adds interest to the photo.  The image on the right  was an attempt to use an artistic filter in PSE 11 using the same image.  The filter used was  posterize edges and added a vignette. It would make a nice image to use as a note card.      

Fiddlehead Ferns - Tanger Wildflower Path

Yesterday my daughter, Cinda, and the grandkids arrived about 6 PM.  Forgot about posting my image from the Tanger Garden.  The wildflower path has quite a few wildflowers blooming.  Was disappointed that there were no bloodroot blooms as wanted to try a better close up.  Instead I captured a fiddle head.  Would like to get one with the macro lens, but I had Jack's iPhone and they are specific to the model. and I have the 5s.  I cropped and sharpened the image in PSE 11.  I did remove some woodland debris, but there still some there with pine needles and leaves.

Happy Easter - Handmade Card & Sentiment

Happy Easter 2015. I had planned to send out a hand crafted Easter card to my friends and family, but I just ran out of time getting that accomplished this year. . The tulip images are colored with Copic markers.

Spring is here and the flowers are calling my name to photograph and the flowers will not wait till you have time.  I am hoping it will be less windy and I can take some images later this afternoon--especially of the wildflowers and flowering quince at Tangier Bicentennial Garden.  Even capture my Easter dinner plate as     I plan to make Chicken Cordon Bleu. Yum!   Here is the Easter card some people should have received. Unfortunately, there is some distortion as not easy to get it perfect rectangle with a small sensor.  I think there is an app call SWRT? that is supposed to correct that with buildings, etc. but I have not looked into it yet.   The tulips have not started to bloom here in the Triad area of NC yet.  Next weekend is the tulip festival at the P.J. Ciener Botanical Garden.  I think I will go the day before or the day after and avoid the crowds. Good time to take other cameras besides the iPhone, especially to do macro shots.    

Daffodils in Bloom

 Daffodils are a certain sign that spring is here.  They have been blooming here in Greensboro for a good two weeks.  The close up on the right was taken on an overcast day in my neighbor's yard.   The image of the clump was taken in full sun about 9:30 AM. So, you still see some golden glow.  Sun was coming from the left  which shows some texture to the petals of the bloom in front.  Only minor editing in PSE 11.

Tres Leche - Dessert with Violas

Today I needed to bring a dessert to a luncheon for the Piedmont Herb Group.  I decided I did not have time to make any dessert from a recipe.  I had tasted a Tres Leche a friend had purchased at Costco.
However, since this was an herb group and violas are edible, I decided to decorate the top with various colored violas from my garden.  I had difficulty trying to get an image of just the dessert on the counter and had to crop. This, of course, resulted in some pixalation of the image.   There was a little left over.  Perhaps I can  take a different image tomorrow where you can actually see the layers by showing a slice and the violas close up with my choice of better lighting and background.  The taste reminds me of a cross between Tiramisu  and a Flan.  It does require refrigeration.

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Silk Flowers - Kaleidoscope Effect with Mega Photo App

As a child I loved kaliedoscopes.   Today I took a picture of some silk flowers with my iPad mini that is similar to my iPhone 5s. I sharpened the image and adjusted highlights, shadows, & midtones in PSE 11.  I decided to use an app called MegaPhoto. I had the free version first but it had pop up menus and so for extra money got rid of those and got more filters (about 250).  The flowers were a cluster in a vase and I took the shot looking down from the top using incandescent lighting. **Note: If you take an original shot within the app and then apply the filter you will lose the original.  You can use an image from your library. You have to know this info when using photo apps.  When you like the arrangement of the kaliedoscope then you take a picture.  I selected 2 different versions of the kaleidoscope effect.  I want to try this with a purple hyacinth I took a few weeks ago. I used to be able to use a Kaleidoscope filter within Corel Paint Shop Pro image editing software.

Hat Birdhouse

This birdhouse was a gift from a friend for a birthday.  I had put it away for the winter and forgot about it.  I have never seen birds flocking to it and so I would consider it decorative rather than functional.  I did a little exposure change with highlights, shadows, mid-tones, sharpening and to make the birdhouse stand out more, used a vignette in PSE 11.  It was late afternoon sun and not sure if this image has the chrome filter from the native camera app.   HDR mode was used. Will be looking for more birdhouses on my walks and at garden stores that I can get close ups.