Queen's Ann Lace Close Up - A Challenge To Get Detail of Flowerettes

I have been trying to find a Queen's Ann Lace image to photograph the flower head close up. This is really a challenge.  If you try to do it on the stalk, they are usually blowing in the wind even if a calm day--so, a tripod won't correct that movement.  There are different cutivars and was hoping to find one with a concave head, but had to settle for one more convex.  The small individual flowerettes heads are not all in the same plane, which is an issue.  The lens on the iPhone can go down to 2.2 but it can still have a very shallow depth of field. White flowers can have the highlights blown out. I tried to capture hand held. I am waiting for a new tripod holder and a new macro lens that will work with the iPhone 6.  So, I picked a flowerhead from a weed patch along a ditch and am trying a still life. I used a black background and window lighting= no wind. You can tell what it is, but not happy about the sharpness of the individual flowerettes. Used Camera+, macro mode, square format.   Tried to adjust lightness and darkness and could only use minimal sharpening in PSE 11.  Will have to try again and compare with a designated macro lens with use of a tripod vs using D-SLR macro lens. 

Tomato and Brushetta CU - Summer is here

My neighbor, Karen, has a tomato ready to be picked.  I do have thyme, oregano and lemon basil herbs. My Roma tomatoes are all green, but went to Farmer's market to make brushetta.**  To me it is like an Italian salsa served on bread. You can vary the ingredients & seasonings. Both images taken with the native app camera. Edited right image to lighten & sharpen- PSE 11.

Per Merriam & Webster dictionary the definition of bruschetti is:  thick slices of bread grilled (baguette), rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, often topped with tomatoes and herbs, and usually served as an appetizer.  You certainly can vary the herbs and if you look on the Internet you will find all kinds of recipes.   I prefer to make it simple and not even toast the bread and rub with garlic because I plan to eat it after I put it on the bread. Toasting does keep tomato juice from making the bread get as soggy.   If you put enough garlic in the chopped tomatoes, you would not need to rub the bread with garlic.  Once you have the basic ingredients you can use the leftovers to put on cooked pasta, squash, egg plant, or with garbanzo beans as a salad...or to use as an Italian salsa.   I don’t really use a recipe.  I chop Roma tomatoes, onions (chives), Serrano peppers, garlic then add  vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper and Italian seasoning mix or chopped fresh oregano, basil, thyme, chives.   It is best to mix ahead to allow flavors to marry.  Some people top with mozzarella and put under the broiler to melt the cheese.  You can sprinkle with grated Parmasean cheese. Hint:  You can add dried tomato powder to the mixture to give more intense tomato flavor. In GSO this powder is available at the Savory Spice Shop in the New Friendly Center.   

Downtown GSO from MLK Drive

I took this image last Friday as I walked in around the Southside Historic District of Greensboro, NC.  This was a view of some of the builidings downtown--the Lincoln Financial Tower being a landmark. The original image had the railroad tracks with weeds & artifacts in the foreground which I chose to crop out.  As a result the green train cars in the rail yard form a bottom frame.  It was a pretty sunny day with white clouds in the sky.  Taken with Camera+ HDR mode. Only increased the highlights & midtones, sharpened slightly in PSE 11.

Stained Glass Window - Greensboro Historical Museum

This image was supposed to have posted 7/27/2015 but was in draft today.
This is a stained glass window located in the GSO Historical Museum.  It is in the downtown area.  There was no angle to eliminate the 2 banisters that are in front of this window.  It was about noon when I captured the image and so sun was not really shinning on the window at that time of day.  I exposed for the window lighting and so the surrounding wall turned out black. You can see that the molding surrounding the window is not stark white. I made numerous attempts and tried shooting from above and this was the best I could do. I did not have a tripod with me.  Taken with native camera app.iPhone 5C.  Post processing done in PSE 11: cropped, highlights darkened, sharpened, resized for web. .

Comfrey Blossoms Close Up

This is a close up some comfrey blooms taken in my neighbor's yard.   I had some too, but my blossoms were not the brillant purple color that these were. Taken with Jack's 5C iPhone, native camera, HDR.  Post processing with PSE 11, cropped, increased highlights, sharpened, and added small amount of vignette.  There were some artifacts in the leaves, so, used the clone tool to eliminate those.Unfortunately the wood chip mulch in the background is a bit distracting to me. The aperture was f2.5 which is the best shallow depth of field you can get with the 5C.
**This plant is a well known medicinal herb.  For more info go to
www. botanical.com - search on comfrey (Symphytum officinale).

Sunflower Rear View of Petals & Plant Structure

I like sunflowers.   I took this image a couple weeks ago when I purchased several varieties at the Yanceyville Farmer's Curb Market. Sometimes I like to look at the flower and petals from a different agle.  Taken with Camera+ HDR.  Increased highlights and mid-tones, sharpened slightly in PSE 11. Oh Happy Day!

Stargazer Lily Close-up - Stephanie's yard

Took this image of my neighbor's Stargazer Lily close-up.  It is always so fragrant when it blooms.  Wish you could capture scent in a photograph.  Took  with Camera+ HDR. Only sharpened slightly and applied vignette in PSE 11. Chose not to crop this image closer which shows more of the leaves.  

Pineapple Lily CU - J.C. Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, NC

Took this image at the J.C. Raulston Aroboretum about a week ago. Camera+ HDR mode.  Minimal editing in PSE 11. 

This is a pineapple lily. (Eucomis)which is a miniature floral representations     of the tropical fruit--a member of the lily family. Pineapple lily plants grow from bulbs. The bulbs start out as a rosette and do not usually start blooming for a year. The plants produce the pineapple shaped flowers in July to August.  The flower is actually comprised of many tiny little flowers clustered together in a cone shape. The colors vary but are usually white, cream or flecked with violet. The pineapple lily has pointed spear-like leaves and a flowering stem that rises above the plant. Usually seen in plant zones 10 and 11.  

Black & Blue Sage Blossoms

This is an image of my black & blue sage plant in bloom.  I have seen hummingbirds trying to get nectar.  Since humming birds are very fast and do not stick around very difficult to get an iPhone image of that action, especially if they can see you. iPhone 6, macro mode, HDR.  My friend, Sue Hughes gave me a couple plants last year and this year I have many plants and actually gave some plants to my friends.  No post processing.  I will admit to breaking off the stem with blossoms so that the leaves would be in the background for the image. Normally, they are at the end of the stalk & blowing in the breeze. This way the leaves can be used for plant ID. Good photo for a garden journal.  I could have used a vignette to make the blossoms appear more prominent.    

Colonial Brick Layout - Highpoint Museum

This should have been posted for Wed. 7/22/2015.  In June my sister and I went to the High Point Museum.  Outside there were several colonial buildings on the site. It was an overcast day. I took this image because it was an example of how bricks were laid on some buildings in those times.  Instead of side by side, these were laid with the side and then the end which creates a different pattern.  Not sure that there was a structural significance for this technique. I liked the colors of the bricks as well as possible use as a texture or background.  No post processing. Did not take the time to use any filters or apps, but sure there could be many opportunities for different effects if you used Mega Photo or PSE.

Lichen on Laurel Bluff Trail and Invert Filter of Same Image

Another image of a lichen on the Laurel Bluff Trail, GSO, NC.  The image on the right was taken with Camera+ HDR.  I increased the contrast & sharpened in PSE 11. Then tried various filters and liked the invert mode in PSE 11 as I could see more texture even with the wood chips almost looks like ice or glass.--another image that may have potential in a digital college.  

Bamb! Bamb Shrimp & Fried Rice - Red Bowl Restaurant (Jack's Entree)

Last week Jack and I went to the Red Bowl Restaurant at Alamance Crossing (off Elon Exit 140).  It has Asian cuisine.   Jack ordered Bamb! Bamb! shrimp. He also got an Egg Roll but he had eaten it before the main entree arrived.  Taken with iPhone 6 Camera +.   We were not sitting by a window  and so I think with room lighting this turned out pretty good.   The food on the left is fried rice.  We did spice it up with some sriracha sauce. I had Thai Chicken Curry which definitely needed the sriracha sauce.  Even Subway offers that for a choice now.  I may have to make my own,  Takes about a pound of jalapeno and 1/2 pound of serrano but you could add more heat with Thai or habanerio peppers. I think this is something to blend outside or could cause coughing jag. .

Tiger Lily - Upside Down Cultivar

One of my neighbors has a cultivar of tiger lilies that are different than the ones you see along the roadside in the summer time.  They are still called tiger lilies (Lillium lancifolium) but I call them upside down lilies.  I should collect some seeds and start in pots and winter over.  It is my understanding it will take 3 years for them to bloom. Taken with Camera+ app, HDR mode.  The stamens were hard to see on the LED screen, and so I cropped the foreground lily too close...but I liked this composition best.  It was evening when I took it and the foliage had a blue cast which I removed in color variations in PSE 11.  I also increased the highlights and midtones slightly and sharpened. Left image is CU of back of blossom.which was more upright - vignette applied. .
For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_lancifolium

Caladium Close Up - Queen White & Group @ my Mailbox

This year I tried growing 3 varieties of Caladiums by my mailbox which gets only late afternoon sun. Image on R taken with Camera+ HDR - macro mode.  This plant was originally from South America.  It is a member of the genus Araceae, commonly known as Elephant Ear, Heart of Jesus, and Angel Wings.  There are over 1000 named bicolor cultivars.   I took a md-section image of the Queen White cultivar with macro mode.  This reminded me of a city street map.  I really like the patterns of a veins.in this close up view.  The image on the right is the group image of my caladiums at my mailbox.  I just sharpened and increased the midtones in PSE.  Will have to pay more attention to these plants at nurseries and gardens for more photo opportunities.
**For more info about Caladiums:  en.m.wikipedia.org

Garden Fairy on a Frog Garden Sculpture

I was at my hairdressers on Tuesday.  On my way out to my car I noticed a garden fairy in a pot on her patio. Love garden sculpture.  Compared to the plants in the pot this is a macro. Shot with native camera iPhone 6.  Used PSE 11 to crop, increase midtones, but did not sharpen as it would have been evident. Applying a vignette filter also affected edges of the fairies extremities and did not like that look.  

Passion Flower Blossom Using Different Backgrounds & Window Lighting - No Foliage (Macro)

My neighbor has a Passion Flower blooming.  The foliage had some insect holes and did not make for a good photo image.  So I decided to use the flower which just opened yesterday morning on different backgrounds and use my bay window (faces North) as lighting for some close ups.  The right image in a vase over white card stock and the left card stock not black enough.  So, I used a black turtleneck top.   Taken with Camera+ HDR mode & macro slider.  Both images first used "clarify" which increases saturation and sharpness in the Camera+ app.  Then took into PSE for further editing midtones and sharpening. Is this altered art because no natural foliage?  May try some views from the side which are also interesting.   For more info about this flower:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora

Dwarf Conifer Collection - GSO Arboretum 7 /14/2015

Yesterday was an overcast morning and so I decided to take some images at the Greensboro Arboretum.  I liked the display of this dwarf conifer collection. I edited it in the native camera app first.  I  tried using frames and labeling the image in the border. I could have cropped out the blown out sky. You can see that the iPhone does have issues with buildings and there is distortion due to the small sensor.  I have not invested in an app that is supposed to help correct this.  Getting farther away might have helped but then cropping would have contributed to pixalization. I did edit the shadows and sharpening in PSE as I feel it gives more control than native app.  P.S. It is not a flower image. LOL

Gloriosa Lily - J.C. Raulston Arboretum Raleigh, NC 7/12/2015

On Sun. I went to J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC.  It is part of NC State University.   These images are of the Gloriosa lily.   It is a tropical plant orginally from India or Asia. It is considered an invasive weed in Australia.  The image on the right is as taken with no post processing.  Camera+ HDR mode.  The iPhone does not have RAW image capabilty. The flowers were in a shaded area but there was bright sun.in the area.  I did not see the foliage with blue cast and did not think about changing the WB to shade.  So when I viewed the image on the computer I felt it was too blue.  On the left image I increased the mid tones, and then selected color variations and decreased the blue by 2 and increased the red by 1.  When I tried to sharpen or apply a vignette the stamens got pixelated.  So, I omitted that change.  I posted the left imaged to FB Photo Nuts Group.

Black Gum Tree Backlit Leaves - June 2015l

No, it is not fall.  I was at the Tanger Family Garden the end of June(summer) and captured the sun coming behind some black gum leaves that had some yellow and orange coloration.   The whole tree was not in color. All fall last year I tried to get this kind of picture.  Taken with Camera+ HDR mode.  Post imaging  with PSE, cropped, sharpened, applied some vignetteing.  Also did some cloning around the edges to fill in some white spots where light leaked through.

Sunflowers from Yanceyville Farmer's Curb Market 7/11/2015

On Saturday morning I went to the Yanceyville Farmer's Curb Market to buy some sunflowers. The area I found them last summer, the farmer had not planted any this year.  I found a vendor that had different varieties and they were the smaller ones that did not droop.  I selected about 9 stems and some were duplicate colors.  Later in the day I tried different lighting situations and backdrops with the iPhone. The one I am posting today was a dark green background, used window lighting but there was not much outdoor light.  So, I decided to useon camera flash.   I tried to arrange these so that some of each sunflower was showing.  I did not have a vase tall enough for the flowers.  I used a paper towel roll and cut it shorter to look like a vase. I cropped to a square, increased the midtones and shadows, sharpened in PSE.   I still want to try to find a field of sunflowers that might be planted along the state highways by the NC DOT.

Dawn's Floral Outdoor Thermometer

I love to go to my friend's, Dawn Barry, garden.  She and Phil always have nice  plants blooming.  Originally she told me her mallow plants were in bloom if I wanted to take some images --will probably post two images tomorrow.  These blooms are as large as a lunch plate with white mid-center area and a rose pink outter edge.  Some people would call this image a record shot of "a moment in time".  Photographs can have the ability to convey emotion, mood, narrative, ideas and messages – all of which are important elements of story telling.  This outdoor plaque thermometer suggests to me that this person loved flowers or nature. I might use later in a digital montage image in a different color or opacity. 

Puffy Moss Ball ? on Laurel Bluff Trail

I was hiking in the woods last Sunday on the Laurel Bluff Trail..  This little puffy looking plant I think is some kind of moss.  I was surpised by it's lighter color. You can see regular deep green flat moss beneath it. It was the only one I saw in the 4 miles I walked.  It was about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.   Taken with Camera+ app, HDR mode.  I probably could have taken in square mode or cropped,  Slight editing in  PSE 11.

Mosses are defined as flowerless plants that usually grow in dense green clumps or mats, in damp or shady locations.  May want to read more: Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Mushrooms on a Log + More Texture with PSE

On Sunday my family and I went for a walk in NE GSO on the Laurel Bluff Trail.  I saw these mushrooms and had to capture the image on the right.  It is unedited.  I liked the mushroom having layers and thought they looked more like flowers.  So, in PSE I increased the highlights and midtones and did some medium sharpening which resulted in the image on the left.   I like it better because it defines the lines in the mushroom and gives more texture to the log.  It is possible to sharpen more and increase the light and dark sliders to come up with a more graphic design effect. P.S. When you are on a trail with non-photographers, you do not have the time to "work the scene" and take a lot of images.  

Mosaic Bark Texture

This is another texture shot.   I was walking in the neighborhood when this tree bark was calling my iPhone's name.   This bark reminded me of a mosaic with the deep indentations.  I do not know the name of the tree.  The trunk of the tree was only about 5 inches in diameter which is smaller than a lot of other tree bark images I have taken.  If you can zoom in on the image you will see grain texture too.  Taken with Camera+ HDR.   No post processsing.  

Peace Lily (Macro) - RDU Airport Lobby

This image I wanted to post on July 6th but delayed due to other commitments.  I took this image when I was taking Ginger to RDU airport on Saturday.  It had window lighting and was a sunny day. Used Camera+, HDR, and macro setting.  The original composition was rectangle, but I felt that it should be sqaare. I increased the highlights and sharpened in PSE 11 which made the stigma more detailed.  This would have be a good shot for an Instagram image and I could still post as such. I could probably use as sympathy card with Text "With Sympathy" or "Thinking of You".  

Yellow Spotted Salamander. "Shadow"

When the Dawson's came to visit for a week, they could not find a baby sitter for their salamander whose name is "Shadow". He is a yellow spotted salamander. Logan brought him in an aquarium. It is Logan's pet and he had his own ideas about where I could take the image, i.e. no bright lights or going outdoors as an option.  I would have preferred an image with him holding the salamander in his hand but I did not have a plain backdrop option. If I had tried that poise, then I might have gotten to get the salamander's face and eyes but not much of his body as Logan would have been holding in his hand. It could have also been a problem with movement of the hand or the salamander's head, leg, tail, etc. I decided to try a still life but the salamander's eyes were not facing me.
I put the salamander on a red towel on the bathroom sink.  Definitely need more practice taking critter pictures. I did sign up for a workshop (if I get to go to Photofest in Sept.) about taking those kind of images.  I changed the midtones, increased saturation and tried to decrease red hue to yellow spots and sharpened slightly in PSE 11.
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First Friday GSO, NC, July 3rd, 2015

This image I wanted to post on July 5th but delayed due to family visiting.  On Friday, July 3rd when my family was visiting, the "girls" went downtown to check out "First Friday" in Greensboro, NC.  There were some venues that were closed because of activities planned for 4th of July celebration the next day.  My daughters had never done this before.  I took this shot when there was still some ambient light,  Wanted to catch the street lights.  With the iPhone you don't get a choice of shutter speed. I took this with auto exposure  with Camera + app and forgot to turn off HDR.  It was on South Elm street. Too bad there were no people walking down the street to give more ambience, but it was starting to rain and shops starting to close.  Did not use a tripod ...and because low lighting situation, not as sharp due to camera movement. Left image was only sharpened.  The image on the right I choose line drawing and adjusted opacity to add some color and lines in PSE 11.
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Patriot Star Krispy Kreme Donut

Image posted late due to lack of computer time with relatives visiting. Should have been post on July 4th.   Went to Krispy Kreme Donut Shop on Friday morning to celebrate the 4th of July early when my relatives were visiting Greensboro, NC. This was a patriotic star donut, but they had several varieties with red, white and blue sprinkles.  I used window lighting and had the donut on a napkin and there are wrinkles.  I could have used the paint bucket to make a different color, but decided I wanted to keep the texture of the napkin.  I only cropped the image and added the blue text in PSE 11. Bon Appe'tit!!

Pink Gladiolas in Bloom in the Neigjhborhood - Close Up

This image should have been posted on July 3rd but I had family in from 
out of town and I was not spending my time on the computer.  
Gladiolias are blooming the lst week of July.in Greensboro, NC.  I was lucky to
catch this image walking in my neighborhood after a rainstorm.  Some buds had
not opened yet.   I was concentrating so hard on the image of the flower I did
not see an artifact near the right edge.  Used Camera+ app to take the image
It was about 7 PM EDST. Post imaging used PSE 11.  I cropped, increased
shadows and midtones slightly,  and sharpened.
** This image would make a nice note card.

Lichen Colony in the Neighborhood - Macro

This image should have been posted on July lst but had
 family in from out of  town and my time was spent with 
them not the computer.  
I was walking in the neighborhood a few days ago and saw this
lichen colony on one of my neighbor's trees. Tried to take in Macro
mode with Camera+ & HDR mode.  It was a convex surface...so the lower right corner is not sharp. This image may remind you of peeled paint.  This lichen colony has an interesting pattern and texture.
Post processing I used PSE 11. I did increase the shadows, midtones, sharpen slightly and then used a color variation to decrease the red and increase the green.  I have seen other varieties of lichens on rocks and on walks in the woods. There are even botanists that specialize in lichens.

RDU Sculpture Plus Saturated Film Effect Filter

Went to RDU airport on Mon. evening to pick up my daughter.  Saw this art schulpture?? that was also within the frame of a high window at the airport the baggage claim area was below it.. I took the picture because of the lines but was unable to get any kind of symetry.  I did straigthen in PSE 11 but this was the best I could do.  It is something other than a flower.  Might be able to incorporate in a digital collage in the future. Tried a saturated film effect x4 to get more colors of the structure.for the image on the right.