Purple Ornamental Kale - Ruffled Center CU - Neighborhood

Found a nice purple ornamental Kale when I was walking in the neighborhood.  Thought the center would look good as a close up. Camera+, iPhone 6.  Edit in PSE 11.  Sharpened to the Max to show more detail in the ruffled edges if you zoom in close can see the purple veins.   .  

Hickory Nuts CU from Shagbark Hickory Tree - Greenhill Cemetary

This image should have been posted Thurs., Dec. 24th.  This was an image of some hickory nuts from the shagbark hickory tree.  If you look close there may be some holes in the shells of some  The outer hard shell had been removed before I picked them up from the ground.  I cracked open the shell tof one to see how it would look with the small nut meats in place and another portion where the nutmeat had been removed.  When I was a girl living on a farm, we would pick hickory nuts but it would take forever to get a significant amount of the nutmeats for my Mom to use with baking.  I used a green piece of cardstock for the background and used lighting from a bay window in the kitchen.  iPhone 6, Camera +; edited in PSE 11.
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Cut Glass Pieces Mosaic - Backdoor Accident - CU

It is getting to the point in this 365 challenge that it is more difficult to find images because flowers are not blooming and most trees have lost their leaves. No snow yet and frost unreliable.. About 2 years ago I had to break into my back door which resulted in broken glass.  I saved some pieces in a rubbermaid container. I was always going to make a "Cracked Glass" album (before I got my iPhone), but that has not happened.  So this a.m. I used a light blue piece of cardstock as a background and placed some small pieces of glass in mosaic fashion on it.  Then I took a close up in the shade on my deck area.with Camera+ app.  The image on the left is the original and you can see a few specks and reflections which in the image on the right I removed  most of these with the healing tool in PSE 11. Then I used the filter "cut out" which further defines the lines. This is an image that you could spend hours looking at different effects. Tomorrow will use a piece that did not shatter.

Ornamental Kale CU @ A & A Nursery, Brown Summit, NC

This image should have been posted on Friday, Dec, 18th,.  In the winter time Ornamental Kale can be found in various border beds, by mailboxes,or in planters.  They come in various colors from greens and whites to dark purple/lavender.   I was at a nursery and took this image a couple weeks ago.  Not like you have a choice of light or the best surroundings.  So, I decided to take a close up. iPhone 6, Camera +,  used accent edges filter in PSE to make the texture stand out..

Varigated Poinsettia - Center CU Nannette's

Went to Mitchell's Nursery & Garden on Sun., Dec. 6 th.  They have over 150 cultivars. of Poinsettias and are always doing research for new varieties.  This is one I bought is called December Ice.  I was trying to get a sharp close up of the center, but I  need to try and see if I can do better with a tripod before it loses it's center buds. I like the detail of the veins in the leaves. It was taken at dusk and had more pink color but I decreased the blue in color variations.  Have shallow DOF issues since not all of subject in same plane.  I like the composition and square format.    iPhone 6, Camera +, IS0 32, 1/30th sec.   Edited in PSE11.

Geeter - Soft Focus Related to Low Lighting

This image should have been posted Wed., Nov. 9th, 2015.   My neighbor's dog, Geeter.  I am going to say this is a soft focus image, but in reality, it was a low lighting situation.  Taken at dusk.  I have been trying to capture an image of this dog for awhile. The dog had just had a trim, so not much texture to his fur. I just have to keep trying.  I was lucky to get close up as he was in a howling mood about my presence.  It was shot at ISO 100, 1/30th of a sec.  iPhone  6, Camera+,  Edited with PSE 11.

Mosaic Gazing Ball - Penn House, Reidsville, NC 12/05/2015

Thiese images should have been posted on Tues., Dec. 8th, 2015.. 
On Saturday I saw this mosaic gazing ball at the Penn House in Reidsville, NC.  I really liked the bright colors and thought it had great potential for texture.   iPhone 6, Camera +, edited with PSE 11.  Image on left cropped slightly, increased highlights, sharpened. Image on right was a section of the same ball to take CU of mosaic patterns.and color variation.  Increased contrast and sharpened to the max which gave it more shading of the glass pieces.  

Air Plant CU - A & A Nursery

On Saturday at the A & A nursery they had a few air plants.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillandsia_xerographica  Unfortunately these are not portrait type specimens but i really like these plants.I could not really remove the debris and there were leaves that had been clipped.  The Daniel B. Stowe Orchid Conservatory in Belmont has arches with these plants and I love taking those images because of all the textures.  iPhone 6,  edited with PSE  11.  Straightened & cropped, adjusted lightness and darkness sliders, sharpened
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Christmas Cactus Blossom - CU

I really like Christmas Cactus blooms this time of year. I may have waited too late to get close up images.  They come in different colors.  The one I purchased, just has not produced additional blooms.  At A & A nursery yesterday I tried to take one red bloom close up but unfortunately you cannot move plants around--so plants are crowded together or have other pots, tags, etc, in the view. Neither can you pick a blossom up and put it somewhere else on the plant like those you own.  This was the only good blossom in this pot.  Other varieties the petals were droopy or had a translucent look which was less than optimal.  So this is my attempt to capture a close up.. May see if my friend has any that look better.   She actually propagates for our H.S.A. Plant Sale.  

CU Tree Lights on White Artificial Christmas Tree

This image should have been posted, Wed. Nov. 25th.  Trying to find Christmas decorations to post since not much blooming outside with our colder weather temperatures in NC.  Another section of Wal-Mart had tree lights on artificial trees.  Tried a close up image of 2 lights with my iPhone 6 native app.  Edited in PSE 11.

Glitter Ornament CU @ Wal-Mart

Christmas time is a good motif  to look for representation of the season or decorations.   I was shopping at Wal-mart and came across this glitter ball ornament.  I took it off the hanger and placed it on a grey colored shelf surface.  It was difficult to avoid tags as you cannot pull off price tags or labels.  Taken with native iPhone 6 in square format. Used Touch -Retouch app to get remove a gold string,  Edited in PSE 11.  There was glitter on the surface of the shelf, which I tried to clone out a bit but not perfect. Reminds me more of Mardi Gras colors.

Mystery Pink Blossom CU in Neighborhood

This image was taken in my neighborhood.  Did not have a lot of options for blossoms that looked good. I love the color. It was taken early evening.  Not happy that I did not see stem in front of blossom to the left. Would have been good to have pulled the blossom in front of it had I noticed on the LED screen.  Maybe I should carry a pair of scissors with me.  Some things you cannot use Touch Retouch app. to remove.  Native camera app, HDR.  No post editing with this image.

Monarda Citriodora CU (a Bee Balm) in Trish's Garden.

I have been admiring my neighbor's plant (Monarda citriodora) but did not really like the mulch background as I could not blur out that well. She told me it is a bee balm. It has many names, considered a wildflower with medicinal uses.  Unlike the monarda didyma, it keeps adding bloms the taller the stalk gets.  It blooms for a really long time.   I tasted it and it is very pungent aftertaste - almost pepper like. It has low growing foliage compared to the Monarda didyma.  Native Camera app - HDR.   Postprocessing PSE 11.
For more info: 
http://www.wildflower.org/clearinghouse/propagation/Mo
narda_citriodora.pdf

Autumn Clemitis CU Blooming in the Neighborhood

This should have been posted Fri. 8/21/2015.  My neighbor's Autumn Clematis (Clematis paniculata) is blooming.   It is very fragrant and one of those images you wish the photo could capture that fragrance.  This plant is growing around her lamp post.  It was captured in the evening and in a shaded area.  I hope I can find one in the neighborhood that blooms in a sunny area and do more of a macro image. I usually see this blooming in September. I hope I can find one in the neighborhood that blooms in a sunny area and do more of a macro image. I usually see this blooming in September.
Native Camera app- HDR.  Post processing in PSE 11.

Sweet Autumn Clematis becomes a silvery mass of fluffy seed heads in the fall.  It is a prolific, small-flowered species that will look equally impressive covering an upscale arbor or embellishing a utilitarian fence or garden shed. It is a hardy climber and can reach a height of 30 ft, but can be kept in check if stems cut back in spring.  It blooms on the current year's growth and will thrive and bloom well in partial shade.  Usually does not bloom the first year, but expect them to begin blooing the second year.

Zinnia Bouquet CU - from GSO Farmer's Curb Market

This should have been posted Thurs.  8/20/2015.  When I was at the Farmer's Curb Market last Saturday I bought a bouquet of zinnias because I liked all the different colors in the bouquet.  I did not have time to really take the image until several days later.  I put a green cloth down for the background and then shot from the top down to show as many of the colors and varieties. This was outdoor lighting in the shade.  Camera+ HDR.  Postprocessing with PSE.  I did use paintbucket to make the background better as cloth had wrinkles. Cropped, increased highlights, midtones, sharpened.  

Osage Orange Fruit - Green Monochrome

This should have been posted Wed. 8/19/2015.   I was walking in the neighborhood last week and saw that the Osage orange (Machura pomifera) tree fruit was starting to appear.  Because it is not ripe yet this made a monochrome image.  I was trying to do a close up in Camera+ but it almost looks like this fruit is floating if it were not attached with a stem.  When it is ripe it will be yellow and can have more texture.  Some people make bows with the trunks which can be very time consuming.  he neighbor said the first year it bloomed it was orange.  This tree has very sharp thorns.  In the spring it has pretty white flowers.  Post processing in PSE 11:  cropped, increased highlights, sharpened to show more texture.
For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera

Anniversary Tuberosa Bouquet and CU blossoms

This should have been posted 8/17/2015  Yesterday was our 52nd wddding anniversary.  On Sat. I went to the Farmer's Market to buy a bouquet.  These images are of Tuberosa.  They bloom in August and are very fragrant. Too bad you can not attach smell to a digital photograph.   Native camera app.  for the left image. I know I cropped the top of the left image too short but I could not really spend the time I needed.  This image shows that the buds were not open and for some reason they did not open up as I had anticipated. So I could take more images.  I used my kitchen window lighting and the black background is the side of my refrigerator.  The image on the right I used outdoor lighting.  Camera+  Macro mode.  Post processing  PSE 11.

For more information:  The tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) is a perennial plant related to the agaves, extracts of which are used as a note in perfumery. The common name derives from the Latin tuberosa, meaning swollen or tuberous in reference to its root system. Polianthes means "many flowers" in Greek. In Mexican Spanish, the flower is called nardo or vara de San José, en.wikipedia.org

A Yellow Rose from My Garden for Mother's Day

For about 2 weeks I have had several roses blooming in my garden. I decided to take an image of a yellow Julia Child florabunda rose.  I first tried with grass as the background but did not think that was enough negative space.  Then I tried a purple tee shirt and a black turtle neck placed over the grass. The rose was about 6 inches above the ground.  I positioned myself at an angle for the stem & leaves..It was overcast about 10 a.m. I used Camera+, HDR mode, square format.  Post editing I used PSE with slight cropping, sharpening, increasing highlights & mid-tones slightly.  I also had to use eye dropper to pick up black color and brush the background with brush and paint bucket to get rid of the dog hair and artifacts on the black turtleneck.  Also removed some foilage in the lower right corner which I did not think helped the image.  I had added the text before the final use of the paint bucket and so edges of the text have some black flecks around the edges.  I was not willing to spend the time to remove the text and re-do but it should have been the final step. I plan to send an electronic greeting to friends/relatives who are Mothers.