Burning Bush with Some Berries - GSO Arboretum

Last week I captured an image of the fall leaves. I also was able to get a few berries.  It was overcast and so the red color not as brilliant as often seen in the sun.  Canera+ app.  Edited in PSE 11: increased the shadows and midtones, sharpened.  

Shrub with Pink Blossoms and Turquoise & Blue Berries - GSO Arboretum

Found a shrub with some unusual blossoms and fruit at the GSO
Arboretum last week.   Because of the way they hung from the branches it was difficult to get a composition I liked. Even though it was shady there were hot spots that could not be edited easily. . The fragrant flowers are borne on branching peduncles. Petals, are held within a green calyx which turns red as the fruits ripen. The fruits (drupes) are turqoise(left image) at first but turn to a blue black color (right image). Camera+ app, edited with PSE  11.   For more information search for: Clerodendrum trichotomum var fargesii.

Fall Asters at the Greensboro Arboretum

This should have been posted Wed., October 14th, 2015.  

Found some purplse fall asters blooming at the Greensboro Arboretum last week.  Did not see the cultivar designated but think it might be Aster amellus.  It was not very tall and the blooms were clustered together. Only a few past bloom time in this image. Since these blossoms were in cluster, could not really isolate one blossom for a macro image. This a good plant for butterflies.  Taken in square mode, HDR, Camera+, iPhone 5C.  Edited minimally in PSE 11 

 

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

Shadows from Railing Sculpture at GSO Arboretum

Another image from the GSO arboretum.  I liked the pattern of the leaves with the flourish effect from the railing sculpture but could not figure out how to get more of the sculpture itself and the shadows that were cast on the footboard.for a reflection.  I thought it was an interesting design.  It was taken around noon on a bright sunny day.  I played around with filters in PSE 11 and like the note paper one with the white background which is on the right. Probably I could this pattern as part of a digital collage.

Gazebo - Greensboro Arboretum (Winter - 3/9/15)

 While I was at the Arboretum, I decided to capture an image of the gazebo.  In the summertime this is a venue ised for weddings.   It was overcast and I did not change exposure. HDR mode was on but I felt the image was too dark when I really looked at it on my monitor. In PSE 11,  I decided to play with the highlights, midtones, shadows sliders and increased the shapening.  It is nice that the foliage was not out yet.  I should try taking this image in the different seasons.  Who knows if we will have more snow this year. Now it looks more like an illustration or a different HDR. With the square format, this would be a good photo to try to send in Instagram.

Unknown ? Shrub - Greensboro Arboretum 3/9/2015

Despite the winter weather, I did find some different images at the Greensboro Arboretum in March.  I have no idea why this shrub has red branches sticking out of a trunk that has been cut off.  There were no labels present. I took the image with Camera Plus and edited it in the same app.  I used clarify and it made the branches a more vibrant red.   It will be interesting to see what happens this spring and summer.   

Witch Hazel Shrub inBloom - Greensboro Arboretum 3/9/2015

Winter is a great time to capture images of a witch hazel shrub in bloom.  It took several trips to the Greensboro Arboretum to capture an image to post.   There are numerous cultivars, this one was labeled "Sunset". There is a native one. It was overcast and so I had to change the hue to more yellow. I did price the cost for a 5 gallon one at New Garden Nursery. It would cost me like $65. It was shot in HDR mode.  This image was not cropped.  I increased the midtones and shadows and sharpened --maybe a little too much but the petals are part of the uniqueness of the bloom.  I would like to try some macro shots when the sun is shining.  They even had one with red petals but none of those images were in focus.  See previous post for a one with smaller petals.
   

Wind Chimes Sculpture in Winter - GSO Arboretum.

Today I was at the Greensboro Arboretum looking for spring flowers or something I could use for my  challenge image.  This is a wind chime sculpture that has been in place for some time.  Recently they have added a ring walkway around  it. Usually there is green foliage in the background but I like the bare trees and blue sky.  I did take in HDR mode so sky is more blue.  I used the Camera + app to take the picture and to edit.  I cropped and used clarity.  It is not as noticeable on this small scale but there is a piece of wood leaning against one of the center posts.  On the small LED screen difficult to see.  I am not very good about remembering to enlarge the image to check for clutter/debris.  Then it shows up on the monitor and it is too late to remove and retake the image. At a public park removal can be an issue.