Christmas Lighting @ Dusk on Rankin - Neighborhood

Tried to capture some Christmas outdoor lighting display at dusk the other night. This one was a little late for ambient light, but it also hid some of the house and other yard structures. I need more practice with taking photos at night or low lighting situations. This is definitely out of my comfort zone. I was walking in my neighborhood with the iPhonein my pociket.  No, I did not have a tripod or a stabilizing object.  iPhone 6, native camera, edit: PSE 11 which included some healing brush and cloning to a bench and other yard artifacts.

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.

Peeled Paint on Garage CU - Texture

These images should have been posted, Monday, November 16th. More texture images.. iPhone 6. Left image saved as "quick fix" in  PSE 11. Right image used posterize edges filter. Converted to B&W - darkened to make lines more distnct.

Beetle Larva on Milkweed Pod - Cherry Lane Meadow

Found a milkweed pod with beetle larva present.  I really did not like looking at this cluster of insects but it was kind of cool to see them in orange and black. If you look closely one has a different design and may be an adult. Took image with the pod on the diagonal.  It almost looks like a halloween monster.  LOL   Camera+   Increased shadows, midtones, slight sharpening in PSE 11.  Wonder how this would look at the library show for TOPS images?

Oak Leaves on Ground after the Rain - Neighborhood

Image should have been posted Wed., Nov. 11th, 2015  I actually took this image in landscape rectangle mode but decided to crop to square.  Love the these colorful oak leaves lying on the ground after the rain. No acorns present. Makes you want to walk through them and kick them around with your feet.   Camera +, Edit in PSE 11.

White Double Petal Camella - Neighborhood

These images should have been posted on Fri., Nov. 6, 2015.  I saw this white camillia blooming in my neighbor's yard.  It is the Camillia sasquanqua which blooms in Oct. - Dec. here in NC.  When I lived in OH the only time I ever saw these were in a Conservatory. Camera +.  Both images edited in PSE 11.  The image on the left I cloned battered leaves, increased brightness, decreased contrast, sharpened to the max because it had soft petals. Last applied a vigmette.  The right image I then applied an urban B & W filter but reduced the sharpness to about 29 -- petals appear softer. 

Virgina Creeper on Neighbor's Fence - Autumn

Image should have been posted on Thurs. November 5th, 2015. I saw this Virgina Creeper( Parthenocissus quinquefolia) vine on my neighbor's fence. Normally during the summer all the leaves are green but in the fall the leaves change color. Sometimes a more brilliant red than the ones I captured. This is one image after seeing on the computer, it makes me think I should have tried with a selfie stick so I could take a view from the top down.  Camera+.  Edited in PS11.  I did clone out some spots in the leaves.   For more information about this vine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia

Autumn Display with Scarecrow - Neighborhood

I have been admiring my neighbor's fall display with a scarecrow.  I finally was able to find a time when it was overcast. When sun is shining had dappled light, etc. Since in the neighbor's yard, I did not have the opportunity to try to staighten up or rearrange the main display to change the composition. I will admit to turning over the white and green striped gourd because it had white highlights on the other side.   Taken with Camera+ - slight sharpening in PSE 11.

Leaves of Gold - Neighborhood & "Fresco Filter " PSE

This should have been posted Fri., Oct. 30th.   Have been looking for some nice yellow leaves that do not have a lot of brown in them.  I am not sure if this is hicory or beech leaves.  The were up quite a distance in the tree and I liked the sun highlighting the ones more in front.  I know I used digital zoom. So, it may  look like there is digital noise.  Digital zoom usually causes pixilation. Post processing: the image on the left had highlights increased, slight midtone decrease, and slight sharpening.  I know some people will not like that there is not enough border around the leaves.  Unfortunately this is not always something you can see well on the LED screen with bright sun. I admit I did not zoom in to check it.to review image.  The right image I used the image on the left and then applied the "Fresco" filter inPSE 11 which increased the outline of the edge with black.

Neighor's Rosemary in Bloom - Macro

This is a macro shot of a prostrate Rosemary officinalis (an herb)  in bloom this fall at my neighbor's house.   I actually have a cutting from this plant and am trying to get it to root in water.  I had a great deal of difficulty trying to take this image, especially trying to get the blossoms in sharp focus.  This is definitely my best shot so far. The bloom is very small --maybe 1/2 inch in diameter.  I used macro setting for Camera+ app. Edited in PSE 11.

Coral Mums Closeup - Neighborhoood JK

On my neighborhood walk, I found a pot of mums.  Mums are always a sign of fall.  I loved the size and the coral color of them. The angle gives depth to image. It was in a shaded area on my friend's porch  Took just a segment of them with iPhone 5C. Camera+  Edited in PSE 11: increased highlights, midtones, sharpened.

Lichen Colonies on Maple Tree in Neighborhood - Texture

Yesterday I was walking in the neighborhood and foiund some lichen colonies on a maple tree.  I was intrigued because there was a lot of  a golden color there.  I was disappointed that the images I took were not as sharp as I had hoped. Should have done a playback instead of relying on the LED screen. Oh well, I hope to get back and try again when there is more sunshine.  Sometimes you can salvage an image using apps.   Taken with Camera+. Post processing done with PSE 11.  Left image has just increase in highlights & mid-tones, then sharpened a lot to give texture.
 I had taken the image at an angle rather than landscape. changed mode to square, and tried to do macro which uses digital zoom--not as good as optical zoom.  The right image I used a "Saturated Film" filter in PSE 11.  You can even see the green moss in the cracks if you are able to enlarge the image.  

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Autumn Leaves on the Same Maple Tree in the Neighborhood.

This image is of the leaves in the branches from the same leaves I took yesterday on the ground.  It is amazing to see all these bright autumn colors on the same tree.  I took it late afternoon and so I did not have the bright blue Carolina sky.  Taken in Camera+.  I cropped the image so, you did not see the white sky at the top.  The left image was taken with the sun shining behind the leaves.   Edited in PSE 11:  cropped, increased highlights and mid-tones, contrast, sharpened.   The right image I applied an artist filter - "splatter"  so it has a more painterly appearance but may be difficult to see in an image this small.  

Japanese Maple (Red Varigated Leaves) - Neighborhood

Looking for different colored leaves at this time of year.   Came across a Japanese maple that had some color variation in the leaves.  It was late afternoon and very windy but I did try to capture this image.  With close ups or macro, windy conditions not good and then when leaves are not all in the same plane, everything is not going to be in focus.   Camera+app.  Edited in PSE 11.  Lightness and darkness, contrast increased, needed some cloning, sharpened, also rotated 90 degrees right for better composition.  

Acorns& Oak Leaves from Neighbood Walk - More Signs of Fall in NC

Found some acorns and oak leaves on my walk around the block last week.  Acorns can have different sizes and shapes. I do not know one oak tree from another and last week I did post an image with the bur oak branch and acorns.  These acorns are small and have points on the bottom.  They were not very shiny either.  The Native Americans and  Pioneers used these ground as food source like flour.
I tried using the macro mode in Camera +.  The image looked sharper on the LED screen and you can only sharpen so much within PSE plus the image was downsized.  I did like the posterize version where sharpness doesn't matter.  Before I did editing in PSE I did clarify & applied an orange tint in the native iPhone 6 camera app. The image on the R is the posterize filter in PSE 11 - an altered image look.

Osage Orange Cluster - Neighborhood

I have been watching this Osage orange for a few weeks. This tree is on my extended neighborhood walk.   I had previously posted a green fruit several weeks ago.  Now the fruit is becoming more yellow/orange.  I needed to wait for a cloudy day or the lighting ifrom the sun would have too many highlights.   Camera + HDR, Edited with PSE 11.

Dogwood Leaves Early Fall Color - My Neighborhood

Fall is not officially here but there are a few trees in the Triad of NC that are starting to change color.  I captured this image in my neighborhood of a dogwood with some leaves turned red..  Most of the leaf color change in our area occurs the end of October.   I wanted to try to get an image at eye level with the leaves backlit but those leaves were too high up to capture with an iPhone.  I may have to remember to bring my selfie stick with meas it has an extension rod. Camera+; edited in PSE 11 with sharpening to enhance the leaf structure and bark. I did some cloning of the pavement and holes in the leaves.

Southern Dogwood Seedpod - Neighborhood

Was walking in the neighborhood and captured the left image close up of the Southern Dogwood.  Not all the fruit has this arrangement of berries.  This tree blooms with the white blossoms and is in another neighbor's yard.  The birds love this fruit. Camera+ HDR  Slight editing in PSE 11 which included some cloning of disfigured leaves. Did not use rule of 3rds or center because I was trying to get this particular seed pod and avoid others in the same area.

The image on the right is for reference.  It was taken with my Verizon cell phone before I had the iPhone in another neighbor's yard in spring 2013.  

Macro Chinese Dogwood Fruit - Reynolda Garden, W-S, NC

This image should have been posted September 2nd, 2o15. 
 I took the left  image at Reynolda Garden in Winston-Salem on Saturday. However,  one of my neighbors has 2 of these Chinese dogwood trees.  Botanical name Kornus kousa.  The right image was taken this spring with the iPhone 5C native app. --no editing.   It blooms later than the flowering dogwood we are familiar seeing in NC in spring.  The left image is the fruit which appears late summer and into the fall. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden website these berries are exceptionally large (about 1.25 inches) and are edible (inner custard-like consistency) off the plant. Birds also love the fruit.  Elliptic-ovate, pointed, dark green leaves (to 4” long) turn orange-red to scarlet in autumn. The left image taken with Camera+ app, HDR, macro setting.   Edited with PSE 11: cropped, increased midtones, sharpened. 

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - Bill Perry's Garden

 This should have been posted on Sept lst, 2015.  Took this image in my neighbor's backyard on a cloudy afternoon.  The butterfly was on the move and this was the best I could do for sharpness.  It is a tiger swallowtail.  Taken with the native app, HDR mode. Butterfly bush in the background not sharp due to shallow depth of field.  PSE 11 for editing:: cropped, midtones increased, sharpened, and slight vignette applied. I would like to try early morning and perhaps can find some Eastern swallowtail butterflies...maybe less active when cooler. This image was posted to Photo Nuts and the iPhone Editing FB sites.