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.  

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

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.      

Birdhouse Diner

My neighbor has a decorative bird house that is really cute. I don't think it is functional to provide food as nothing on the picnic tables.  I just had to take the image. I am sure HDR mode was on as I leave that setting as a default.    It was in a shaded area of his front yard and it was a cloudy day.

Unfortunately, no birds were visiting the "diner" just to use as a perch.           It is not like I could go ask the neighbor to move the car which is in the background. So, I did apply a vignette to make the birdhouse more noticeable.  Maybe I should do a week of birdhouse photos?.  I have         one that is a decorative hat but background would be an issue.    

Pink Blossoms ? Ornamental Plum

All over the Triad area there are pink blossoms coming out.  I think this is an ornamental plum.  Next will be the Bradford Pear blooms.  I have seen one cherry blossom tree in bloom in the neighborhood.  The deciduous tulip tree should have some blossoms this weekend.  May go to the Bog Garden to check out trout lilies and trillium.   Images taken with HDR mode with Jack's iPhone 5C.  Slight sharpening in PSE 11.   The image on the right I added a vingette.

Miniature Ice Mountains - Snow on Curb Closeup

Yesterday we had our first snow in GSO. It was maybe 1 1/2 inches and not sticking to the trees. Taking a picture in my immediate neighborhood would not be anything that looked unique or told a story. So, today I decided to see what snow mounds along the street might grab my attention. This image was taken close up with my iPhone 5s. I liked the edges of the ice and at least still white. It was about 12:30 PM- just past noonday sun. Maybe should have thrown something in for color like sliced limes, lemons, oranges or cranberries - then it would have looked like a fruit bowl. I took at an angle (every piece of ice not in same plane)  and with shallow depth of field in front lower corner not as sharp. First I used Snapseed but it did not give me the flexibility for changes in post processing I have found in PSE 11. I am calling it Miniature Mountains of Ice. I did add a blue tint in color variations to help give a feeling of coldness and then sharpening and a slight vignette in PSE 11.

Red Tropical Plant - NC Zoo (variations)

Today I picked a tropical plant from the NC zoo to try working with some post processing. I may have come up with an idea for a card and didn't have to take out a paintbrush. I would need to add a vertical text box for the occasion. LOL I do not know the cultivar name nor was there any plant ID. I wanted to play with a painterely app with this image. Waterlogue (note spelling) which is a free painting app until end of Jan. and then did pencil drawing in PSE as well applying a vignette. I did not use flash when I took this photo but the lighting in a conservancy setting can be very tricky. With the iPhone I do not get the "blinkies" telling me I have an issue with highlights, especially with the native camera in 5s. Original image top left, waterlogue IOS app top right,  Pencil drawing PSE 11 with color center left, Vignette in PSE from orignal image center right.