The photos were taken on a very bright, sunny day this week, though I was standing in the shade of the house. Once I narrowed my subjects down, I decided to work with the birdhouse and some Columbine. I wasn't sure which one would predominate.
 |
| ~No~ |
The other lesson this week that made a lot of sense to me was "move your feet." All too often I stand in one place and expect to achieve a different photo. Hmmm...there's a larger life lesson there.
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| ~No~ |
From the photo above, I decided to allow the Columbine to star.
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| ~Maybe~ |
On macro setting, the Columbine takes center stage while the birdhouse fades to the background. (I never knew that Columbine can look like a group of swans in a dance.) Some of the colors have been enhanced, particularly the green in the flower itself, using photo editing programs: PhotoScape and Photoshop.
I'll never achieve *what Donna achieves,* but I've had my fun!
Please visit what others are doing at A Personal Photo Challenge and consider joining in. After all, to be stretched is what a challenge is all about!
P.S.
ISO 400
Aperture 2.8
Exposure 1/2000 sec
Focal Length 6mm
White Balance 0
Photoscape and Photoshop
Love it! And it does look like a group of swans! What a delicate, amazing creation.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll learn something from your photo challenges. It certainly motivates me to pick up the good camera again to see if I can figure out what you're doing. I read your description of the columbine and looked at it again and was able to see exactly what you described.
ReplyDeleteI failed again to write my settings down, but I agree with the moving your feet lesson. That was new to me. I think this was a great theme.
ReplyDeleteQMM
I was amazed to see the flowers as dancing swans! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work! And i love the imagery of swans Dancing!
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are becoming an amazing photographer, my Dear! Simply amazing.
Wonderful, wonderful macro!!!!
Swans. Yes. Delightful.
Please come over and give me lessons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The flower does look like dancing swans! Isn't it amazing what you see through a camera. I have a lot to learn about photography.
ReplyDeleteVee,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo...Isn't it amazing what we can see when we focus in on one thing like you did with the columbine? I have never seen these flower swans...but I will not forget them now that you have shown them to me...awesome......inspiration right here...thank you..
Love, Mona
The solid white columbine sure is pretty. I like the little weathered bird house, too...it looks good in the background. Wonderful photos, my friend! Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Vee. I will have a Columbine in my next set of flowers being launched in July. It's an unique flower in nature with its structure and colors and growing by the birdhouse just make me smile! XOXO
ReplyDeleteNow I am racing out to my garden to see if I have flocks of dancing swans too!
ReplyDeleteOh my...what fun!
How fun...I THINK I might could do this with my $75 point and shoot...gonna try it next time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am lovin' those dancing swans....:))
Oh, how fun.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a nice day, Vee.
Wow...what a great photograph...just beautiful and so relaxing!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Vee and interesting compositions. Love that creamy columbine. It complements the weathered bird house well, and all the greens make for very calming images. As you've said, the photo challenge is about personal growth, not comparison.
ReplyDeleteThe Columbine does look like a flock of swans! Love it! And I enjoyed your photo lesson today. I'm off for a photo adventure and I will try to move my feet! I've never thought of that before!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I need to work on my photography more, I'm heading to check out your link.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done Vee! I love the 'swans in a dance' columbine. They do look like swans! Great work.
ReplyDeleteI love the dancing swans! I've never seen that before!
ReplyDeleteThank you Vee!
Deanna
Dancing swans - yes, I see that too.
ReplyDeleteGreat job.
You can always try laying down on the ground to get a shot too. I've done that before. : )
Yes, I have done that, but not now that I need a small crane to hoist me from the ground.
DeleteOh boy, you lost me with that ISO and aperture talk, but moving the feet? That I can do.
ReplyDeleteThat columbine flower looks so elegant. I am thinking how without this close-up photo I'm not sure any of us would have realized a swan dance was happening in there. It made me think of the beautiful swan photos Kimberly captures. I hope she is reading this.
Dancing swans indeed!!! Beautiful pix!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots Vee...I like that rustic little birdhouse. Too cute! I also like your blog background and the brown polka dot band!
ReplyDeleteBravo! I laughed out loud when it came to your lightbulb moment about life lessons! Yes - move those feet! I'm so glad that you indicated "no" on the second one. That one doesn't measure up to the quality of the other two because the depth of field was too shallow for the entire scene and the flower is demanding the viewer's attention because it is lighter. A f/22 aperture setting or higher would have perhaps allowed both the bird box and flower to be in focus. Or else frame the bird box in the viewfinder and eliminate the flower entirely in the composition. An emphatic yes should be given to the first and third photos! Both work beautifully. In the first one, you definitely have a subject that is defined by the overall scene. And in the third one, the flower closeup is simply beautiful and it is clearly commands attention.
ReplyDeleteI am skeptical about the 6mm focal length for any of the photos. Perhaps you meant 60mm.
Great job, Miz Vee!
I'm so out of your league in photography.....mine is click and shoot.... but I do appreciate your photography.. Your thoughts and words always make me think and smile.... thank you!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
You do better than me I take extra photos and get rid of the bad ones sometimes that's a lot.
ReplyDeleteMerle......
Love your take on columbine - swans dancing. I think of them as pixie or fairy hats!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your sweet comments about the wedding - 1 week to go!
xo
I marched right out to my flower bed to see if my Columbine looked like dancing swans too - sure enough. I shall never look at Columbine the same way ever again! So amazing. Your photos are exquisite Vee.
ReplyDeleteYou caught me in your web! I am going to go over and take a look at the photo challenge. I have writers block... having a difficult time getting back into writing for fun. Maybe this will kickstart me!
ReplyDeleteIndeed I do love how the columbine takes center stage...and the dancing swans too! (And the greater life lesson...) Great photography, Vee!
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the results of this challenge...I may participate myself next month.
Vee
ReplyDeleteI just love your dancing swans!
I don't know much about photography,
but I say it's better than maybe.
Fun experiment in photography, its been a while since I have just played with my camera. The columbine center stage is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh Vee...these are beautiful. Love the dancing swans shot. We don't have that flower here but I'd certainly love being able to grow it!
ReplyDeleteI'm so bad about using my camera for anything other than my paintings. I always hate to mess up my settings. I just need to get over it.
ReplyDeleteThese are just beautiful! You sure paid more attention to the "instructions" than I do. Great job. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, absolutely beautiful and yes, the Columbine does look like swans dancing, didn't notice until you mentioned it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend,
Hugs,
Sue
I absolutely love the third photo Vee! It is beautiful!
ReplyDeletethis inspired me to join a photochallenge myself. :) hello there... the birdhouse is really cute.
ReplyDeleteOh wow it does look like a group of swans. I'm going to think of you each time I look at a columbine now and remember this.
ReplyDeleteLove Leanne
Loving the dance. Very nice!!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are lovely Vee. And I never knew how much Columbine does look like a group of swans.
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful day.
Karen
Love the columbine!
ReplyDeleteGood for you!! You are accomplishing something that makes happy (and maybe a little frustrated at times)! Don't give up, I see plenty of smiles and laughs coming from that camera. You've conquered this challenge, well done!
ReplyDeleteColumbone has such a delicate and beautiful flower---you captured it beautifully, Vee!
ReplyDeleteColumbine always remind me of hiking in the mountains...one of my favorite flowers. Loved these shots!
ReplyDeleteI'm a completely amateur photographer with a shiny red Kodak, but I have to say that I have learned so much about life by simply trying to be a better one. In my head, I now have a whole blog post running around. I doubt it will come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteLoved your photography, and I really, really liked where my mind went with moving the feet.
Also, I read your previous post about CSPAN 2. I have been rivieted as well. Actually, I have watched too much news lately. I'm going to have to "detox" off of it for a few days. It has not been good for my attitude.
Beautiful...your graceful swans! I need to buckle down and learn a little about apertures and exposures one of these days...but just never seem to find time. So, I keep doing what I do best...AUTO!
ReplyDeleteI came here from Gracious Hospitality and loved the advice you gave there. I also love that you are award and word verification free.
ReplyDeleteAlas, and I often have a hard time remembering what button to push to just take a picture.
ReplyDelete