Botanical Garden visit...some images for C&C of course...

[IzzieK]

This is the first batch of our botanical garden visit here in St. Louis. I told hubby that I do not want to go, but he had already planned the day and said we might as well just enjoy ourselves. There are many things I am sorry about -- one is that I did not bring all three of my cameras. I opted the easy way and only brought one camera and 2 lenses. One of them is my pretend macro and the regular 70-300mm with macro. Both are not suitable so I just did the best that I can for the day. If I brought all three, I do not have to change lenses, one for my pretend macro, one for the regular shoot and another for the wide angle shots. I do not enjoy changing lenses in the open...too much dusts.

Anyway, here are some of my serious shots:

1. Sole Provider artwork by Joe Mutasa



2. Protecting the egg by Damian Manuhwa



3. Sheep??? I don't know...I didn't talk to them so they didn't tell me either.... Actually I forgot to take a look at the label near the bench because the kids came running in and I didn't want to lose the chance of having some free models for my shoot. I chose one kid -- the one with the pretty smile...she looks like she has a nice soul, well behave kid...



4. With kids 1 -- I love children...they are spontanous!



5. With kids 2



6. Need help??? I just thought I would add this one...the bird looks like he is the authority on herbs...I think the sign is incidental to this shot though I only saw it when I processed the image a while ago...



More coming....Sorry, I can't reshoot the scenes here anymore...

[Marie Hass]

Nice! Izzie. I am pixel peeping at work so I will have to comment more later.

[vaez]

hi dear Izzie
all image nice fa me 1 is very beautiful

[Barbara Ponder]

Izzie these are great!

[Shadowman]

Nice series,

[bnnrcn]

Nice series Isabel #5 might need some sharpening as it looks a bit soft to me. It is unlucky of you that the bird blends with the BG in #6 but we all know that birds don't pose for us

[Ziggy]

Hi Izzie. Looks like a great place to get some shots, you did well.

Made it down to Rodanthe, NC on the Outer Banks yesterday. Hope to make it over to the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island this trip to catch the azaleas that are blooming now.

Jim

[Rita]

A nice series Izzie. I really like how you captured the little girl in #5.

[TonyW]

Great pictures! It looks like a very nice place to visit. I don't understand the woman with the spare heads.

They look like sheep to me but I would not like to have to shear them.

[Kris V]

Favorite for me is #1. I love the colours! Runner-up is #4. The sheep didn't seem to mind having the kids on their back......

[IzzieK]

Nice! Izzie. I am pixel peeping at work so I will have to comment more later.

Thanks Marie for passing by and commenting...

[IzzieK]

hi dear Izzie
all image nice fa me 1 is very beautiful

Hi Vaez...welcome back....you've been away for a quite sometime...I noticed you are posting again and active again and I am glad that you passed by my post and given me a feedback preference. Thank you. I appreciate it very much!

[IzzieK]

Izzie these are great!

Thanks, Barbara...just normal shots as I did go out with the right gear...

Also, thank you John (Shadowman) for commenting too.

'Appreciate them very much.

[IzzieK]

Nice series Isabel #5 might need some sharpening as it looks a bit soft to me. It is unlucky of you that the bird blends with the BG in #6 but we all know that birds don't pose for us

As for the bird, I have to improve my pp there without overdoing the sharpening and the contrast so it looks more separated to the background. I guess I have achieved that..

As for #5, I only lightened the face of the little girl as I was concentrating more on her and in my PP. I also sharpened it slightly because that was a quick shot to catch her happy face. The rest of the kids I did not even bother to sharpened because they are not as important to my shot as the the girl was. The boy, I selected him and gave him a gentle blur so the little girl will be more prominent in the shot. Quick two shots and I was gone...not even a thank you to the mother of the children. I felt I was very rude and that made me feel guilty almost all day...

I honestly thought I was successful in achieving the effect I wanted in #5...

[IzzieK]

We have two months, Ziggy, in Central. Azaleas seems to bloom more profusely during April and May here...

Azaleas Bubble gum


I'd dearly like to see your shots too when you manage the trip...I've always thought we'd move to NC around Charlotte but one flying member of Bill's group snootingly said to me, "everyone wants to move to Charlotte..." Not after I heard her say that in that manner she did...

Hi Izzie. Looks like a great place to get some shots, you did well.

Made it down to Rodanthe, NC on the Outer Banks yesterday. Hope to make it over to the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island this trip to catch the azaleas that are blooming now.

Jim

[IzzieK]

A nice series Izzie. I really like how you captured the little girl in #5.

Thanks Rita...that is my favourite shot so I put more time in processing that one...thank you for passing by and commenting. I truly appreciate it very much.

[IzzieK]

Do you mean #1 shot, Tony...?? I didn't either but if you look closer without expanding the image in lytebox, her hand is on the shoulder of the boy at the left and near the top of the breast of her little girl. The body of the two children are the folds of her skirt too. I think it is a nice depiction of a single mother who has to support her children (hands on kids) alone via circumstances thrown at her by past events in her life, either she was a widow or her husband left her and her kids or the husband died. In short she has no partner but must cope to live and give opportunities to her kids...

Great pictures! It looks like a very nice place to visit. I don't understand the woman with the spare heads.

They look like sheep to me but I would not like to have to shear them.

[James G]

Hi Izzie,
It's "protecting the egg" for me....

I do like the shots of the children playing, they do look happy... (Have you considered B&W for any of these?)

[IzzieK]

Favorite for me is #1. I love the colours! Runner-up is #4. The sheep didn't seem to mind having the kids on their back......

Thanks Kris...for the feedback. I appreciate it very much...there are other kids in the image but I cropped them off to concentrate on the little girl a bit more...There must have been 7 of them or more...I felt guilty cutting of the coloured girl from the right side so I might as well crop the whole thing to make the image more stronger...

[deetheturk]

Nice series Izzie, well done