2019 P52 - 2nd Qtr - Sandy(Skitterbug)

[skitterbug]

Hi Nandakumar - I bet your bleeding heart climbing plant is beauty to behold. I hope to see an image of it posted in your commentary when it is blooming? Thanks for commenting! <smile>

[skitterbug]

Looking good to me, but on the left side there are a couple of small bright spots which may benefit from slightly toning down.

Hi Geoff - Yep, I see the small spots you are seeing and yes, before I'd print this one, I probably ought to do as you suggest! Thanks for commenting!

[skitterbug]

Week 19 - I finished sorting through several images and liked this one so I worked on it for posting. I used the 100mm macro again for this outing because I wanted close up for detail. Realizing that the main subject is centered more than usual, I still like the way it balances itself with the little unopened blossoms surrounding the main feature. It looks "right" to me.

I toned down the blossoms behind the leaves on the right side a bit because they seemed to "glare". Seeing the image on screen makes me wonder if I should have toned them down a bit more?

I will appreciate various comments as I am continuing to learn from all of you!

Camera setting - auto ISO - 1000, f/11, 1/400ss

Before Edit:



After Edit:

Apple Blossom Time!

[Rufus]

Another pleasant image, Sandy! The main flower has become nice and sharp and it was a good idea to reduce the brightness of the "glare".

Generally the colours pop nicely, but I feel the main one has moved a just little too close to the light end of the tones. This is a very minor issue though.

What immediately struck me was the pleasing circle of buds, surrounding the main subject, in front of and behind the leaves. To accentuate this I wold be tempted to clone out the pink bud(s) in the top right of the frame and the white area in the bottom left of the frame.

[Wavelength]

Beautiful flower...
Bleeding heart is in our garden; i am not sure whether it has a season based blooming...waiting

[Geoff F]

Yes, Sandy, I think you could tone down those unwanted bright spots just a bit more. The main subject is rather central but the buds and leaves are sufficiently off center to counteract that potential issue; so the whole scene works for me.

[skitterbug]

..... To accentuate this I wold be tempted to clone out the pink bud(s) in the top right of the frame and the white area in the bottom left of the frame.

Hi David - Good idea about the top right and bottom left clone possibility.

I've set this one to be my desktop pic and have been enjoying it. Beats all the rainy weather we've been having lately!

Thanks for replying!

[skitterbug]

Yes, Sandy, I think you could tone down those unwanted bright spots just a bit more. The main subject is rather central but the buds and leaves are sufficiently off center to counteract that potential issue; so the whole scene works for me.

Hi Geoff - I appreciate the verification about the bright spots. Sometimes I think I go overboard when I clone and other times, maybe not enough. <chuckle> Thanks for replying!

[skitterbug]

Beautiful flower...
Bleeding heart is in our garden; i am not sure whether it has a season based blooming...waiting

I feel you are lucky to have them. It has taken me several seasons to have one bloom in my garden. I hope now that it is established, it returns. It is a perennial but sometimes our winters are very harsh and we lose our plants even when we have added extra mulch, etc. <sigh>

[Shadowman]

Week 19, nicely captured and edited.

[skitterbug]

Thank you John! I appreciate that you check out my images!

[skitterbug]

Week 20 - Sorting through images taken during May. I'll catch up eventually.

I've been out and about when the rain isn't falling. Our farmers still don't have crops planted. Field corn goes in generally the last of March but definitely by April. Soybeans are planted usually by mid-May. Since we have more rain being predicted for us this coming week, who knows when the crops will go in. Stressful times indeed.

In the meantime, the bullfrogs are quite content. I like this image because of the reflections, the bullfrog's pose and the rocks. I've been playing with ISO being set to automatic. Not sure I always am pleased with the "noise" results but it is nice not having to twiddle with settings quite as much. I used the 100-400 lens/1.4 extender for this one.

Settings for aperture f/11, exposure time 1/100ss, auto ISO 4000. The bullfrog wasn't moving so I wasn't too worried about blurring.

Before Editing:




After Editing:

Contemplative Bullfrog

[Shadowman]

Nice efforts on your additional frog series, hopefully you'll be creating a slideshow or print series for display.

[Cantab]

Week 19 - I finished sorting through several images and liked this one so I worked on it for posting. I used the 100mm macro again for this outing because I wanted close up for detail. Realizing that the main subject is centered more than usual, I still like the way it balances itself with the little unopened blossoms surrounding the main feature. It looks "right" to me.
...
After Edit:

Apple Blossom Time!

Sandy, I'm belatedly coming to your recent posts. My reaction when I saw this was "Wow!"

I've taken apple blossom photos in the past but none have had the allure of your photo.

[skitterbug]

Nice efforts on your additional frog series, hopefully you'll be creating a slideshow or print series for display.

Thank you John! I have printed a couple of them but nothing recently or on the "new" Pixma Pro yet. I appreciate the encouragement!

[skitterbug]

Sandy, I'm belatedly coming to your recent posts. My reaction when I saw this was "Wow!"

I've taken apple blossom photos in the past but none have had the allure of your photo.

Hi Bruce - Glad you enjoy this image. I have it set as my computer desktop and always see something else in it that catches my eye. Every now and then, I can actually capture something worth keeping! <chuckle>

Thank you for looking and commenting!

[Wavelength]

Your edit on frog image has worked well; very nice

[Geoff F]

Yes, agree with Nandakumar, I like this one.

[skitterbug]

Hi Nandakumar and Geoff - I'm appreciative that you haven't said "hurrumph" to the bullfrog pics yet! LOL... Thank you for your comments!

[skitterbug]

Week 21 - now hopefully I can stay caught up.... <chuckle>

Visited a friend's location recently. For the past couple of years and this year as well, momma fox likes to raise her young in an old corn crib. The fox are elusive but I managed to capture an image that I like. Closer would have been nice but I take what I can get. It would also have been a treat to be able to see the corn crib as part of the image, but the little fox had other ideas. One click of the camera and they knew I was "out there".
Comments are always appreciated! Learning is the name of the game!

Settings using lens 100-400 with extender 1.4 - auto ISO 1600 - manual f/11 - manual 1/800ss

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After edit: