Finding Calm

I'm at a loss for words given current events. My heart aches, so I retreat to that which brings me solace: Flowers, nature, the outdoors, ambient sounds of gurgling water, the birds and even the buzzing insects.

I met with running friends last weekend at Allerton Park to take photos of the peonies in their full glory. Through our running connection, I learned a few of us also shared a passion for photography. This was the first time we gathered for a photo-centric outing and I suspect we will do this again in the future.

Choosing to hold our outing on Sunday evening meant less crowds, nice evening light, and by chance, no wind...

This is Yahsin - she shoots with film and develops her own photos. This is something I plan to take up once I retire. You can see the expanse of the Peony garden - we are lucky to have this gem a short drive away from town. This was my first visit with the flowers in bloom. I made a visit several years ago, during the summer.

We found calm in the presence of beauty, nature and the singing mosquitos.

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Focus Stacked Macro Tulips

With the current Stay at Home directive, I've been working from home, my kids are back from being overseas and I have a tiny bit more time on my hands. It's a great time to learn something new and I decided to try my hand at Focus Stacking. With Focus Stacking, multiple photos taken with different focus points are merged together. The composite image renders more of the subject in focus when compared with any individual image.

I own a wonderful macro lens, but due to the shallow depth of field (small slivers of the subject in focus) I find it challenging to output what my eye envisions. Focus stacking gives me the output I desire.

Case in point - the photo below has the lovely stamens in focus, but that's about it. The petals are blurry, and I while I like the overall photo, wouldn't it be great to have all of it focus?


So, to create a focus stack, select your subject and take multiple photos with different portions of the subject in focus. The most effective way is to use a tripod. The camera should be as stable as possible. A focus tip - use the Live view option on your camera (most newer cameras have this feature) and move the focus rectangle around your subject. For higher control, zoom in with live view to refine the focus area.

I'm looking down the wee opening of a white tulip - I've captured the yellow stamens here and the rest of the bloom is fuzzy, much like the first photo.


I shifted my focus point to the edge of the bloom opening. The stamens are but a yellow blur.


In the third photo, the middle section of the petals are in focus.


I used four photos in the focus stack, it was very similar to the third photo.

Here is the composite photo:

I see the stamens and the petals in focus! Success!

Here is another focus stacked composite of another tulip, taken from the side. I used 5 photos to create this composite.


Of course, the composites were created with the help of photo imaging software. Yes, you can do this in Photoshop, but I found an alternative - Affinity Photo, which automates the focus stacking process just like Photoshop without the price tag and subscription requirements. I've downloaded a 90 day trial and so far have been extremely impressed by this photo editor's capabilities. I will most likely purchase the software (currently a steal at $25!).

I have more tulip photos to run through so look for more in the coming weeks.

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The Onion Blooms [Macro]

When one says "onion", the first thought centers around the pungent, tear inducing layered bulb, not the greenery above ground and most certainly not the pretty flowers produced by the developing stalks. A search on the generic term "allium" yields photos of Giant, Decorative Allium, revered for its huge, magenta - purple blooms, commonly offered through glossy nursery catalogs. I found these white beauties in my friend's backyard - her husband grows a wide variety of produce, including the lowly onion. A closer look and you see the beauty in these perfectly spherical blooms.

I initially took several photos with my 24-70mm lens but quickly determined I would not be happy with the pseudo sharpness I was seeing due to the lens limitations and my poor hand held technique. So I dug out my macro lens.







I really should use this lens more.

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Seize The Moment

As far as winters go, this one has been a mish mash. A little snow, a little rain, some cold temperatures (it got down to 0 DegF last week), some warm temperatures (two weeks ago I ran outside in shorts) and now we are getting some freezing rain.

The ground outside is devoid of snow, so there's plenty of dull green and brown to look at. Yeah, that's not too exciting. But the winter sun, especially at sunset, can illuminate the dull winter landscape.

The at sunset, the sunlight changes very quickly, so if you see something you want to take a photo of, you have to seize the moment, drop what you are doing and get the camera out. Looking outside from the family room, the sedum in the garden caught my eye - I liked how it was illuminated by the setting sun, so I grabbed the camera, put on my coat and crunched through the snow.

Five minutes later, the sun was gone. I don't recall what I stopped doing when my attention was diverted (probably folding laundry), but certainly, I'm glad I did.



Sharing with Simple Things Sunday, Mosaic Monday

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Textured Bouquet

The very last of the tulip photos, as they have faded after filling the house with beauty for over a week.



I adorned the original with two textures - a linen one and two layers of Kim Klassen's Reentry texture. I used two layers of the same texture to enhance the soft light blending mode I was using. I also removed the linen texture from the middle flowers using a layer mask.

Here's the original:

The textures, especially the Reentry layers brighten it all up.

Here's to brightening things up this Tuesday. It's cold here, but the sun is shining, so we're all good.

Sharing with Texture Tuesday.

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I Said Moo

These two cows normally hang out in what I'll refer to as the North Forty - the farthest pasture area at the stables where we board Caesar. For some reason, they were brought out to one of the inner feeding areas today, so I was able to get closer.

They are seriously mellow animals - they just stand there and chew their cud.


But with those big horns, I'm not going to cause any sort of a ruckus. Or get in the fenced area with them.


Yup, still chewin'


Linked to Simple Things Sunday

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Indulgences | Tulips

Please pardon me as I indulge with more tulip photos. The wonderful winter sun shone bright all day long and I found myself at home earlier than normal. I moved the bouquet into the dining room where the afternoon light streams in.





Louie wandered in, curious as always.





I couldn't shoo him off - he was so interested in the flowers. No, he didn't try to eat them... just a sniff here and there.

For these next two shots, I placed the bouquet on the floor, with the white flowers in the sun. I spot metered the white of the blooms, resulting in the dark background. In the past, I've placed a black shirt on the floor when trying to get this sort of effect, but I've learned with brightly lit subjects, this isn't needed as long as I spot meter.




I leave you with two final images from today's tulip shoot. Have a great Friday!

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Huntress

We let Hannah out of the house occasionally because
1. She doesn't go far - she stays in the yard
2. She always comes home when we call her - or more specifically, shake her food bowl
3. She manages to catch a rodent every now and then

We won't let Louie outside because he's young and we are afraid he might run off. There are coyotes still in the area and it's best to keep him inside.

But Hannah, she enjoys the comforts of home too much now to wander off.

Hannah watched as I was taking picture of the icy branches Monday afternoon and started to meow so loudly that one of the kids let her out to join me. She didn't know she would become my next subject.





Here she is in "stalking mode":

But maybe she's just slinking around because the ground is so cold!

She didn't catch anything today. Maybe next time, Hannah-girl.

Sharing with This or That Thursday

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Water Drop Macros

Water drops are fun to capture, but why are they so perfect on the imperfect host, ie, weeds?



Probably because the weeds have fuzz on their leaves - the water balls up perfectly.


Beauty in everything, even a planter full of weeds on a misty, rainy, overcast day.

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Don't Go Far

I didn't go far to capture something I found interesting. My neighbor (and good friend) is used to me poking my camera at various things in her yard.

Spirea that is starting to turn color.

Dare I say these leaves reminded me of Christmas?

More of the cucumber plant - this time, the cucumber flower. I though it was a squash, but my friend informed me that there weren't any squash in her garden - just cucumbers.


And something from my garden - the Sedum that is just starting to show off its Fall colors.


I bet if you look in your backyard, there will be something pretty to capture! If not, just go next door.... but you should probably ask first.

Linked to This or That Thursday

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The Green Web

I thought this cucumber leaf looked like a spider's web, in reverse - the the way the veins spread from its center.



Or maybe it looks like a 5 legged spider ....

I pulled out the macro lens for the first time in a while. For me, it's always a rush to see the intricate details it can capture.

I hope you can see the beautiful details in your life today.

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Happy Mother's Day

I posted pictures of peonies on Instagram recently, noting that they had bloomed early this year. It seems as if everything is blooming early, as I almost missed the Japanese Iris blooms. May is such a crazy month, it has been hard to slow down and notice the beauty in my own backyard.
This weekend so far has been fairly low key - perfect for Mother's Day. And I wish all my friends, sisters and my own mom a happy Mother's Day.

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Not So Winter White

It's the end of February and we're all thinking "spring". It's unlikely that old man winter (who hasn't been around at all this year) will rear his head again, but you never know.

Because it doesn't feel like it's winter, here's some not-so winter white for your Tuesday.



And because it's Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen's, here's a version with two of Kim's textures




Have a beautiful Tuesday!

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One Week Later

Not only are they gorgeous fresh, tulips have this way about aging so gracefully. From the curve of their stems as they start to droop, to the gentle opening of their petals. Grace in still motion, each day a subtle change from the last.

Like a shy girl, hiding.....


Slowly revealing her inner beauty.....


And Inner Strength .....


Today's shots are SOOC - I have a new photography tool that I used to take these, making the SOOC possible - I hope to share soon, but I'm still trying to take thing easy for now. Hopefully I'll be able to get out to shoot something other than these tulips!

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