Project 50 - Week 4 - Abrupt Change

Project 50 - Week 4
Concept - Flying High Sunny Day

Due to circumstances beyond our control (epic accident on highway causing major delay getting back home), I was unable to take the remaining pictures of the Berkeley Kite Festival today.  As such, I don't feel I have enough suitable photos to make a project, so on to Alternate Project #1, Sunny Day!  This is a collection of shots of a remarkably happy sunflower hanging our at my mother's house. 

Not quite kites, I know, but I still think quite a few of these shots came out well.  I tried to get some fish-eye shots (note: When using a fish-eye, be careful of your fingers!) as well, but the lens is totally manual and I have still not quite mastered it! 

Enjoy! 

(photos will also be posted to anttree.org site within a day or two). 

Photo 365 - Day 361 (Death Grasp Flower)

Day 361 (June 29th, 2011)
Title: Death Grasp Flower

 Clearly I need to not stay up so late, because when I saw this flower, the first thing I though of was how it looked like a hand trying to grasp the "stem" which was stabbing it.  I need more rest and less med's...

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 347 (Yellow Coarl)

Day 347 (June 15th, 2011)
Title: Yellow Coral

Today: Yellow flowers from Boulder, CO. 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 344 (Foxtails)

Day 344 (June 12th, 2011)
Title: Foxtails

I used to hate these things as a kid.  They'd get stuck in your socks, shirt, hair, everywhere!  Now, as an adult, I've learned that I can't hate them... now I can completely detest them!  I got one in my sock while I was trying to take pictures of them!  Evil weeds!

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 343 (Lady Bug Nap)

Day 343 (June 11th, 2011)
Title: Lady Bug Nap

Can you spot the snoozing lady bug?!

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 342 (Dandy Lion)

Day 342 (June 10th, 2011)
Title: Dandy Lion
Another "walking 'round Colorado" flower... err... weed more like.  Still, looks nifty!

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 341 (Colorado Yellow)

Day 341 (June 9th, 2011)
Title: Colorado Yellow

I'm not really keen to hang out in the hospital, that's why I go out a lot, which in turn means that why you are getting so many flower photos!  Also, some folks are allergic to flowers in the ICU, so you can't bring them flowers - so this is my way to give flowers digitally! 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 340 (Coral Flower)

Day 340 (June 8th, 2011)
Title: Coral Flower

Another flower I spotted walking in Boulder, CO.  When I saw it, it reminded me of the coral reef exhibit they had at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 338 (Colorado Purple)

Day 338 (June 6th, 2011)
Title: Colorado Purple

One of the things that I do to help pass the time here in "lovely" (and by lovely, I mean scorching hot) Colorado, is walk around and take pictures of the random flowers and plants that I see.  So, here is the first in a small collection of flowers that I've spied walking around Boulder Community Hospital.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 291 (Purple Pollen)

Day 291 (April 20th, 2011)
Title: Purple Pollen

Still in catch-up mode.  

Subject: Horde of pollen-spewing purple flowers of death.

Techie: 135mm, f/11 at 1/500th.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 286 (Rosy)

Day 286 (April 15th, 2011)
Title: Rosy

Still in catch-up mode.  This is a dual tone/colored photo, the rose is full color (no alteration), whereas the background is a mix sepia tone/monotone (black) blend. 

Subject: San Pedro Marina, San Pedro, CA

Techie: 135mm, f/5.6 at 1/60th, on-board flash.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 281 (Life/Death)

Day 281 (April 10th, 2011)
Title: Life/Death

Still in catch-up mode.

Subject: San Pedro Marina, San Pedro, CA

Techie: 300mm, f/9 at 1/640th

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 253 (FlowerMelon)

Day 253 (March 13th, 2011)
Title: FlowerMelon

This is the last of the watermelon shots.  At first, I put this one in the "reject" pile, because I just really wasn't happy with it, but when Theresa saw it, she said it looked like a "Watermelon Flower" - and thus was born; the FlowerMelon.  I admit, after giving it a second chance, it's not such a bad picture. 


I hope you like it!


Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 222 (Pink Button)

Day 222 (February 10th, 2011)
Title: Pink Button


This is another photo of a "scrap" flower that our friend made which just sitting around chatting.  She took some scraps of ribbon, some random buttons and pink thread and added a bit of 'ninja-esq' powers - bang!  Cool pink/punk button-flowers!  I am still surprised when I see people just make things out of just random bits and pieces.  I never would have thought to do some of these things that I see when I watching folks scrap.  Cards, books, flowers, you name it - they can 'see' it in those things that to me, are just paper, buttons, and string. 


Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 221 (Purple Yarn)

Day 221 (February 9th, 2011)
Title: Purple Yarn

Continuing with yesterday's shot of the yarn flowers that our friend made for us, today's shot is actually identifiable as both yarn and a flower!  This particular flower was about 1 to 1.5 inches wide and was very tightly woven (some of the other ones were a bit looser, giving the center a nifty hole and adding a bit of a pattern to the "petals"). 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 120 (Family of Roses)

Day 120 (October 31st, 2010)
Title: Family of Roses

Warning - The following anecdote is not cute nor representative of what is in the attached photo.  You've been warned.

Well, as you might have guessed I've been focusing on taking shots of flowers the last few days.  And in the first shot I mentioned that I prefer taking shots of flowers in their more natural environment (rather than staged).  Now, this shot is of a lovely bunch of roses in a rose garden, so not staged.  But, I took this picture right after they were watered, so it looks like they have 'morning dew' or other water-ish connection going on.  This is one of things that bugs me - normally getting shots of flowers with perfect little water drops on them, with nice reflections and whatnot is one of of the reasons to stage a shot (normally water and flowers don't cooperate so well in nature.  I blame you Wind!).  So, here I was, taking a shot of something that I feel is in the "territory" of staged photos (again, I don't usually mind staged stuff - just not so much with flowers).  Now, its not the best representation of the "water-drop on flower", especially compared to a staged shot, but its not bad.

As I was looking at this photo, I kept thinking: "I'm not going to use it... Its to 'fake', no one will believe it!', but in the end, my insanity took over and I found a way to make sense of it all...

Instead of those being little water drop, all 'artistic' and pretty, imagine instead that the roses have been stuck in the sun all day, people have been coming up to them, taking pictures, generally bugging them to look all 'cute and photographic'.  These flowers are beat!  That's not nature's little dew drops... that Rose Sweat!  Which, could be a lot worse... if they didn't smell like roses.

Does make you wonder the next time you see a model in a magazine looking like she is standing in the rain... Just think, that might not be rain.  Ewww.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 119 (Sarlacc Bloom)

Day 119 (October 30th, 2010)
Title: Sarlacc Bloom

Okay, with this picture I truly show off my geekness meets artist!  As soon as I saw this flower, the first thing that I thought of was the Sarlacc from Return of the Jedi (its the pit Jabba the Hutt is trying to toss Han and Luke into - that sadly eats Boba Fett).  In the background (yes, my geek powers are so strong, I know some Star Wars background!), the Sarlacc grows from spores in space (Ooo, good name for a cover-band: Spores In Space!).  I was thinking, what if before becoming some giant space worm/leech thingy that eats cool bad guys, that is started as some sort of flower.  I'm thinking Star Wars meets Little Shop of Horrors.

"Feed me Darth Seymour!" 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 118 (Flower Whiskers)

Day 118 (October 29th, 2010)
Title: Flower Whiskers

I have no idea why I named this Flower Whiskers, only that when I see it, the first thing that I think of is "whisker stubble".  I really like how this shot came out, although completely unplanned (of course).  I enjoy the colors, from the deep purple to the light green; the short depth of field so that focal point is really small (and only a few of the 'whiskers' are in focus); and abstract-ness of the entire composition.  I mean, you know its a flower as soon as you see it, but as you look at the individual parts, it's harder to see the overall picture. 

I did lower the brightness and up the contrast a bit to give a little bit more definition in the separation of the colors.  I also tweaked (slightly) the overall vibrance of the shot to bring out some of the more subtle purples.
I hope you like it!

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 117 (Blooming Flower)

Day 117 (October 28th, 2010)
Title: Blooming Flower

Flowers... The macro photographers best friend!  I've always enjoyed taking shots of flowers, but at least for me, I love pictures of them in their naturally (such as in the wild or folks gardens).  Many flower photographers have lots of equipment and entire studios setup for "nature" photography (using flashes, light-boxes, light stands, etc), and you can get a great shot using these items but I feel it is counter-intuitive with flowers.  Flowers are like small living paintings, that when put in such a mechanical environment loose some of their naturalistic effect. 

Now, I'm not putting down using said equipment (in fact, I wish I had such stuff!), but just not for flowers.  I guess my thinking is more: "Why setup a whole fake environment to get a 'perfect' shot of a flower when nature has already provided the perfect stage for them?" 

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 96 (Lemon Flower)

Day 96 (October 7th, 2010)
Title: Lemon Flower

Clearly Mabel enjoyed having her picture taken, because when I went out to check on her today, many of the buds (from yesterday) had bloomed into cute and very fragrant flowers!  I would say nearly half of them bloomed and the other half are just about there!  Now, being that I'm not a "green-thumb" (I have in fact, killed a bamboo plant... and it was plastic), I am hoping that all the buds, and now flowers, are a good sign for future lemoniness! 

Course, knowing my luck, she is only growing all the flowers to attract the bees, whom she will then convince to all fly together and lift her up to freedom. She'll laugh: "You'll never see a lemon! Mu-hahaha!" as she flies off into the sunset.  I blame the bee Unions for all of this.

Enjoy!

(Click picture for larger view)