Have been compositing in Photoshop CC, yes, decided it is worth it for $20 a month.

Also taking a class online here which has been sooo helpful. Plenty of tuts on youtube as well. Hours of fun for the digital artist.

Dragonfly on a (Barbed) Wire

On the way to Davis to pick up my (college student) son, I stopped at a rest stop I had never stopped at b4. There were a lot of dragonflies and it was breezy; a bunch were hanging onto the barbed wire fence. Only had the 17-55 so I couldn't get very close; this is cropped in. It looks so fragile as it delicately holds onto the barb.

The Moon in June

A color photo of the weekend moon. Looks like it's gonna roll down that hill! I love raw files and non-destructive editing.

Big Moon in Black and White

I went out last eve to shoot the supermoon, as tonight's forecast is cloudy. Editing in Lightroom 4, the pros make it look easy, but it's a complex program. In this version I removed color and some foreground trees; it looks a bit otherworldly to me now. I used the Tamron 70-300 vc to bring the moon in close.

Fuschia Hollyhocks

Some pretty fuschia hollyhocks from the backyard. Photo taken a month or two ago; it's too hot for hollyhocks now.

Close up Granite Column, UCDavis

Another example of the 50mm reverse macro (granite); there is a lovely refraction near the center of this shot. I hadn't realized b4 that granite has a crystalline structure.

Reverse Macro 50mm lens

 

Using my Canon 50mm 1.8 lens reversed to get an interesting and up close look at a cracked granite slab @UCDavis. I went to Davis yesterday to see the last DAS plays for the year. My son wrote one and directed one; everyone raved about the one he wrote! It was awesome! Contemporary and funny and imaginative. The actors and director were  awesome, too.

Macro with 50mm lens

I have learned so much from videos on youtube; it is truly an internet treasure! For example, today I learned that it is possible to use the 50mm lens in reverse to take macro shots.

Viola! I like it when art is FUN, and bends the rules.

No Detail in the Blacks

I removed the detail in the blacks for a strong and simple graphic image.

Morning Sunshine

A vibrant squash blossom in early morning backlight. Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS macro lens in my own backyard. My sis is a wonderful gardener, all I have to do is enjoy!

Macro Raindrops Photo

I am thrilled with this photo of raindrops on an iris leaf!  There are teeny tiny drops all over the leaf if you look close; that is not image noise. The Canon 100mm f2.8L IS macro is the hero lens on this shoot. In Lightroom when you check the lens correction section, there are no corrections needed for this lens; it is that good.

Oh Orchid of Mine

A year or so ago I bought myself a beautiful orchid; and tho I have taken photos of these flowers, this is the first one I love. I used Lightroom 4's light vignette, which is really appropriate for this. Also I put the plant in my bathtub so it had a nice neutral surround.

Send Back the Clouds, Photo Landscape

Yay! The great clouds came back on Friday and I found some shooting time. This one is looking east over the Sacramento River from Riverview Drive in Lake California.

Landscape Looking East

There were magnificent clouds this afternoon, but I was working and by the time I got out to shoot they were dissipating. Still I like this landscape shot looking east in Lake California; the haze contributes nicely to the aerial perspective. I used the Canon 100mm L 2.8 IS lens, which is a macro but shoots everything beautifully.

Skinny Depth of Field, Pincushion Flower

I love the delicious blur around the delicate focal flower in this photo, even if I took it myself! Used the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 lens and Lightroom 4.

Evening Shoot

A sweet shrub with solar lights, early evening. I went out in the front yard @ sunset and played with my gear. And further played in Lightroom to make a pink duotone. Fun! Canon 50mm 1.8 lens.

Fire Season Sunset 2013

Already fire season here in California. Shot with the Canon EF-s 17-55 f2.8 lens, near the office in Lake California.

KT's Leaves Poem Duotone

My daughter, Katie, wrote this poem when she was about 10; it was included in a nationwide children's poem antholgy. Purple was KT's favorite color so I used it in the color scheme; she died of leukemia in March,1999 when she was 15.
The photo is a duotone created in Lightroom 4. The tree is a curly willow in our backyard.

Self-amuse with a Camera

I had some time to experiment so tried moving the camera during a long exposure at sunset; pretty streaks emerged. This woman just wants to have fun!

Black and White Flower

Tried a flower in black and white; this is a blue Love in a Mist. AAck! Now the crop looks awkward to me. Going back to Lightroom...