Butterfly Workshop

I went to a butterfly workshop yesterday, sponsored by Crown Camera. On Fri night we got the lowdown from photographer Dennis H. and on Saturday morn we met at a secret location waaaay out in the sticks for the shoot. There were hundreds of butterflies! When they were flitting around me I felt like I was in a fantasy! Yeah, really cool. Though I dragged along extra gear, I really only shot with the Canon 100 mm L Macro.

Orchid Bloom in Black and White

Can't have too many photos of orchids! Here is a lovely black and white variation of my favorite flower, shot with the 40mm. And soon there will a new bloom to admire...

Full Bloom Orchid

The orchid stalk fully bloomed. 40mm stm lens, used a bounced flash to keep iso low.

Pretty Dried Camellia

I like to make a little natural vignette in the yard; this is a dried camellia with a few green leaves for liveliness. The sun seems to be glowing in the center of the dry flower. I used the 40mm for a nice sharp picture.

Oleander in Motion

Oleander thru the Lensbaby Spark glass eye. I like the feeling of motion and 3d achieved thru the variable focus on this lens. Even inclined to say surreal and definitely arty. Some processing with Lightroom CC; the newest version from Adobe.

Fun with Lensbaby Spark

The Lensbaby Spark is a specialty lens with a hand adjustable bellows to vary the focus in an image. It also comes with aperture shape discs that you put in to add a particular shape to the bokeh. The results are fun and often surprising. This photo reminds me of a drawing class exercise I did years ago. Kind of an arty dreamscape... must do more...

Orchid bloom 2015

The first bloom of 2015; I think I got this orchid about 3 years ago. The other two I got later have not rebloomed.

You can see the foliage of one of the non bloomers in the background.

One Swallow Swooping

This photo is a swallow flying over Cottonwood Creek; there were two of them seemingly thrilled to be using their flying abilities. They were swiftly dashing and swooping and turning and diving thru the air. My equipment (Tamron 70-300) could not keep up with them, so I turned it into a low sat abstract photograph with Lightroom.

Hungry Bee

A buzzy day for the bees in Anderson River Park. I believe that is a crabapple bloom she is enjoying. Canon 100mm f2.8L macro lens.

Spring Azalea

Pretty pink azaleas in the front yard at my new address. They are growing under some redwoods for which they have an affinity. I used the Canon 17-55 EF-s IS 2.8 lens on the Canon 70d.

Grape Ivy Leaves

Packing to move, rediscovered some lovely dried leaves tucked into a stack of papers. And some naturally dried ones for flavor. Canon 70d, 100mm f2.8L lens.

Interesting how the leaves and basket are matching colors.

Spring Daffodils

We got daffodils!

Canon 70d w Canon 100mm 2.8L lens. Lightroom 5 edits.

Imagining with Nature

An image I truly enjoyed making. A leaf in the grass, twirling camera technique. Canon 70D, 100mm f2.8 macro lens. Lightroom split toning.

I am an abstract expressionist photographer at times.

Goth Broccoli

Fun with photoshop and filter forge today.

Encaustic Branch

An 8x10" encaustic art on cradled board. photos show front, texture, and side. Wax is a great mixed media material, it can be smooth or textured in myriad ways and is conducive to embedding items such as this branch of leaves from a houseplant. I used some metallic gold wax for added interest.

First Day

I wonder how many people are posting on their blogs today!?

This year I will do more photography! In this shot of a neighbor's outdoor xmas deco, I turned the sky green with Lightroom to be more seasonally fitting.

Natural Fall Beauty

The lensbaby spark is a fun and arty addition to my lens lineup.  Tho my professional photographer friends might not agree, I am thoroughly enjoying the spark's ability to capture the beauty of imperfection.

Outdoor Love

The world is so full of beauty!

top photo was taken with the Lensbaby Spark, a recent purchase, and the bottom with Canon 17-55. The endless variations in nature's art keep me happily ever enthralled.

Fall in the Garden

Delicious autumn in the backyard!
My favorite season, esp in northern California. We've had some life-giving rain, the night temps are mild and afternoons sunny and warm. So here are a few photos to illustrate.

#wwpw2014 Redding, Ca

A little behind in posting! Geez, I have been very busy with work but gettin a just right slowdown now. I went with the Shasta Photo Club to participate in this year's world wide photo walk instigated by Scott Kelby. About 9 or 10 of us went to the McConnell Arboretum @ 7 a m on Oct 11.

And here is a photo of some native grasses (or weeds) highlighted by the morning sun.