“Dandelions are just friendly little weeds who only want to be loved like flowers.” – Heather Babcock
Tag: inspirational
Photography – Calla Lilies – Rain Drops
“Time itself comes in drops.” William James – f/8; 1/320; ISO 400.
The sturdy calla lily petals with their smooth and graceful curves are the perfect subject to shoot water drops. The water drops display a nice variety of shapes and sizes without dripping into the center of the flower.
These calla lilies where placed in a vase and set on my patio table two feet in front of an evergreen which made the background very easy to darken. f/8; 1/60; ISO 400.
Travel Photography – Venice – Bridge of Sighs
“We are all prisoners but some of us are in cells with windows and some without.”
―
Venice is one my favorite cities. The people are charming, and I enjoy the hustle and bustle of activity in the canals and the architecture. The Bridge of Sighs, shown above, connects Doges Palace and a prison. It was designed by Antonio Contino and was built in 1600. It took two years to complete. The bridge allowed prisoners to get their last look at freedom in Venice, and it is rumored many would sigh while passing through the bridge…thus the name.
f/14; 1/80; ISO 200; 34mm
Comments are always welcome.
Photography – A Toad and Two Frogs
“There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction.” Franz Kafka
Three different adventures, three different subjects – On each photo shoot I had no idea what my subject was going to be. Normally I like to take my macro lens when walking along shorelines and in wooded areas. But on these three occasions my camera had a 55-250mm lens attached to it which allowed me to capture these subjects without disturbing them.
The toad shown above hopped out a few feet in front of me when I was walking along a dirt path in a wooded area in the fall. It was no more than two inches big. Luck would have it that it posed on a multi-colored leaf that made this subject fun to shoot. Camera settings: f/5.6; 1/40; ISO 200; 171mm.
Amongst an abundance of floating duckweed in a creek, a little head appeared ever so slightly rippling the water. I would not have seen it if it had not been for the ripple.
Camera Settings: f/7.1; 1/40; ISO 100; 250mm.
Strolling down by a lake, I happened to peak over some shoreline plants and discovered a bull frog who appeared to be waiting for dinner. This photo was taken just before dusk. Just right for reflections on the water surface. Camera Settings: f/16; 1/40; ISO 100; 250mm.
Photography – Water Lily Reflection
Life is only a reflection of what we allow ourselves to see.
This photograph was taken at Butchart Gardens in Canada. It had been raining on and off that morning and the lighting was perfect for capturing reflections in the water.
Although the water lily was my initial focus, in my opinion, the most interesting subject in this image is the petals causing a ripple in the water. Photograph details: f/11; 1/60; ISO 200.
I discovered that shooting in Aperture Priority between f/8-f/11 at 1/60 or above and ISO 100- 400 produces the clearest, sharpest flower images.
Photography – After the Snow Storm
SNOW: “It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. ” John Burroughs
The Chicago area was under a blizzard warning last night. The wind was blowing so strong and the snow was really coming down. It was a winter wonderland. As much as I dread the snow, it always amazes me how beautifully it drapes nature after the storm.
f/6.3; 1/250; ISO-400; 18mm lens
