More Flip n Blend, Abstract Wonderfulness.

So I have been spending a lot of time photographing lately, but most has been for 'competition' so I haven't been blogging as much as I would like.  A team event is starting on DPChallenge and I am on a team, so I've been getting to know my team and working really hard on submitting better photos.  (Now by the end of this blog post, you'll wonder what I'm talking about "better photos".  Haha.  I have had a couple of duds recently.  But I am putting in extra effort and I assume it will show any day now.)

I am feeling the pressure of this team thing since I'm a novice, I don't want to lose it all for my team.  But everyone seems very nice, and teams are made up of folks with all different skill levels.  I have noticed that I'm trying a little harder.  Plus the team is able to review images and make comments. So there is more trying something, then going out later and trying again.  

Bonus - I've already learned new settings on my camera.

We have had a number of 'expert' editing challenges, and you're shocked, I'm sure, to learn that I am not an expert at Photoshop.  But I did, however, try.  One exception to my lack of skill involves "Flip n Blend".  You've seen a few of my flip n blend's before, and it's quite a bit of fun to play around with.  My entry even did quite well - another personal best unless some 'mean voters' show up in the next hour.  

Here is my newest 'winner'.

I also entered the 'winged' challenge.  I had a fabulous opportunity to shoot butterflies at a Butterfly House, but my focus was off just a bit.  (I suspect I was just too close for most shots.)  I had one shot I really liked, and in hindsight I should have entered this:

But instead I took on the challenge of doing some 'expert editing'.  I took a neat gargoyle my mother has and shot him at dusk.  

And then it all went horribly wrong.  

In my defense, there were folks on the site saying they really wanted to see effort at the 'expert editing' and that they would vote lower any "regular" photo.  Well, I suspect they were exaggerating - but I also figured it was high time I try inserting an object from one photo into another photo.  I really do not know how I decided that blue and fluorescent green were the best idea.  I think it just happened.  I was mentally tired from all the work getting one gargoyle into a different photo that apparently I lost all sense.

But what's done is done.  (And I didn't even get last place, so there's that.)

The bonus is that I did learn a new photoshop task - I'll have to work on it - but I did it!

See on,

Julee

Spring.

Finally we have some green leaves and lovely flowers to enjoy.   I have been busy working on submitting photos to challenges, so again have neglected my blog some.  (It's frowned upon to post photos while a challenge is going on, but by the time voting is over my brain forgets about the finished photos and is on to new photos.)

But today I ran out for a bit just to capture one of the few spring days we get in South Dakota.  I did not venture far, just walking around the blocks near my house.  But the new, green leaves seemed nearly fluorescent after today's rain, and two flowering bushes I noticed had some wonderful colors.

I wanted to see how a photo turned out with everything intentionally out-of-focus, that light coming through the leaves was just beautiful.  So here is my abstract 'spring tree'.

And then there is my second flowering bush shot.

I had a 50 mm 1.4G lens on for all of the shots.  Since it was cloudy and nearing sundown, perhaps I should have used a tripod because my focus on the flowers was not quite right.  (Although I also was playing with the F:1.4, so perhaps that depth of field was just too shallow.)  Proper focus seems to be my biggest stumbling block in taking pictures, although I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this.)

Finally, here is a leaf shot put through the Photoshop 'Flip N Blend' process.  Perhaps not a real winner, but I liked the colors and that there were still some leaves that could be identified.

Flip n Blend is extraordinary fun.  It's a complete mystery what a mash-up will look like until it's tried.  While today's attempt wasn't all that fabulous, I did have some luck last week.  (And one photo is still in voting, so you will just have to wait for that wonder - but here are two from last week that I thought were quite lovely.)

See on,

Julee

Looking for symmetry.

Two photo challenges in one week have dealt with symmetry.  It was a topic I was fairly excited about, although I was a little unsure where to start.

But here is where I ended up:

I love it!

This photo came about because I happened to glance up at the mantel while watching TV tonight.  The mantel is where we put cards we get over the year.  Last week a cat had knocked all of the cards off, and I had picked them up and just stacked them flat, back up on the mantel.  A Valentine's Day card had the ribbon hearts that you see, and they were dangling from the mantel and all of a sudden I saw this beautiful symmetry.  (I have learned that the trick to great pictures is often beauty and fabulous lighting.)  So I spent about an hour playing around with those hearts.

Unfortunately, for the DPChallenge crowd there is too much processing in the photo I posted, and since the sharpness of the front heart was not quite as nice as I would have liked, I'll have to do a little more shooting tomorrow.

My first shot with symmetry was at the lake.  I guess all I can say it that indeed there is symmetry.

This next shot was my attempt at some abstract symmetry.  (The stripes are a stair rail.)

This last shot is of part of a sign at a park.

See on,
Julee

Eggs outdoors.

As Easter came and went, I tackled a challenge on photographing eggs.  I had previously had some success with this topic, but those eggs were photographed indoors.  How would I do taking them outside?  (Which despite a late cold spell, was feasible since all of the snow was gone.)

This was basically my first shot, but since the Lego chicken-man was not in sharp focus, I wasn't sure it was the best. Here are a few more outtakes from my shoot.  (I actually went out two days in a row - trying to duplicate the pleasing photo from day 1, but with improved sharpness.  Unfortunately it was much windier and my lego guy kept falling over.  I never did capture exactly what I had in mind).

See on,
Julee