Little White Flowers

 Little White Flowers_DSC_2175, a photo by Barb Phillips on Flickr.

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

My hope is that I am found moving in the right direction always.

Tuesday's Photo Challenges

Note to self: Get the yard stuff put away before it get berried under snow.
Okay now that I have that out of the way, it time to share my photos for the Tuesday's photo challenges.
I have to say that I am obsessed right now with editing photos in Photoshop.  My usual work flow was to edit my photos in ACR, take them to Photoshop and sharpen then leave them alone.
This past two weeks I have been taking Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini Course and can I be honest here, my photo editing process has a new twist.

 

My photo today is of a dead, dry zinnia from my summer flower garden, ( these should have been cleaned out by now). I really miss the color that flowers add to a yard, miss them all ready and winter/fall has just started.

Here is the original image straight from ACR with only exposure adjustments made.

Surprising how something so lifeless can be pretty.

Here is the same image after applying textures, blending modes, levels adjustments and a few other steps.  I am not a pro by any means, hence Kim's Course.

Photo editing steps are as follows -

• Background copy - Blend Mode: Normal - Opacity: 100%
• Adjustment Layer - Solid Color 391d0a - Blend Mode: Soft Light - Opacity: 100%
• Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map: Black to White - Blending Mode: Screen - Opacity: 35%
• Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map: Black to White - Blend Mode: Normal - Opacity : 100%

                                When working with the two gradient maps, if you click on the gradient map icon in you lalayers pallet, then click on the adjustments gradient map bar the gradient editor will pop up.

Your page will look similar to this -

By clicking bringing you cursor down below the black and white bar it will change to a hand.  With you cursor in the middle of the bar and you cursor in hand shape click once.  You now will have a black box below the scale.  Double click on the small black box, now you have select stop box up.  By clicking any where in the select stop box you can change the intensity of you gradient scale.  This is a great trick for working on Black and White photos.

Steps Continued

•  Applied Kim Klassen's light paper texture - Blending Mode: Light - Opacity: 100% - Masked off all but the sky - soft black brush
• Applied Kim Klassen's light paper texture - Blending Mode: Light - Opacity: 100% - Masked off all but the sky - soft black brush
• Copied Background  - Blend Mode: Soft Light - Opacity: 100%
• Adjustment Layer - Levels - tweaked till dark, lights and contrast looked proper
• New layer - added brush signature
• Image - Duplicate - Re-sized - Saved for Web

I am really enjoying learning, experimenting and sharing this new found knowledge.

Happiness Is . . . .

Happiness is flowers when you least expect them no matter where they came from.

I not much of a pink person, I rather go for the drab colors.  BUT in flowers I am rather fond of pink.  Makes everything just a bit softer and I could really use some softness right now.

How about a black and white version of the same.  HMMMM..... I think I still prefer pink

Just Send Me A Flower

Flowers!  They just do something to lighten the spirit, fix the soul.  I don't really care that they don't last long, I just love having them on a table.  Gerber Daisy are my favorite right now.  So bold, so colorful.  So today's post is all about flowers.  Not the typical photo but one that is often over looked when it comes to the floral bouquet, the stem.

They are a bouquet all in and of themselves.  I've never really taken the time to really see what was going on down in the vase before.Now if I could just get Mr. Farmer to take the time and send more of them my way, everyone would be happy. ♥

Mellow Yellow Monday 9-6

It's Monday and I am trying my hand at another photo challenge.  This one is hosted over at the  Mellow Yellow blog.  

The rules are pretty simple:
1. Every Monday post a photo with a little or a lot of yellow.
2. Please only post photos you have authority to use.
3. Include a Mellow Yellow Badge or a link to this blog in your post.
4. Leave the link to your Mellow Yellow post below on Mr. Linky.
5. Visit other blogs listed ... comment & enjoy!

So my yellow shot for a very chilly Monday is the only bright spot left in my dying garden.

Enjoy and I hope your day is as bright and cheery as my garden sunflower.

21/365

I was really hard pressed to find anything I thought would make a memorable photo today.  That was until I passed by some of last summers flowers.  They have out lived there beauty for most.  But, if you look close you can still find them beautiful, interesting and full of life.

19/365

Patterns
As long as I can remember there has always been some sort of plant in my house.  Just something about having something green, alive and growing that makes be feel the same.

  Can you tell what type of flowering plant this is?  Looks like it could really do some damage if you happened to get tangled up with it.  
Not really.  This is my African Violet that I have had for going on 23 years.  I tend to forget about taking care of it most times but it still survives.  I love the pattern of the little hairs as they protrude out all over the leaves.  Can't figure out why it has them.  Perhaps it's some sort of protection or a way to gather moisture.

Exposure:	0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture:	f/4.8
Focal Length:	85 mm
Focal Length:	84.8 mm
ISO Speed:	400

Two more photos with patterns in them.
All lined up and notice the sugar pattens?

Exposure:	0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:	f/4.5
Focal Length:	85 mm
Focal Length:	84.8 mm
ISO Speed:	500
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash

Oh the pattens of Oranges!  Patterns all over them.

Exposure:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture:	f/4.2
Focal Length:	85 mm
Focal Length:	84.8 mm
ISO Speed:	250
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash

Signs of Fall Mosaic

The chill is in the area and the flowers have lost their luster appeal, well for some at least.  I find my fall flowers around the farm are just as beautiful as the summer flowers.  Sun shining off the seeds, so delicate and airy.  Put together my first photo mosaic of some of my favorite fall flowers.

Every Monday, Mary at Little Red House   host mosaic Monday.  Visit her site for more ideas on mosaic compositions. Have a happy fall week!

{Day 76}

Theme #111 From Ground Level

I got some pretty strange looks from the shoppers at the local garden shop as I was down on all fours getting this shot. I was trying to get the daffodils framed just right between the white fence posts. White and yellow just looks so clean and fresh.

{Day 74}

Theme #103 Flowers

More Spring flowers from the local greenhouse. Red, yellow and green what a interesting contrast. I am going to have to remember this combination when I put my flower pots together.

{Day 75}

Theme #103 Flowers

Spring flowers, got to love um. Just love the peachy coral color against the green.

{Day 72}

Theme #103 Flowers

Now these are my absolute favorite outdoor flower, Lobilia. So dainty and small. They make great ground cover as well as hanging pots. Dark blue almost purple against the dark green stems. LOVE, LOVE these.

{Day 73}

Theme #103 Flowers

Purple and Coral, going to have to remember this combination for summer.