Hydrangea

I have not taken photos of flowers in a week, but now I got myself a pink Hydrangea to place on the kitchen table.

Hope to keep in blooming for some time. As you can see from the window, we still have lots of snow 😦 outside. This bloom brings spring inside

Posted for Bren’s Floral Friday and Cee’s Flower of the Day

Pink tulip

“So, in the tulip, we have a flower of beauty and grace of charm, refinement and distinction. It is a powerful flower and it knows it.”  Tadashi Shoji

“Even when petals have flaws, all you see is a beautiful flower.”

This post is linked to Cee’s FOTD – Flower of the Day

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #229 – Perfect Patterns

For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #229 we’re exploring – Perfect Patterns

Ann-Christine wrote, Of course there is no such thing as a ”perfect” pattern…but it could be perfect in Your eyes, perfect for camouflage or perfect for its purpose…or simply radiating ”perfect”! This week we challenge you to find perfect patterns and it would be great if you wanted to tell us why you think they are perfect.

Diagonals and patterns have lots in in common, I could easily use some of the same images from last week. Lets see what I can find in my archives. Patterns are everywhere, but in the purest form they can be found in nature. Nearly all things, big or small have them, if we look closely enough.

Well nature produces most wonderful patterns in flowers, spiderwebs, trees… you name it we can find it

Not to forget man made patterns, in building, textiles,

Our tableware is a place patterns are commonly found, as are the fabrics are made of.

The header photo has patterns, diagonals, and keeping with the season candles, frost and snow….

Ann-Christine from LEYA To See a World in a Grain of Sand… , host this weeks Challenge #229 – Perfect Patterns

Beautiful in Black and White 13

I have a soft spot for black and white photography, I was once again reminded about the importance of exposure, light. It is the key element in these photos.

Roses, they look lovely in black and white

SONY DSC
Roses

The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. – Rashid Johnson

Posted for Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome and Leanne’s Monochrome Madness

From my archives – orchids

November will be filled with photos from the archives .

Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident derived characteristics . Among these are: bilateral symmetry of the flower ), many resupinate flowers, a nearly always highly modified petal  fused stamens and carpels, and extremely small seeds.

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

White orchid

From my archives – ‘Annabelle’

November will be filled with photos from the archives .

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’

This plant gives pleasure when from middle of the summer until late fall, these photos are from late fall when the flowers have already turned brown. Still beautiful with all it’s details.

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge

Annabelle hydrangeas

From my archives – Peony

November will be filled with photos from the archives .

The luxurious flowers of Peony ‘Double Pink’ are ruffled and petal packed, unfurling from round buds in early summer, revealing petal after petal until fully open. Large, flamboyant blooms coupled with a sweet, light fragrance.

Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is an exquisite herbaceous peony with ruffled, flamingo-pink, double blooms that open from large, and rounded buds. This RHS AGM variety has been popular since its introduction in 1905, and still beguiles gardeners with its sheer flower power. With a slightly taller habit than most, this beauty is one for planting towards the back of perennial borders, where its glamorous blooms will rise above a clump of deeply divided, dark green foliage.

I don’t know which one these are, I do know I love peonies, one of my favorite flowers. I some how was able to kill mine at my summer house, but then again I don’t remember planting it, it appeared and after several year it disappeared… but it was lovely addition to my very scantly garden

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

Pink Peony

From my archives – Iris

November will be filled with photos from the archives .

Iris germanica ‘Black Dragon’ , Black Iris was a delightful find as was Siperian Iris, and the last one is a Bearded Iris- I think 🙂

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

Siberian Iris

October close-up – oak tree leaf

October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

lovely greens
A fallen leaf in the grass
Light captured the leaf of an oak tree

October close-up – leaves of colors 🍃

October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night growing in the embankment at my backyard. The splash of color got my attention, here are more shots of the frosty morning.

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

lovely greens
Light captured the frost on the flowers
A ray of light came onto out backyard
Still some frost left on the pine

October close-up – leaves of colors 🍃

October surprises with frost and colorful leaves 🍃 afters a cold night growing in the embankment at my backyard. The splash of color got my attention.

A ray of light came onto out backyard

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

Light captured the colorful leafs
how nature finds away to grow
Still some frost left

October close-up – leaves of green

October surprises me with this green plant growing in the embankment at my backyard. The fresh green got my attention.

Still found some green

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

how nature finds away to grow

October close-up – Oriental bittersweet

October berries of Oriental bittersweet.

Celastrus orbiculatus is a woody vine of the Celastraceae family. It is commonly called Oriental bittersweet, as well as Chinese bittersweet, Asian bittersweet, round-leaved bittersweet, climbing spindleberry and Asiatic bittersweet.

Oriental bittersweet

 

Oriental bittersweet growing on our fence, needs yearly cutting.

October close-up – fallen leaves of lilac

October colors on lilac leaves. Looks like nature placed hearts on the grass to get my attention.

the leaves of lilac

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

Edited version of the same photo of fallen lilac leaves

October close-up – Pink rose

Once again, Rose, in its glory.

Whilte blossoms

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

October close-up – Delicate flowers

A unknown flower to me, but it is, a beautiful and delicate. I’ve so many flower photos, that I have not shared. These are taken from my trop to Sri Lanka.

Whilte blossoms

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. 

October close-up – Pink flowers

Rose, flower is a flower and beautiful in its own right. As is hydrangea, both in pink tones

Pink Rose

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.  This time I am just posting shots of roses.

I love to have fresh flowers at home, I picked some roses this time.

Pink pastels
from the side
fuchsia

October close-up – Carnations

I always ,first pick out a photo when I start write a blog post , I decide what I want to share, and then maybe write few words to accompany it and come up with a title. I keep repeating the title as I am bad as coming up with them.

I mean, flower is a flower and beautiful in its own right. And I want to believe, that so are most of my photos that I choose to share. They should speak for themselves. Not that they always do, but I can make believe ☺

Pink Carnation

Since I am sharing close-ups, mostly of flowers I’ve decided also to participate in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.  This time I don’t have violets, but some of the carnations have violet color.

carnations looks lovely even as black and white image

I love to have fresh flowers at home, I picked some small carnations this time, because they stay looking good for a long time. I take photos of them to pass time and in the process get few nice shots. Edit them see what I can create from them.

white and violet
from the side

October close-up – Tulip

Since I am sharing close-ups , I’ve decided also to participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time the T letter is also is attached to it 🙂 Tulips. The stylish and graceful Tulip is always elegant. it Is a delight.

Yellow tulip
Pink Yulip
ulip bud

September close-up – Blue Poppy 

Since I am sharing close-ups , I’ve decided also to participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time the P letter is also is attached to it 🙂 Poppy. The enchanting Blue Poppy  blooms late spring and early summer. Such a rich true blue flower is a rare garden treasure.

Blue poppy
Blue poppy 2
Blue poppy 3

September close-up – Orchid

Orchid with droplets

Since I am sharing close-ups , I’ve decided also to participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time the O letter is also is attached to it 🙂 Orchid

the colors are bright and elegant

September close-up – Nymphea -water lilies

white water lily

Since I am sharing close-ups , I’ve decided also to participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time the N letter is also is attached to it 🙂 nymphea

water lillie
the colors are bright and warm

September close-up – Maple 🍁

Autumn tones

I’m on a roll, second time in a short while that I’ve participated in Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge. This time the M letter is attached to it 🙂

the colors are bright and warm
Maple leaf

September close-up – Berries

Nearly purple berries
Green berries

It’s been ages since I participated in this challenge Cee’s Flower of the Day So hopefully I did it the correct way. Took these today. No Idea what the plant is 🙂

52 Frames: Week 27: Negative Space!!

 Less is more. This week’s Negative Space challenge is what those words are all about. Make your composition’s subject stand out by ensuring you eliminate clutter, distractions and sometimes even a background.

Peony in monochrome

Many minimalistic photography images have a great deal of negative space to isolate the subject. There are tons of genres and ideas that would make for very compelling shots – architecture, landscapes, portraits, food photography, abstracts and so much more. Think about the story or emotion you’d like to convey to your viewer and compose your shot after taking some time to think about it.

Daisy

We’re looking for clear, un-cluttered images where the space surrounding the main subject or idea enhances your shot by taking the viewer’s eye straight there. That little bit of extra space allows for breathing room and leaves no doubt as to what the main point of interest is.

Alone with bokeh

There’s magic in negative space, when used wisely, so think, breathe, shoot…

TIPS:

  • Zoom with your feet: Move around to get the best composition for your photo.
  • Different shooting angles: Because everything else is simplified in your frame, you have more license to “break” the rules of typical composition, for example where your subject is placed in the frame, or where they are looking.
  • Find your background first: Go on a hunt for a red brick wall, or a blue garage door, then place your subject in front of it.
  • Balance: Use the negative space to balance out the main subject. Don’t go overboard with the negative space, making it hard for the viewer to understand and absorb the main focus point of your shot.
  • Shoot wide open: That dreamy, creamy bokeh is a great way to simplify your subject’s background, and keep the frame more minimalistic.
Negative space with daisies

I would have loved to use some of the shots I took at Crete as they would have suited this challenge perfectly, but no, still I think they are great examples of negative space.