Thursday, May 29, 2008

More scenes from a Laurentian Lake

This time of year, the blackflies are brutal. Sure, I can put on my trusty bug hat that makes me look like a beekeeper, in the hopes that I can outwit the nasty little devils and prevent them from crawling into my ears and eyes, but they end up all over my lens and ruin the shot anyway. I just have to wait another week or so. Meanwhile, here are a few shots I took last weekend.

This white ball is an odd little plant out in the meadow section of our cottage. I call it a meadow, because that's what a violent ice storm and then wind storm created where there was once a cedar/birch forest. So now I have lupins and Indian Paintbrush and all sorts of wildflowers because of all the extra sunlight. I couldn't tell you what this is, but I popped it into an old glass medicine bottle Doug found in the lake.

Posted by Picasa


Here is a wild strawberry blossom from the hundreds that line the path to the road. I like to wander outside early in the morning, still in my pajamas, and pick some of the berries for my cereal. They're tiny, perfect, juicy little jewels with an intense sweetness that belies their size. I have to beat the chipmunks to them though, and now it seems, our resident bear.

Posted by Picasa


I would have missed this little guy had I not inadvertantly focused on him instead of the dried leaf I was aiming for. I was on my belly in the dirt, and this horsetail popped into view. That's the beauty of the macro world. I have "seen" these plants for years, but not that close. It was only about two inches high and I would have missed it completely without the macro lens. Check out the uber-closeup with the water droplet. I think it looks like a Victorian cakestand. Others have said the close shot resembles an alien. But if you look up horsetail weed or Equisetum, you'll see what I mean.

Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Wondering what happened to the little yellow birdie?

Posted by Picasa


Kidding....Boris was just yawning.

Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Because my sister is sick of the bird photo

I was going to look around for a story to post instead of more photos, but I'm dashing out the door and these were at hand. The allium, that large purple ball, popped up in my garden out of nowhere. Any ideas how that got in there? The others are forget-me-not, lily-of-the-valley, and a dogwood branch at my front door.

 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa

Friday, May 23, 2008

Baby Goldfinch on my finger

You'll have to excuse the lack of sharpness, but in my excitement, I forgot to turn on the V/R (vibration reduction) not that I had a hand free to do so, nor did I think to fetch my tripod. I think using a camera must be like driving a standard car - in the beginning, you're constantly thinking clutch, gear shift, clutch, but soon you're driving smoothly without thinking about it. You are one with the car. I want to be one with my camera. But at the moment, I'm still thinking turn it on, focus, press V/R, focus....

 
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The last few tulip shots

Ah, the tulips are quickly fading, so here are a few more from my files. The last one, the purple and green is my favourite. Which is yours?

Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Okay, let's compare black and white with the original colour photos...

...and you tell me which you prefer. Note that I haven't retouched the actual colour at all, I just enhanced the highlights and shadows where I felt they needed a bit of a boost.

Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa


 
Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa