(no, I don't think the exclamation mark is overused in written expression. Why do you ask?!)
This week was "Trees" or "Leaves", and whoever assigned such a topic for the dead of winter is a sick, cruel woman. With three feet of snow on the ground, the last thing I wanted to do was go outside and take pictures of bare trees, so I made do with houseplants and the macro setting.
I'm not crazy about my submission for this week. But really, after last week's offering, it's not hard to see why a zebra begonia didn't really light my creative F-I-R-E.
f/3.5, 1/640s, ISO 250
processed using various and sundry actions
Ha. Except I had my house blessed, so the only paranormal activity I've got around here is all the socks that go into the washer as a matched pair, but come out missing their mate.
Another ha. I don't do the laundry, so I have no idea if that even happens.
UPDATE: I just braved three feet of snow and very frigid temps, all to take this picture of our magnolia tree in the front yard. I like it so much more than that first one, so I wanted to add it in.
And now what I wait all week for- your pictures!!
It's soooooo bee-you-tee-ful! I love your sun flare and your ghost, er, orb.
ReplyDeleteI would have taken photos of a spider plants if I could keep anything non-human alive in my house. Big, fat N-O over here. The humans, though, they seem to be doing ok.
I love your begonia! It's so much prettier than my dusty plants. I don't have half size ISOs like 250. Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteHey! This is my favorite day in bloggyland too! I am so enjoying challenging myself, thanks for the inspiration. I am one of those lazy slobs who really accomplishes nothing without being pushed, pushed, pushed.
ReplyDeleteI think your picture is spectacular. No, it's no Haughty Ken. But man did you give that thing a personality. Very scary, what with all the prickles on its tentacles and larger than life leaves. Love it!
It DOES look like it has a personality, now that you mention it! But it's funny, because when seen from above, it's really a very sweet and mild-mannered plant. Who knew there was such a leviathan lurking below?
DeleteI love the sky and crisp white snow on your tree. Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I checked back to see your BLUE sky! Cuz Lord knows there never any blue sky in Chicago in February. Just that whitish grayish color, or if it's overcast, the grayish whitish color. I know you did something to that photo to give it texture/scratches. Did you photoshop the blue sky too? What did you do? When you say various and sundry actions, what are those and how? If I buy photoshop elements, will you elaborate? With screenshots? Before and afters? As you can tell by my grayish whitish pictures, they are SOOC.
ReplyDeleteThe blue sky is straight up legit. One of the perks of a New England winter. The scratches, not so much. That would be creepy.
DeleteAnd I feel that I am fully qualified to make some idiot-proof Photoshop tutorials. God knows this idiot has played around with it enough.
If you don't want to pay for editing software yet, you can also download Picasa for free and play around a little. Not the same as "actions" but will let you boost and modify pics pretty goodly. I'm cheap and uneducated, so that's what I've been using so far :)
DeleteThursday makes me almost as happy as Friday now. How long can you keep this going? And could you do something with hot air balloons? I have a great one for that. Wink, wink!
ReplyDeleteOoooh! Hot air balloons, or just balloons in general, or "objects in the sky" would be awesome. I'm going to add that to the list for sure.
DeleteYay!
DeleteI linked up! Hope I did it right-I'm not a fancy photographer like everyone else ;) ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the magnolia tree shot! It's beautiful! I hope it's alright if I used a past post, one from spring actually, for today's link up. I will definitely link up something more current next time!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I am totally unprepared. Last minute, how I love you! But now that I've seen your pics, I know I have to think even harder. Dagnabit.
ReplyDeleteOkay, be back soon. Not soon. Later. Yes, later for sure.
Cari?!?! How can you NOT love the first picture??? I LOVE IT!!! I kind of want it blown up and put in my bathroom. It is so awesome!!! Of course the second is magical, but I really love the first :) Your ghost is casting as spell on me!!!
ReplyDeleteMy submission is coming up shortly!
I woke up ridiculously happy this morning to see the new Theme Thursday post, Cari. It was a bloggy valentines. :-) I love both photos, especially the snow covered tree. I never see that kind of beauty! But maybe it's a good thing since I'm actually a wimp. To me, anything under 60 degrees is freezing so yeah... Thanks again for hosting. I had such fun and was forced to start looking up these terms you use because photography is addictive and I want to learn too! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThese are both really awesome pictures...and a Magnolia tree??? Soooo jealous :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pics! I wish we had snow.
ReplyDeleteMea culpa, my friend. Mea culpa.
ReplyDeleteThat first picture needs like a Lego Man zip-lining through it. I's so... jungley. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that little sun flare. So happy. But I love the sky picture even more. Thanks for hosting, Cari!
ReplyDeleteYou guys. There are so many beautiful pictures here, each one more astounding or thought provoking than the next...!! I feel like all my comments are going to be the same.
ReplyDeletegreat week of photography and some just plain old pictures from me!
ReplyDeleteIf Google asks me one more time tonight to prove I am not a robot - - I'm gonna lose it !!
My favoritest is the Magnolia tree. I heart it muchly. Good pics as usual Cari!
ReplyDeleteMagnolia tree! Awesomeness!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love, LOVE that Magnolia tree pic. Love.
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh - my photo just arrived and it's even BETTER THAN I THOUGHT!!! I can't wait to put it up :) Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete