Fuji X-T1, XF55-200mm @ 200mm, f/4.8, 1/1500 sec, ISO 200
This image follows the approach shown in my last two posts. Here I used the bright yellow of the flowering Forsythia along the back fence line as a background to force the viewers eye to the small 1/2″ Dawn Redwood Cones. There is something interesting around every turn in our garden.
Fuji X-T1, XF55-200mm @ 58mm, f/5.0, 1/55 sec, ISO 400 (hand-held)
As new growth emerges from the ground, the flora from the previous year stand above protecting it. It is a natural progression. But now is the time when all “good gardeners” remove the old in preparation for the new. My preference is to let the old and new coexist in a natural environment. But in our garden, I don’t vote. I just need to spend more time in the natural areas close to home.
This spent cone flower caught my eye. I minimized the DOF to keep the focus on the flower head and blur out the ground. I converted to B&W to further keep the interest on the spent flower.
Fuji X-T1, 60mm Macro
One day makes a huge difference as nature moves forward. Two days ago, the crocus blooms were all closed. Yesterday it was 60 degrees and they just burst open in full glory. I enjoy watching as Spring evolves in our garden. I just received my 60mm Macro lens for the Fuji X-T1, so I thought I would give it a try. I definitely could use a tripod …
This image is processed in Topaz Simplify using a impressionistic painting style. This type of processing hides my lack of sharp detail.
Fuji X-T1, 55-200mm
No, it is not April Fool’s, we really do have bulbs sprouting up.
These little white crocuses are our first bloom of the Spring. The blooms remained wrapped up. It seems to be too cold for them to open up to the sky. Maybe tomorrow. The shadow cast by the bare flowering pear tree gave the image a little balance to fill the void of the brown winter grass.
Fuji X-T1, 55-200mm
Spring has been long in coming. It has been a long, hard, cold winter with record setting snow fall. Since the “official” spring started one and one-half weeks ago, it has been cold and wet with even a little snow flurry. But finally I see emerging spring bulbs coming up. Maybe Spring is really here! This morning I thought I would give my new travel camera its first try. I purchased my new FUJI X-T1 on the recommendation of two of my mentors/instructors, John Barclay and Tony Sweet. They have both fallen in love with the new FUJI X-series cameras. It will take me a while to get familiar with its strengths and weaknesses. It is sure a lot smaller and lighter than my Canon SLR’s. Hopefully the weather will get a little warmer for more pleasant shooting.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 200mm, f/16, 1/60 sec, ISO 200
Looking down the beach, I saw this interesting shadow pattern on these sand ripples as the sun broke the horizon. This highlight-shadow pattern just lasted a few moments. There is always something of interest if I am open to what the moment brings. I just need to be patient and wait for that moment. It was a nice morning.
I worked on this image to convert it to B&W. I was a nice pattern of white and black contrasts. But, the warm sun made the image for me.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L @ 80mm, f/16, 1/80 sec, ISO 200
The sunrise was not spectacular, but there was a nice warm glow that brightened the sky and ocean. As I was absorbing the warmth of the early morning sun in South Carolina, I was thinking of the cold and snow that we were currently experiencing in Philadelphia. I was glad to be at Hilton Head Island. There were just a few of dawn walkers and bikers. I waited several moments as this biker and her dog first rode up the beach (I missed her the first time) then turned around and came back down. It added a little interest to what would have been a very nondescript photo.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 155mm, f/4.5, 1/160 sec, ISO 1600
In camera, 9 frame multiple exposure
Enough of posting snow images. Spring is only four weeks away. It is time to have a little photographic fun!
When the images are not coming to me, I love to experiment with various special camera effects. In this case, I did a 9 image vertical pan of a Palmetto tree trunk. The vertical movement was very slight giving this relative smooth multiple exposure texture. A small amount of tonal contrast was added with NIK Color EFEX Pro.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 70mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 400
In our back yard field of white, the red of the coral bark maple stands against the bleakness of a cloudy winter day. I walked around the tree multiple times trying to get the right balance for the image. I found this foreground “Y” (or “V”) framing two other “Ys” I added a touch of graduated fog in NIK Color EFEX Pro to focus on the foreground “Y”.
Canon 5D MarkIII, EF24-70mm f/2.8L @ 58mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 400
Karen use to sit on this old stump when she worked out back in our garden. Over the years the termites have taken over. It is now just a garden feature out back, a little piece of nature along a fence. It does make an interesting subject covered in snow.