Category Archives: Landscape Photography

An Old South Garden

Leave a reply

150210_Spanish Moss by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 41mm, f/6.4, 1/800 sec, ISO 1600

Henry P. Leu Gardens are covered with huge ancient southern wild oaks with Spanish moss hanging loosely from their branches.  It was like I imagined an old Southern Garden to be like.  High in the trees the moss looked like fluffy cotton balls.  Up close the moss is very structured.  I took the opportunity to add a little impressionistic water color feeling to the image using Topaz Impression.

Below is a close-up of the Spanish Moss.  It looks like it would be rough to the feel, but it is actually very soft.  I guess that it was used as bedding in the past.

150210_Spanish Moss- Close up by .

Related Images:

Bamboo With a Different Perspective

Leave a reply

150209_Bamboo by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 56mm, f/22, 6 secs, ISO 250

I rounded a corner and saw a massive wall of bamboo.  It was just waiting there for someone to take a vertical pan.  So I did…

Most of the time I use pans and moving multiple exposures to get my creative juices flowing.  They break up moments where I become transfixed just searching for an image to capture rather than waiting for an image to come to me.  This time the pan just appeared.  I did not even take a normal image.

Related Images:

Fan

Leave a reply

150208_Palm Fron by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 110mm, f/8.0, 1/120 sec, ISO 400

Walking through parts of Henry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando was almost like walking through a tropical rain forest.  Light filtering through the various palms provide multiple opportunities to capture interesting backlight images.  Huge palm leaves were like huge fans waving in the gentle afternoon breeze.  I love wandering along garden paths looking up, down, and everywhere.  It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Related Images:

Framed

Leave a reply

150130_Framed Tree by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 52mm, f/11, 1/300 sec, ISO 1600

Walking around our back yard, I always look for different perspectives.  The weight of the snow on the foreground pine opened up a frame for the background leyland cyprus.  We planted these two trees when we first moved into the area to break up the open pasture of our back yard.  Fifteen years later they have changed the feeling of our back yard.

Related Images:

A Little Winter Color

Leave a reply

150129_Bench in Snow by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 83mm, f/11, 1/170 sec, ISO 1600

The red twig dogwood adds a little color to the cold winter scene in our backyard perennial garden.  Of course, when I see red, I shoot.  During our walks in our backyard, Karen and I usually stop here and spend a quiet moment or two.  The bench is tucked in between shrubs and trees.  It is a nice private place in the middle of our wide open area.  Each spring I prune the dogwoods down to about 12 inches above the ground.  New shoots pop up to create a 5-6 foot bush each year.  Along with our winterberries, the dogwood provides a bright red contrast to the winter landscape.

Related Images:

Not Too Inviting

Leave a reply

150128_Chairs in Snow by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 31mm, f/11, 1/180 sec, ISO 1600

These chairs, which are our Spring, Summer, and Fall hangout in the early mornings and late afternoons, did not look too inviting on this day.  Many hours during the year are spent here relaxing and enjoying our backyard pond and stream.  I am afraid it will be a while before we will be enjoying them again.

This photo looks like a B&W image, but is not.  The winter haze along with the snow and weathered wood of the chairs create the monotone.  If you look hard you can see a little color in the trees in the background.

Related Images:

Winterberry in Snow

Leave a reply

150126_Winterberry in Snow by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 39mm, f/11, 1/210 sec, ISO 1600

When I see bright color (especially red) contrasted in fresh snow I feel like I have received a gift.  These winterberries provide a treat all winter to both to my eyes and the local bird population.  Several years ago, we transplanted these out to our perennial garden to be our winter highlight.  The three flower supports wait all winter long for our mountain sage to emerge in the spring.

Lesson Remembered:  “When You See Red … Shoot!”

Related Images:

Ice Patterns

Leave a reply

150124_Ice Leaf by . Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 135mm, f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO 800

I love to walk along the edge of a stream and explore the ice configurations that have been formed.  My imagination wanders as I visualize different shapes created in the ice.  This particular image reminded me of the tip of a maple leaf.  The basic shape formed the edges of the leaf.  I could also see the veins of the leaf within the ice crystal.  I become hypnotized as I watch the water flow under and around the ice.  The reflections create patterns of their own.

At times I get so intrigued by what I am seeing, I do not pay attention to some of my camera settings.  For instance, this was shot at ISO 800 on a tripod.  I could have easily reduced the ISO down two stops and still captured a nice image.  Also, how would this image have looked if I would have slowed the shutter speed down to blur the water passing by the leaf.  However, this was a walk in the woods enjoying the solitude and silence of nature.  If I would have spent a lot of time working this image, the spontaneity would have been lost.

Lesson Learned:  Maintain the balance of wonderment and the mechanics of capturing images.  Many times it is best just to put the camera down and enjoy the moment.

Related Images:

Winter is Here

Leave a reply

150122_Neshiminy Creeek by © 2014 Karl Graf. Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 31mm, f/16, 1/180 sec, ISO 800

Looking at Neshaminy Creek as it enters Lake Galena makes me feel cold and realize that winter is really here.  I already long for Spring to come.  However … I do enjoy walking in the countryside on a bright crisp winter day.  Beauty abounds in its own way.  I guess winter is not so bad after all.

Related Images: