Tag Archives: Spring

Spring is Coming ???

Leave a reply

140331_Emerging Daffies by . 140331_Emerging Daffies by . 140331_Emerging-Daffies by . 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.

Related Images:

Emerging: Bleeding Hearts

Leave a reply

130509_Emerging_BleedingHeart_1 by Karl Graf.

I was after a subdued image of our Bleeding Hearts on a bright early morning.  I stood above these “hearts” and shot through an Atlas Cedar.  A slight gap between the branches framed the “hearts”.

I next got down on my belly and shot the macro below focusing on the simple two heart image.  I added a little contrast and darkened the background to highlight the “hearts”.  I plan to use this one for a Mother’s Day card for Mom.

130509_Emerging_BleedingHeart_2 by Karl Graf.

This post will be my last of my “Emerging” series  … at least for a little while.

Related Images:

Emerging: Lilac

Leave a reply

130508_Emerging_Lilac by Karl Graf. I saw this emerging Lilac blossom against the bright red of a Flowering Quince and could not resist shooting an image.  As they say, “When you see red, shoot!”  The red background tends to overwhelm the Lilac buds.  I tried to separate the two with a shallow DOF.  Later in post processing, I added a little structure to the Lilac and added a little blur to the Quince which helped the separation a little more.  Just experimenting …

Related Images:

Emerging: Magic in the Wind

Leave a reply

130507_Emerging_Redbud_wind effect by Karl Graf. I was experimenting with swipes and pans on this Redbud tree to create some interesting images for backgrounds.  While I had my camera set for a blur (f/32, 1/4 second, ISO 200), I let the wind create a little magic on its own.  I just held the camera still, waited for a gust of wind, then snapped the shutter.  It’s pretty amazing what nature can do!

Related Images:

Spring is Here … Maybe?

2 Replies

130422_Spring_Daffys&Pond by Karl Graf. Just when we thought Spring was here, the temperatures dropped to the low 30’s last night.  This morning was bright and clear, but “finger numbing” chilly.  With the wind blowing, I worked hard to come up with the best compromise between a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the daffodils and a depth of field large enough to get some detail in the background.  I was not too successful.  But it was still a bright Spring morning shot.

Lesson learned:  Sometimes a compromise cannot be reached … move on!

Related Images:

This is Not a Photograph of a Bucket

Leave a reply

1304125_Spring_GreenBucket by Karl G. Graf. This is not a picture of a green bucket.  It is a visual interpretation of a sore back!  Emerging spring flowers and plants are always a welcomed sign of the coming warm spring months.  They are also an indicator of a lot of “get down on your knees” and work which contributes to my annual stiff and sore back.  Happy Spring!

The image is simple.  A green bucked composed in the lower right power point of the image.  Emerging new growth and last year’s dead leaves comprise the remainder of the photo.  Processing was very minor, just a little contrast, a little brightening of the bucket, and a little darkening of the edges.

Related Images: