3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

Spring

Sometimes A Picture is NOT What it Seems

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I have to admit, I really like Photoshop.  I’m amazed at how I can improve a photo that has distractions or just didn’t turn out like I hoped. Most photos I don’t manipulate but some call for just a little more work than others.

My dog Brody, a Jack Russel, is a perfect example. This is a before and after of a previous post from my 365 Project

Jack Russell dog, before and after Photoshop

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Making Tulips “Pop” With Photoshop

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Photoshop is a powerful photography tool when used properly. My goal for most photo editing is to create an image that doesn’t look like it’s been edited. So let’s render an image of a tulip into something that pops just a little, but doesn’t take it over the edge.

See how subtle editing can improve a photograph without going over the top, as I have a tendency to do sometimes, according to my daughter.

Tulip SOOC (straight out of the camera)
Tulip SOOC (straight out of the camera)

This edit first involved adding a levels adjustment layer and darkening the whole image.  I selected the pink color in Image/Adjustment/Selective Color and added more magenta, which brightened the color in the petals.

The white portion of the petals seemed washed out so I then used the Burn tool and stroked over the creases in the bottom of the petal, which brought out the fine streaks.  I then used the sponge tool and desaturated the background.

I tried some special effects with this image, but I was never quite happy with them, so I settled on realism.

Learn How to Edit in Photoshop

120 Easy Tips And Tricks For Photoshop: LearningAdobe Photoshop CS6 Revealed (Adobe CS6)Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a BookAdobe Photoshop Elements 13Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC +

Butterflies and Lilacs: Signs of Summer Already

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image

Taken and posted to WordPress on my Android phone. Was curious on how it would look on the computer compared to my phone. Of course I want to work it up in Photoshop, but I’ll think I’ll leave that for another day.

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19 Facts About Daffodils

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19 Facts About Daffodils

19 Facts About Daffodils

Here are some facts you may not know about these cheerful blooms of spring.

  • The daffodil is also known as Jonquil, Narcissus, Paperwhite, and the ‘Poet’s Hower’.
  • Narcissus is a classical Greek name in honor of a beautiful youth who became so entranced with his own reflection that he pined away and the gods turned him into this flower.  (Daff Seek, official photo database of the American Daffodil Society)
  • Squirrels will not eat daffodil bulbs, the bulbs and leaves contain poisonous crystals that only certain insects can eat with impunity, so don’t plant where dogs like to dig. (American Daffodil Society)
  • Poultry keepers thought the flower to be unlucky and disallowed it in their homes, as they believed it would stop their hens from laying eggs. (Funflowerfacts.com)
  • Scientists have discovered narciclasine, a natural compound found in daffodil bulbs, may be therapeutic in treating brain cancer.
  • Daffodils contain a toxic sap which is harmful to other flowers. When arranging in a vase don’t mix with other flowers unless the daffodils have been soaking in water for 24 hours. Do not recut the stems as it will re-release the toxin. (Funflowerfacts.com)
  • The ancient Romans cultivated them extensively, though daffodils became a forgotten flower till 1600. Sometime around 1629, a few Englishmen took the daffodil out of the weeds and gave it a place in the garden. (Onlinegardeningtips.com)
  • The daffodil is the flower for March.  (Gonetopot.com #7-12)
  • The Romans believed the sap from these flowers had special healing powers.
  • The Daffodil Data Bank accounts for over 13,000 hybrids, and apart from the regular yellow kind, there are others which come in a range of color combinations, like yellow and orange, yellow and white, orange and white, lime-green and pink colors.
  • In the Victorian days, Daffodils represented chivalry. Today it represents hope.)
  • In Wales, it is traditional to wear a daffodil on Saint David’s Day (March 1).
  • The daffodil is the national flower of Wales.
  • Their botanic name is narcissus, daffodils are sometimes called jonquils, and in England, because of their long association with Lent, they’re known as the “Lent Lily.”( Teleflora #14-18)
  • In Wales, it’s said if you spot the first daffodil of the season, your next 12 months will be filled with wealth.
  • Chinese legend has it that if a daffodil bulb is forced to bloom during the New Year, it will bring good luck to your home.
  • The Daffodil is the 10th wedding anniversary flower
  • A gift of daffodils is said to ensure happiness.
  • Always remember to present daffodils in a bunch – the same legends that associate this cheerful flower with good fortune warn us that when given as a single bloom, a daffodil can foretell misfortune.

Daffodil Gifts for the Garden Fan

Learn facts about daffodils and find fun fun gardening gifts with yellow spring flowers. Perfect for the person who loves flower gardens and wants to decorate their home with bright spring flowers.

More Facts About Daffodils


#12/52: Spring in March? So Soon?

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I don’t ever remember wearing shorts in March, not in Nebraska anyway. But when the temperature reaches into the 80’s the winter not only do the white legs come out, but the trees start blooming.

A photographer client told me last week he had just returned from the Smokie Mountains where the cherry blossoms were already at their peak. Six weeks early. By the time the Cherry Blossom Festival arrives there won’t be any flowers.

Not sure what species of tree this is, but it was pretty, and in honor of spring it’s  my photo of the week.

White flowering tree in spring

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