While we were away, look what happened!
f/6.3, 1/160, ISO200, 85mm
The hanging plum reminds me of a Christmas ornament!
Day 180- Buzzed
While inspecting our garden for changes that might have occurred during the two weeks I was gone, I heard some definite buzzing as I neared the agapanthus. I got as close as I dared with my macro lens to get this image.
f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200, 85mm
Day 162- Hello!
I walked outside and saw the itsy bitsy spider today! It was actually not so itsy bitsy (although smaller than this image), but I knew I had found my photo of the day.
f/5, 1/160, ISO 1600, 85mm
Day 160- Chasing Butterflies. . .
I waited til the last minute today to take a photo- and all I had the energy for was to collapse in a chair on my deck and wait for something to happen. I saw a hummingbird in the geraniums when I first came out, but I guess my camera and long lens scared her away. Then I sat and waited . . .
and waited
and waited!
No birds at all (not even the ubiquitous jays)! And no squirrels.
I finally noticed a butterfly that came sailing through our garden and over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. It didn’t light on anything, but just zoomed around. I’ve been wanting to get a macro shot of a butterfly, but today I would have just been happy with an in focus shot!
I followed that butterfly for over a half hour as it sailed through the yard in the same pattern over and over again. We have lots of flowers, so you would think it would make a stop now and then. I did notice it slowing down over a particular shrub, so I focused on that bush . . .
and waited.
Finally Mr. Butterfly came into view, and I snapped a few mediocre shots from far away with my 300mm lens. None of the images were spectacular, so I have combined a very cropped image of the butterfly with some photos of the geraniums where it SHOULD have landed!
Day 157- Green
It’s Macro Monday- time for a closeup photo of something small! I went outside for inspiration, but almost everything in my garden has already been immortalized in the blogosphere. I ended up choosing this all green shot of a geranium bud.
f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 500, 85 mm
Day 155- June
Yes, it is June! And this is what it looks like in my yard. The rain has stopped, but now the wind is howling. The unfocused, swirly stuff in the puddle is a reflection of the trees blowing- I couldn’t stand out there long enough for pauses in wind gusts. So, seriously, this is June in California.
f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 1000, 170mm
Day 147- Uninvited
We have some uninvited guests in our front yard who seem to be making themselves at home and staying a long time (and perhaps inviting their friends). No, I’m not talking about the squirrels this time.
I mean these guys.
f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 800, 200mm
These flowers started appearing about a month or so ago- and are growing REALLY BIG. I have noticed some neighbors who also have them growing in their gardens (perhaps deliberately). My father always referred to flowers you don’t plant as volunteers- but I’m thinking they could be weeds. Weeds are defined by my friend, Kathryn, as any plant that you don’t want, so . . .
I dressed them up a bit by adding some textures (just in the mood today). Anyone know what kind of weeds volunteers flowers they are?
Day 143- Squirrel Drama
Yes, I know it is Macro Monday- and I did take a macro shot of some coffee beans this morning.
But we had squirrel drama!
Early this morning, I looked out the window to see a PARADE of squirrels scampering from branch to branch across our backyard making a huge commotion. The smallest one at the rear was having trouble keeping up and was clinging for dear life to the branches. Then they disappeared into the neighbors’ trees. I broke the bad news to my husband that there was more than one squirrel- and that there appears to be a family. Years ago we had skunks nesting under our house- and it appears we now may have squirrels nesting in the roof, in the attic- who knows?
A bit later on, after I had taken my macro shot, I sat outside to drink my coffee and play Words With Friends on my iPhone. All of a sudden, the parade of squirrels noisily started making their way back across the treetops from the neighbors’ yard. The little one at the rear again had trouble keeping up- and this time could NOT get up the nerve to jump to the final tree before our roof. His family seemed to have disappeared, and he just sat there in the branches looking up. He then climbed up and down every which way trying to figure out what to do, and I could hear the mama chattering to him. I took a quick shot (not blogworthy) of baby, and then all of a sudden he was down the tree and on the ground! Mama was chattering to him, so I went back into the house to let them work it out.
Awhile later I went outside and sat back down with my coffee and Words With Friends. There were no signs of any squirrels- until all of a sudden an adult (mama?) squirrel came confidently running down a tree limb, leaped onto a beam of the deck covering and was suddenly sitting right above me- a little too close for comfort. I watched for a bit as (s)he ran along the beams and disappeared (into our house???). I am hoping that- wherever they are- they are all together.
And that they are OUTSIDE!
This image is of the “mama” as she came down the branch right before she jumped onto the deck railing.
f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 200, 300mm
Day 142- Bird Drama
I told myself today that, although I am staying at home, I would not take any flower or bird photos. Instead, I would try to take artsy photos of things outside using new and interesting angles. Welllll . . . that didn’t last long. This whole photography thing has got me interested in the birds in my backyard.
I watched the scrub jays poking around in the dirt and then a woodpecker(?) in the neighbors pine tree. Suddenly a robin landed ten feet in front of me- and the jay swooped down to chase him away. I gave up my idea of being artsy and went inside to get my longest lens (70-300mm) in case there was any more interesting bird action. I had one of my custom user settings set up for just such occurrences (aperture priority, continuous autofocus, auto ISO). Today I changed that custom setting from auto ISO to ISO 200, because I really do not like the lack of control using auto ISO. I was playing around in manual, taking flower photos, when all of a sudden, the robin returned, landing on the deck railing. I quickly switched to my custom setting and captured some quick photos as he looked around.
f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 200, 240mm
Day 140- Backyard Birdwatching
I’m on my way out to a retirement party and had really good intentions of taking my photo in my friend Kathryn’s beautiful yard- but decided to look outside here for another photo- just in case!
And my friend the scrub jay (thank you, Carol) came to call. I’ve actually seen two in our garden recently and wasn’t sure what they were.
(S)he spent some time on our lawn eating worms (ewww….)- so here is my photo of the day!
f 5.6, 1/320, ISO 900, 200 mm
Weird settings- I used aperture priority and auto ISO. You would think the camera would choose a lower ISO. I know my camera is smarter than me, but still…
Day 133- Shorn
As I post this, a crew of arborists and tree trimmers are shearing our overgrown trees of unnecessary branches, making them healthier and eventually more beautiful. Right now, my garden is looking a little bare. . .
f/20, 1/15, ISO 500, 65mm
Please notice the shutter speed.
No, I was not using a tripod. What I WAS using was aperture priority, which I am trying for quick shots. I wanted to get the sunburst in there, so had selected a very small aperture- and because I wasn’t using manual, I didn’t think to look at the shutter speed. You would think an alarm would go off or something!
Guess my hands were unusually steady today- no coffee yet!
Day 132- Backyard Visitor
Since taking up photography and especially Project 365, I’ve spent a lot more time on my deck enjoying the flowers and watching the birds- hoping for a photo op. This morning I was greeted by this cute fellow, who can often be heard making a racket on the roof over our kitchen. I wonder what he will think when the arborist comes tomorrow to trim our trees . . .
f/5.6, 1/1250, ISO400, 150mm
Day 130- Tungsten Schmungsten
Water drops trapped in a spider web- perfect photo op! I actually tried this yesterday, but wasn’t happy with my results, so I tried again today. I tried different exposure settings and liked how it looked best when slightly underexposed. This is a crop of a larger image.
f/13, 1/60, ISO 3200, 85mm
And the white balance, you ask?
Tungsten.
OMG- when will I ever learn?
melinda anderson photography 