This is the flower from the Apache Plume plant that we have by our street- in color and with 3 black and white edits.
Yellow- or Not
Yellow!
Or not!
Lost and Found
I was at the right place at the right time last week and was able to bring home this sweet bird nest that had fallen out of a tree at a friend’s house. Sadly, little egg shells were nearby. I intended to spend all of Mother’s Day morning in my garage studio photographing the nest (and beautiful Mother’s Day flowers from my daughter) using different lenses and backgrounds. However, rain and hail put a stop to the project after an hour.
Here are a couple lensbaby shots of the nest. More to come!
Dappled
I loved this old eucalyptus from the arboretum we visited a couple weeks ago. There are even initials carved into the bark!
Old and Rustic
Like most photographers, I’m attracted to the old and rustic. On the grounds of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a building called the Drover’s Wool Shed. I assume that this is a replica (I’m thinking of an Australian sheep ranch) – although it certainly does look old- and rustic. If there was an explanation, I missed it.
A view of the outside:
And the view looking in:
Sonoran Light, Part 3
Even in the day time the water towers in the Sonoran Light exhibit at Phoenix’s DBG were impressive.
Snow Capture
Last week’s snow even caught in the dried weeds on our covered front porch.
Tulip with Attitude
My little AAUW photo group was discussing gesture in photography- a term used by Jay Maisel all the time to describe what he waits for when choosing a subject for his photograph. I can’t say that I fully understand the concept- but I usually know it when I see an obvious example. It seems to be a quality that makes the subject unique and isn’t only limited to living subjects. Even Scott Kelby was having difficulty understanding the meaning when interviewing Maisel.
To my eye, this tulip exemplifies gesture; in fact, it seems to have a definite attitude!
Two Tulip Monochromes
I love tulips in the window light. These are pink, but I really like the contrast when I convert it to black and white.
Both photos were taken with Lensbabies. I think the second one was with the Edge 80- but I can’t be sure (aperture and lens aren’t recorded in the metadata- frustrating at times).
Jingle!
Fairyland
It was 5 below as we walked along the board walk in the Upper Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. Although I’d been here before, this was my first visit to the terraces in the snow. The sun shining through the icy trees and steamy mist gave the scene an ever-changing magical appearance; these photos can only hint at the exquisite beauty we witnessed.
Snowy Courthouse Square
Of the photos I took Courthouse Square in the snow, this one is my favorite. After I took photos with my Nikon and got back in the car, I decided to take a quick iPhone shot for Facebook and to text to a few friends. Of course, that one ended up being my favorite- the point of view from the car was much better than from where I had stood for my other photos. I can’t believe I didn’t see that when I was taking pictures. My excuse is that I was concerned about the snow falling on my camera. . .
I converted it to black and white in Lightroom to use for my photo club on Tuesday (the theme was black and white). The photo was well-received, although not a winner in the voting- and the comments all had to do with the unique point of view- the angle of the fence etc. etc. Maybe when it snows again, I can shoot from this angle again- only with my big-girl camera!
Two Little Girls
Somehow, it happened that our Southern California god-daughter’s husband’s parents bought ranch property 45 minutes away from us in Arizona to use as a get-away for the family. This weekend everyone came out- and our little god-family stayed with us! They got together at the ranch with their cousins on Saturday, but mornings and evenings they were with us. It was wonderful to get to know these adorable little girls- Alice, age five and Leah, age two. I hope these Arizona visits will become a tradition for them.
As with most modern families, iPads play an important role in entertainment and education.
But of course, sweet Alice loves crafts too!
Bathtime was fun- who could resist this little face?
The weekend zipped by, and then, alas, they were back to their busy life in L.A.
Winter is coming . . .
The hush comes with the deepening of Autumn; but it comes gradually. Our ears are attuned to it, day by quieter day.
But even now, if one awakens in the deep darkness of the small hours, one can hear it, a foretaste of Winter silence.
~Hal Borland
For as long as I can remember, Fall has been my favorite season. I think I like autumn leaves on the ground almost as much as the leaves on the trees. And to my eye, they are melancholy and mysterious in black and white- I love their fragile, crispy crunchiness and ragged, tired edges- reminding us that Winter is coming (a Game of Thrones reference, with my apologies). Snow is in the forecast in the high country, but I don’t think we’ll see any here. In the meantime, I’m enjoying every minute of Fall!
Not to be redundant. . .
These are ALMOST the end of the white pumpkin photos, but, since Halloween is over a week away, there just might be more!
Happy Hump Day!
melinda anderson photography 