Scripture and Florals

You're probably wondering about the title... If you read through my blog at all, you know I  like adding Bible verses to my photographs. I also like to shoot nature and floral images. Today I have a little of each for your enjoyment and in case I don't get back here before, please have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

A softly focused red rose with the text of 1 Peter 1:9.

A cool looking dead tree against a blue sky with the text of 2 Corinthians 4:16.

Some lovely and cheerful pink Daisies from my front yard.

A sweet close-up or macro from a painted blanket bloom in my front yard. Notice the aphid?

A beautiful white rose close-up with a tiny hitch hiker.

I R Back

Sorry for the short hiatus but, a lot has been going on in my personal life. It's good to be back at it and today I have a couple of wildflowers and some landscapes for your enjoyment.

  

Provided there's enough rainfall during winter, the deserts come alive with some fantastic color during the spring. This was shot in Anza Borrego Desert Park in Southern California.

A single dandelion seed head but, it was HUGE! at least 3 inches across.

A beautiful shot after a day of thunderstorms from the Minaret Vista point in the Mammoth Lakes area in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California.

A panoramic view of the Minarets in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. This was taken after an afternoon of Thunderstorms. Don't you love the sunbeams shining through the clouds?

A single beautiful yellow Gerber Daisy in the front yard. See the little creature under the petals?

Beauty in Wildflowers

These are just some of the Wildflowers in my collection. I have some cacti and a few images of Brittle Brush. These were all shot in the Anza Borrego Desert Park here in Southern California. Enjoy and PLEASE SHARE this blog with your friends.

A neat close-up of a brittle brush blossom in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

A neat shot of some brittle brush in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

A neat shot of some brittle brush in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

This is the lone exception today, a neat shot of some purple wildflowers in the mountains near my home in California.

A neat shot of s cactus flower in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

A lighthouse, Scripture and flowers

I've been swamped this week but, I want to keep this updated for anyone that actually follows. Enjoy and PLEASE SHARE!

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego, CA.

A Bible quotation from Isaiah 40:31 is juxtaposed in a deep blue sky next to a pair of Bald Eagles perched in a pine tree.

A neat shot of a rock daisy bloom in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

A neat shot of a California Poppy, the state flower, in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

A neat shot of a teddy bear cactus blossom in Anza Borrego Desert Park in California.

And Loving It!

Photography can be frustratingly difficult or incredibly simple. It's all in what you want out of it. There's learning all about exposure, your camera and the technical details of your equipment. Then there's the question of what to take pictures of, how to compose it and how to get there then you have to wait for the right moment to capture the light the way you want it. Then if you shoot film, where to develop it, a darkroom and if you shoot digital, what to do with it when you get it off the card. Card you say?  Well, yes, the card that stores the image files on your camera. Then there's editing and your workflow. That's a lot to remember and even a whole load of stuff I haven't mentioned. When it all comes together, the results are gratifying and sometimes stunningly drop dead gorgeous.

Fortunately, there is help out there and, a great deal of free help available online. There are photo groups on facebook and twitter but, If you're new I'd steer clear of there, the trolls are alive and well. I learned a lot from Digital Photography School or DPS. I can highly recommend these folks to help you get the most out of this obsession. Especially if you participate in the forum. Don't be afraid to show off your work. It's a friendly community and full of some insanely talented photographers. I can also highly recommend Creative Live. While they have free live online classes on many subjects, a lot of these classes are about photography. You can even purchase the videos of the classes you want for later viewing. Both of these sources have helped along in my efforts to improve my craft. I'll leave you with this thought. With every thing you've learned already and even more yet to learn, it may seem daunting. Keep at it and you'll get the results you want eventually. As Maxwell Smart used to say after the Chief told him about all the dangers he would face on his assignment "And, Loving it!"

Today's installment is of several subjects and are presented below for your enjoyment.

This is from the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in San Diego, CA. It's an awesome Abstract of the lighthouse Fresnel lens. The whole reason lighthouses even exist!

Known as Montezuma's Castle, this ancient cliff dwelling is located in Southern Arizona. The image is framed with a tree on the left. Notice the cool looking cirrus clouds in the sky.

Another view of Montezuma's Castle. This ancient cliff dwelling is located in Southern Arizona. The image is framed with a tree on each side.

This is a Bible verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16- 18, on a beautiful long exposure of a stream with a log across it.

A super neat almost alien-ish close-up of some very colorful lichen growing on the bark of an Alder Tree. The photo was captured in the Seven Oaks area of Southern California.

Fuzzy Flow with Lichen?

As strange as the title sounds, that's exactly what's on tap today. Some"silky, fuzzy, cotton candy" long exposures of a stream and a couple other worldly looking close-ups of lichen. Enjoy and please SHARE.

This is a cool silky water image of the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area of Southern California. Long exposure, gotta love it.

Another in this series of silky water images. This one is a little more close up than the rest.

I just really love shooting these images. This was during the winter, no snow but a cloudy day made for some great diffused sunlight.

This is a super neat close-up of some very colorful lichen growing on the bark of an Alder Tree. The photo was captured in the Seven Oaks area of Southern California, one of my favorite haunts.

Same type of lichen but, a different tree. The challenge here is focus and exposure control while shooting handheld at very close range. I like the results.

Inspiration in the Fall

As I continue through my older work on Fine Art America, I have come across many images with inspirational verses from the Bible. There are a few in today's entry plus some fuzzy water and a fall dogwood picture. Enjoy and Please SHARE!

A friend in the local mountains has some dogwood trees in his yard. In the fall they turn a cool red color. I applied a linear burn to this photo to bring out some of the textures of the leaves.

This image has a nice pocket watch in the upper left corner against a finished wood grain background with a quote from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. The image has a slight grunge vignette around it.

A beautiful shot of a local stream in a long exposure to give that cotton candy look to the parts that are tumbling over and around rocks in the stream bed. The quote from Isaiah 43 verses 2 and 3 is placed in a perfect spot in the image.

This is a cool silky water image of the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area of Southern California. Taken by using a long exposure to blur out the water.

Another really cool silky water image of the Santa Ana River in the Seven Oaks area of Southern California.

A Close-up Fall

At this time of year I begin to wish for cooler weather and for fall to start. We've had really hot days this last week so, I find myself desiring cooler temperatures even more. Enjoy the selection of images for today and again, PLEASE share this with your friends and others that may enjoy pretty pictures.

This from fall 2013. Shot in the local mountains here in Southern California. This macro or close-up was shot to examine the edge of these colorful holly leaves.

This is another one from fall 2013. Shot in the local mountains here in Southern California. I really love the color of these maple leaves. The gradients from yellow to orange to red are just fantastic.

Another fantastic shot from fall 2013. I really enjoyed this one with the sunlight back lighting the maple leaves. It made for some spectacular color.

Another favorite from fall 2013. A simple composition of a single orange maple leaf. Sometimes you just can't beat simple.

I really like how these back lit leaves standout against the blue of the sky. What makes it even more interesting is how the sun seems to be concentrated more in one area of the photo.

Falling

I don't know about you but, I for one love the fall. Autumn colors abound, it's finally cooling down to a tolerable level. Fall fly fishing is usually on the epic side as fish in cooler regions tend to sense the coming winter and put on as much fat as they can in order to survive. When the first few cold nights come nature sends a message to the deciduous trees that it's time to prepare for the colder months ahead. Then the beauty begins to abound as the air clears from summer's dog days heat. For the photo nut, the colors turn to the warmer side of the color wheel while opportunities for beautiful imagery is everywhere. I have included today a few more HDR images and some stunning images of nature's finer glory. Enjoy and as always, PLEASE FOLLOW and TELL YOUR FRIENDS.

This was taken at Lake Mary in the Mammoth Lakes Basin here in California. The sun had just dipped behind the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This is an HDR or High Dynamic Range image. I normally take 3 exposures at least 1 F-stop apart and combine them in photoshop. As you can see, the results can be spectacular. Of course, God's creation is the star here.

This postcard worthy image is of Rock Creek Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. While fall colors had not yet peaked, the splash of fall was quite dramatic.

This is a beautiful fall image of some vibrantly yellow bushes and their reflection along the shore of of Twin Lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California.

I got out for some much needed shooting during a recent fall season. Here are some fall colors for 2013 from the local mountains here in Southern California. I used an HDR treatment here to really bring out the color.

Here are some fall colors for 2013 from the local mountains here in Southern California. The position of this oak tree really made it pop out from the darker colors of the evergreens. I used an HDR treatment here to bring out the color even more.

Fine Art Bottles, forest and Scriptures

Today's installment has a pretty HDR image of the forest near Mammoth Lakes, California included. Ever hear the phrase, "Can't see the forest for the trees?" Well maybe you'll understand that now. There's also some antique beer bottles followed by some uplifting words from the Bible on some top notch photos. Enjoy and please tell a friend!

Fall was in the air during a recent trip to the Sierra Nevada Range in California. I shot this beauty while walking through an empty campground.

These are some antique beer bottles I shot in the Bodie Historic Park's Museum here in California. What I like about this and the following image is the back light shining through the glass. I shot both of these handheld in natural light.

These are some antique beer bottles I shot in the Bodie Historic Park's Museum here in California.

The flower is brittlebrush which is fairly common in the desert areas of California. The verse is another favorite.

The image was captured at a camp in the local mountains while I was on a men's retreat. The selected verse is one of many favorites.