This is one of the doors on the side of an old train station that last saw commuter rail service in 1981. The station is now occupied by a catering company and the building is often used for wedding receptions. What attracted me to this scene were the colors used in the door and the striped awning contrasting with the stone wall.

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The majority of my photographic adventures take place in the great outdoors…where I come across scenic vistas, small towns, wildlife, flowers, and natural wonders.

Recently, I was photographing early 20th century architecture in a nearby small town. I went inside the local library that was built in 1902. I had a feeling I would find some great shots of the moldings, windows and structural details that were used during that time period.

I did discover carvings, ornate columns, a huge fireplace with an extravagant mantle, and many other details inside the library. But…there were quite a few folks studying and doing research. It was a little awkward trying to get some shots and not disturb anyone, so I decided to come back another day when it wasn’t so busy.

As I was walking down the steps to the foyer, something told me to stop and look up. And that’s when I saw this hanging entrance light. It’s made of metal bands and tiny light bulbs.

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For many years we had a small area in our garden we wanted to devote to spring bulbs. Problem was, we couldn’t decide which variety to plant. We would pour over catalogs hoping they would provide some influence. Taking so long to decide had it’s consequences…we never got any bulbs planted. So we would wait until the next planting season and go through the same scenario again. This went on for several years. Finally we decided to just plant them all.

Just kidding. This is just a very very small portion of the 100,000 spring bulbs that were blooming at Longwood Gardens this spring. In fact, this view is probably only 1% of what was in flower.

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Here is a view of the area called The Idea Garden.

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Here is an even larger view of The Idea Garden. When these photos were taken, it was already noon time and the sun was directly overhead resulting in very harsh light. I was delayed getting to this area because I spent the morning in the Garden Walk. At that time the sun was lower in the sky. I have now come to the conclusion I need a clone. That way I could have photographed both areas under favorable lighting conditions.

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A few days ago we discovered this little columbine plant growing in a very odd place. It took up residence behind a bush next to the garage.

We checked on it every morning to see how it was growing and wondered if and when it would bloom. One night last week while we were sleeping, the plant sent up stems and came into flower. The following morning we walked past the garage as we left to go on a puppy walk and were greeted with a wonderful surprise. There it was…as pretty as could be.

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Last week the outside temperatures were more like late summer than late spring. Actually it was a heat wave that the blanketed the area.

Since the majority of my photography is done outdoors, shooting under extremely hot conditions can be very tiring. And secondly, high temperatures, and blazing sun are a digital camera’s arch enemy. Sensors don’t play well under these conditions.

So, to get some relief from the soaring temperatures and high humidity, I headed down to a local creek figuring it would be more tolerable stream side. And even though I was shaded by the canopy of trees, it was still rather tropical. But the sound of rushing water tumbling over the boulders and rocks as it flowed down the mountain helped make it feel cooler.

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Reblogged from Jeff Sinon Photography - Nature Through The Lens:

Your photos have value, STOP GIVING THEM AWAY!

Recently I was contacted by a design company working for the Chamber Of Commerce for -insert name of city here-,  putting together a "digest style brochure for tourists and people relocating to -insert name of city here, again-."

Would you be willing to "donate a few of your  -same city…

Read more… 857 more words

This photo was taken a few weeks ago using a 90mm macro lens. Macro lenses of this or longer focal lengths serve a double duty. They can be used as a macro lens or as a medium telephoto.

When I composed this shot, the front lens element was a little more than one foot away from the tulip. This helped compress the scene yet still isolate the flower nearest the camera.

I wanted some color in the background but wanted the focus to be soft, so I chose a wide aperture to accomplish this. There was also the slightest breeze adding some movement to the flowers to further soften the scene.

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Our next door neighbors have a love of gardening. So much so, at one time they owned a small farm where every year they grew six acres of flowers for cutting. Folks would come from far and wide to walk the fields and cut bouquets of flowers. About ten years ago our neighbors retired from the farm and downsized to a smaller home. They continue to cultivate and nurture their plantings to beautify their corner of our community.

The selection of plants surrounding their home includes rhododendrons, azaleas, lilies, iris’s, roses, hollyhocks, gladiolus, flowering shrubs, two wisteria plants that cover their pergola, and a wide variety of annuals and perennials. They have turned their intimate garden into an oasis of color, shape, and texture.

This is an old cart they kept from their farm, and now use it as a planter. The lady of the house loves the color blue, and one day she had an urge to paint something. The cart was the perfect candidate.

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Most of the land around where I live is either forest or farmland. When the ground begins to dry out a bit from the early spring rains, the farmers begin to work their fields. They use enormous equipment to cut the hay for feed, then start plowing to prepare for planting of their summer crops.

All this farming activity usually stirs up lots of dust. And when you combine all that dust, and mix it with a steady wind throughout the course of a sunny day…it’s a perfect recipe for a colorful sunset. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for evening and hoping a few clouds will stick around to add some drama.

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On the morning I took this shot, the air was cool, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sun was shining brightly. With skies this blue, I couldn’t resist using the vivid color as a backdrop for these bright orange and yellow tulips.

To set this photo up, I adjusted the tripod to go as low to the ground as possible. I was able to then lay down in the grass behind the tripod to compose the shot.

I know I’m always promoting the use of a tripod, but if you don’t have one handy, here is an option. It’s much easier to lie on your back and look up for this kind of shot versus lying on your stomach and straining your neck and back. You’ll have to experiment with the position of your arms in order to steady the camera…but it works.

Besides, using this technique gives passersby something to talk about. Their conversation typically goes like this: “Did you see that person lying on their back looking up with a camera? What an odd position to take a photograph. They must really want that shot.”

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