Agapanthus

Most of the agapanthus in the neighborhood are already blooming, but mine has just started. I've loved watching it daily as it bursts out of its green sheath. I finally got my camera out to start to document its progress

Spectacular Sunrise

I'm swimming with a group of adults a couple of mornings a week really early... This morning the sunrise was truly amazing, and I happened to have my camera. Here is the result.

Day 29 - Gathering

Today, the basic idea was to photograph a bouquet, of any kind. The best part of this assignment was taking a walk in the incredible weather. I had a plan... I would cut some flowers along the old rail bed on MLK, make a cool wildflower (read weed) bouquet.

So, I'm out in the fabulous weather, enjoying this amazing coolish spring we are having and I see some city employees in the distance, kind of near where I'm planning to cut "flowers". At first, I'm just hoping they won't give me a hard time, but as I get closer, I realized they had been working pretty hard and had DECIMATED the growth along the little canal that I had been planning to cut from! Everything was gone, at least at first that was what I thought.

It brought home the point made by Art Wolfe on Monday's class... take the picture TODAY, you never know what will be there tomorrow.

Luckily, I had taken a lot of pictures earlier this week (I have the ant bites to prove it), but what about today's assignment? As I looked closer, I realized there were still some "flowers" up along the edge of the fence. And so I started cutting.

I got home and laid out the flowers, and started snapping, before and after arranging. My favorite was a before picture.

Day 28 - Charmed

I don't love this picture, but I do love my necklace, given to me by a wonderful friend who is moving soon... 

As part of the Picture Spring Course I'm taking, we post in a gallery each day, and I really loved many of the photos the other participants took yesterday, far more creative, and compelling. But today is another day... and I'm to shoot a bouquet. Thinking of making a wildflower bouquet later today to shoot. Can't wait.

Day 26 - Make A Wish

Another assignment that I REALLY loved. Getting up close to Dandelions! Yeah.

Day 25 - Spring Board

"Use someone else's photography to inspire your photo today."

I found some beautiful flower Macro Photography today on Flickr (my photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bsuttoncm/)

I wanted to get in close to the center of the rose, but still keep it sharp. I almost succeeded. The photo isn't as sharp as I would like, but the detail is still nice.

Day 24 - Love is in the Air

Serendipitously, I saw this bird feather "stuck" on an azalea stamen.

It may not be true love, but they make an interesting pair.

Day 23 - Spring Projects

Today's projects included cooking and gardening. I've included an image from both.

Making Homemade Lasagna Noodles...

And, pail with pretty prunings...

Day 22 - Vibrant Color of Spring

Our Bottlebrush shrub was made for this assignment. It is now in crazy, complete riotous bloom.

Day 21 - Circles

Umbrella's make an interesting backdrop for photos, and I've been wanting to play with this. Since today's prompt was to work with circle shapes, this was my opportunity.

Day 20 - Flirting with Flare (lens flare that is...)

Driving by Oak Grove Cemetery this morning, I decided to pull in and see if I couldn't get something interesting for today's assignment. This is my first time in this cemetery. It needs a group to adopt it and keep it up.

I did get a shot I liked, although I may try to get something else later.

Day 19 - A Word to Remember

I was reading something that Cathy Zielske tweeted about today, and she was laughing about something I'm pretty sure would have annoyed me. I get annoyed way too easily. Especially in the confines of my own home and with my own family. So here is a silly picture of me, laughing my head off, with a phrase I put on a scrapbook page a couple of years ago. I need to look at this photo everyday.

Day 18 - Gratitude in a Blade of Grass

This is not manicured perfect grass, but it has character. I hope I'm like this.

Day 17 - Punchy Spring Print

I was not feeling the punchy spring print at all today... so, here is my take using a Storybook Plus technique from the new website www.pixels2pages.net

I created my own punchy Spring "fabric" print from a photo of some wisteria in a friend's yard (thanks for the tip Wendy!).

I'll include the original photo, and then my fabric representation of it.

Day 16 - Shadows

My backyard is full of interesting shadows, but my first round of photos, while ok, weren't exactly what I wanted. I walked outside in the early afternoon and saw the shadow of the Confederate Jasmine on my deck and I knew that was going to be today's shot.

This is another desaturated, slightly antiqued look.

Day 15 - Look Back

The assignment for the day was to look back a year, and see what might be fun to post. I found a pretty decent shot of KayLee, our border collie mix, playing.

Day 14 - Picture a Canvas

With my taxes mostly done, I felt more creative and I brought my camera along when I left the house. Today's charge was to create a dreamy, soft focus photo reminiscent of a painted canvas. I thought the marsh would be perfect, and it may have been, but I really didn't get any great shots. However, as I stepped out of my car, on my way to the hospital for my annual mammogram, I saw this palette of green foreground, pink/red mid-ground and wisteria in the background. Shot twice quickly, and I'm pleased with what I got.

Day 13 - A Different Point of View

Aside from the fact that I was focused on finishing my taxes, I got fixated on trying to photograph my dogs, and got nowhere. Poor planning mostly, shooting on a distracting carpet, no helper to keep the dog positioned, etc. But when I re-read the prompt... trying taking a photo from a different point of view, as if someone else was taking it... I got somewhere!

So, I've taken a picture of the new dog toy, desaturated since dogs don't see color the way we do...

Day 12 - Awakenings

 "celebrate the messenger, the pioneer, the early bloomer of spring." 
Day 12 - Picture Spring Class at Big Picture Scrapbooking


Here in Coastal Georgia, we are well past the pioneers of spring... we are settling into the easy life of spring blooms everywhere. But this challenge was easy because I'd noticed a few days ago that the Bottlebrush bush was getting ready to pitch itself into full massive blooming craziness. 


I loved looking closely at the blooms getting ready to burst, because even though they are still green, there is a pinkish/red blush to the green. Just beautiful!


First shot, no bloom, just bud.

Second shot, a bit of the bud has started to bloom. 

Day 11 - Hearts in our World

At first, I was really struggling with today's challenge. "Find (or create) a heart shaped sweet-nothing today." It seems easier to find shapes serendipitously, but I decided to go for it. It was worth it. The best part was that I had to pay attention to my surroundings more -- exactly the skill that makes a good photographer! I asked Starling for some help and he struck a heart pose with this arms, but I decided to be more literal.

I'm posting three different shots here, all heart shaped, each a little different.

Day 10 - Capture Catchlights

My usual suspects were all gone, so Shelly kindly agreed to be my subject for today's Picture Spring class challenge. Thanks Shelly!!!

Day 9 - The Beauty of Everyday Objects

Today I was looking for the beauty in the ordinary. This is a photo of the glass bottle I put my dish soap in. To be honest, I did move the bottle up to the window to see what would happen, and I liked the effect.

Day 8 - Water Drops

I kept thinking it was going to rain on the 8th, and it finally did, but not until my bedtime... so, I waited until this morning for my water drop shot. I also love the water shot I took last May... posted in this blog. (I'd link to it, but I'm a blogger idiot!

Day 7 - Pastel

My heart really wasn't in it today. I waited until it was too late to do any kind of nice outdoor shot. But I thought about these shirts in my closet... ready for spring...

Day 6 - Self Portrait

Taking one's own picture is tough. I took about 40 shots, and this is the best, many were missing my head. Earlier this week I'd taken another self portrait that I liked... I've included both.

Day 5 - Seeing at Ground Level

Love taking pictures from ground level... and I love the new growth on my oak leaf hydrangea.

Day 4 - Look Up

Missed yesterday because we were on the road... Today's challenge was to go outside, look up and take a picture of the sky.

Day 2 - The End of the Bacon

On the last day of vacation, you "have" to eat up all the food in the fridge, don't you? I made my daughter's day by cooking all the bacon we had left... Can you hear the chant, "bacon, bacon, bacon"?

Day 1 - New Beginnings

I'm taking a 30 day online class called "Picture Spring" at Big Picture Scrapbooking taught by Tracy Clark. So, my goal is to post a picture each of the days of April. Today is easy... I'm posting a photo I took on one of our Smoky Mountain hikes. These wildflowers are called "Spring Beauty" which just about says it all.