Filling the Frame with Autumn Beauty

I like Gardening Gone Wild's photo contest theme this month - Fill the Frame.

It's tough for me to be disciplined enough to

cut my photos down to the bare minimum. 

To keep only the elements that contribute. 

Sometimes I find the right balance.

I find the heart of the picture...

and zero in on it. 

Find beauty in the 

subtle color and elegant simplicity of form in

Cana Lily leaves.   

Or focus on

feathery fountain grass with a

fiery red echo. 

This is my entry in the contest.

Macro Light

Try as I might, I can't resist 

Gardening Gone Wild's photo contest.  This month's theme is

‘Lighting: A Closer Look’.

Although close-up photography is a lot of fun,

I don't do a lot of it.

I usually focus on pictures that

depict plants as they function in the landscape.

This was the perfect opportunity to bring out some of my

favorite spring close-ups.

Beautiful Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is pictured at the top.

Cherry blossoms

Azalea blooms

Spring Japanese Maple foliage

And then, those photogenic Iris.

Is there a more graceful...

 endlessly interesting flower than Iris?

My daughter chose this Iris shot as my entry in the contest.

I think she's got a good eye.

Check out all the wonderful entries at Gardening Gone Wild.

The Magic of Light

Gardening Gone Wild's Picture This Photo Contest theme for April is light. 

Light is such a critical element in photography,

and one that we usually can't control. 

We can only be in the right place at the right time and

use what we are given to its best advantage. 

I love how the interplay of light on the maple buds above enhances the detail.

But I struggle with lighting and am usually trying to make do with a less than ideal situation.

   

I was having issues with lighting that was too strong on my daffodils. 

I thought my problem was solved when a cloudy day provided even light. 

But the resulting photo seemed flat.

In the end, I chose the too bright version

which seems more dynamic than the flat values of this cloudy day version.

Every once in a while, magic happens.

Autumn light transformed this Cutleaf maple into a shimmering ball of fire.

Backlighting showcases this intricate branching, 

set off by the surrounding feathery glow.  

And so, I've chosen this Cutleaf Maple for my submission to the GGW photo contest.

Macro In a Mason Jar

After seeing the great shots others have gotten using the Macro in a Mason Jar technique for Gardening Gone Wild's photo contest, I decided to try my hand.  It's a fun technique and I hope to try it again when the garden is full of flowers.  For now, I used flowers from the primrose that's been brightening our kitchen window.

Since my flowers are white, I used a vintage aqua mason jar for color and tried several fabrics under it. 

I thought dark blue might make the white flowers pop.  Although I like the look of the beads of water, the flowers look a little darker than I'd like.  Perhaps with better lighting....

A crocheted doily for texture seemed to detract from, rather than accent the flowers.

Simple linen was the clear winner for me.  The texture of the fabric both contrasts and echos the subtle lines in the flower petals.  The simplicity allows the flowers and the color of the mason jar to shine.

This technique is very simple.  Choose a jar, arrange your subject on the bottom, set your camera to macro, rest the camera on the rim of the jar and shoot!  Full instructions are given at Gardening Gone Wild.

Check out the other amazing contest entries here!