WiseAcre Gardens

Some visitors think I take great photos. I admit a few photos I take are nice but the majority are horrible. The bad ones only I get to see. The good ones are lucky shots and those are the ones I share. I really don’t have many tips to share but here are a couple. Later I”ll guide you to a few more somewhere else.

Gooseneck Loosestrife

This was a decent shot but I helped it out by cropping the bejeezous out of it. The bug added a bit of extra interest.  Cropping allowed me to show a larger image on-line while getting rid of the distracting ‘extras’ in the original photo. For those who want to know what I used to edit the photo - Paint Shop Pro 5. Long considered obsolete because it’s so old and outdated but it still works for me. I only use a few functions and don’t want to upgrade to a new version that I’ll never take advantage of.

Purple Loosestrife

As much as I hate picking flowers sometimes it’s the only way to get a decent shot. I had to pick this spike of Purple Loosestrife because the sun that day was just too strong to get a good photo.

Too often the sun bleaches the details out of a flower photo. The colors and glare overpower the image and often all I’m left with is a brightly colored blur.

Notice the background? Removing the clutter from behind the flower also helps getting a good image. It also makes it easy to know where to crop the photo too.

Another ‘method’ of blocking the sun I use is to stand and place my shadow over the flower. This time it wasn’t possible unless I wanted to stand in standing water.  I could get close enough on the side of the roadside ditch to pick but couldn’t flank this ‘invader’ without getting wet feet.

Yes, this is the dreaded noxious weed. Fighting it is almost hopeless since the seed can wait for you and I to have a long productive life before it ever thinks of germinating. The seed can and will sit for years waiting for the ground to be disturbed and then suddenly a thriving colony will take hold. I’ve seen acres upon acres overtaken by being plowed and left.

The only saving grace is that Purple Loosestrife is not as invasive when the ground is not disturbed.

So this is one flower I recommend picking. And not just one. Might as well pick a thousand while you’re at it. You’ll be doing the environment a favor. Just don’t pull them out by the roots - who knows how many will take it’s place. It’s one thing to stand your ground - another to expose it.

Mushroom

And then sometimes it’s just being in the right place at the right time. Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might spot.

Use your flash

It does make a difference and you can choose the photo you think looks best on your blog.
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OK this was all a lead-up to a link. I shouldn’t be giving anyone tips on how to take a photo. Most of the time I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just blessed with a good camera and a decent eye.

I received an email the other day from someone who wanted to be a guest contributor. He thought I had a nice blog (got to wonder about his judgment) and wanted to post an article about flower photography tips. I declined. One reason was he wanted to get a link. I told him he’d be better off posting that article on his own blog since I liked his tips and would link to him anyway. There’s nothing special - but he gives some good basic advise that I found I have used myself.

You can go see for yourself. Go over to a1 Photo Tips look around then come back and let me know what you think. I’m asking because I’m thinking oof adding his link to my sidebar. I won’t say how many ‘approval’ comments it will take before I decide to it. The point is if visitors think it’s useful then I’ll make some room for Sunnyman’s Photoblog.