Tag Archives: flowers

Just Some Snapshots 16


Although it’s February and climate experts said we’d have a helluva El Niño, it hasn’t really appeared.  Even if it starts to rain here and there from now, the deluge they’ve been warning us Southern Californians about for half a year will not materialize.

So the drought will continue…

In the meantime, I thought I’d take advantage of the clear blue skies and took some snapshots out in front.

Some winter hummingbirds.  They love the tree aloe blooms in my neighbor’s yard:

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Just a sprinkle:

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And there’s a bazillion of these Kalanchoe Lavender Scallops Variegata (Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi) blooming:

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This little succulent bloom is at the tip of thin, bright green stalks and is about maybe 1/3″ in diameter.  The photo below shows the blooms in different stages of opening.

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Just Some Snapshots #15


Some recent snapshots; tinkered with HDR this time.  Don’t ask me to explain HDR ‘cuz I have no idea!  I also don’t believe HDR is particularly suited for macro work but it intrigued me.  There does appear to be a difference – at least to these old bespectacled eyes.

Macro of a clematis flower right out of the camera (i.e., no editing):

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Unedited. Taken with Canon 70D, 100 mm macro lens, ISO 200, 1/2 sec at f/11

The photo below taken from identical camera position but with “HDR” settings.  It was subjected to some post-processing:

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Edited primarily for pollen and vignetting. A little color correction.

Other HDR shots:

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The following were shot with normal settings:

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c-10-341If your camera is capable, perhaps you’ll give HDR a shot as well.

She’s Killing Me #10


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“Noooo-ah!” But too late. She was the last person to get out of the car…again.

She’s killing me, I tell ya.

My Little Cake Boss Diva.

Even way up in Seattle.  Her killing me is not restricted to home.  It is unrelenting.

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While some of her photographs will be shown below, a quick she’s-killing-me story first.

We weren’t even in Seattle for three hours when the onslaught continued.  (Don’t think she didn’t try to kill me during the flight.  Even my warning her of plain clothes air marshals being on board didn’t deter her.).

After quickly checking in, we met my good friend Rick; like any good buddy, he treated my two kids and me to dinner.

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My good buddy Rick, a USAF veteran. He liked blowing things up. Still does… but all his Mustangs are slower than mine.

As I had brought some cigars for him but forgot them in the room, we had to return to the hotel.  While he and his gal waited in the lobby, I escorted the kids up to the room.

Knowing my Little Cake Boss Diva, I sternly said, “Brooke, do NOT touch anything, OK?”

“Okaaay-ah!” she replied… and I headed back down to the lobby, cigars in hand.

I wasn’t with him for more than fifteen minutes before I returned to the room.  Yes, I was worried she was up to something.

So I opened the door.  Wham.  A rush of frigid artic air hit me.  Mumbles (from Happy Feet) would have been pleased.

At the other end of the room, there she was on top of the air conditioner grill…sitting on a blue bed cover sheet with her butt square in the middle with her hands on either side trying to keep the sheet down.  She was attempting to stop the flow of air conditioned air blasting out of the A/C.  Talk about the Lucy Show.  She was Lucy.  I was Ricky, down to the “Ai-ya-yai, Lucy!”

Before I could yell, “Brooke!”, Jack immediately ratted out on his sister.

“Papa, she was doing something that she wasn’t supposed to and turned on the air conditioner!  She doesn’t know how to turn it off so it’s freezing in here!”  He was very pleased with himself for tattling.

Now I could yell, “Brooke!  I told you NOT to touch anything!”

“Hee-hee…” she replied with her trademark “I’m VERY innocent” smile making for a happy face complete with adorable chubby cheeks..

I turned off the air then she scampered over to the one cup coffee brewer.  What do you all that gizmo?  A Keurig?  Sure enough, there was one empty slot.  She had brewed herself some coffee.

19105232875_47cbae4ee2_o“Brooke!  What were you doing brewing yourself coffee?!  You don’t even know how to use that thing!”

“Welllll-ah!  I was freezing-ah!  And I can read (the directions) so I made myself something like a latte, okaaaay-ah?  Sheesh!”

She’s only twelve.  OMFG.

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Anyways, that’s one of her traits…besides doing the opposite of what I say.  She has to try everything…except clean her room.

So as in my previous post – and not being pleased with the way Jack was taking pictures – she commandeered my pretty new bazillion dollar Canon DSLR for pretty much the rest of the trip.

I only gave her one pointer: to cradle the lens with her left hand while shooting.  For once, she actually followed my instructions.

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c-10-340But anyways, here are some of her photos taken with my bazillion dollar camera:

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Jack and me at the bottom left.
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Handheld macro!
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Handheld macro!

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Handheld macro!

c-10-334c-10-328c-10-333c-10-331c-10-332So what do you think of her abilities?

Her photography… Not on how she’s killing me.

Just Some Snapshots #14


My oldest daughter’s Corgi, “Yogi”.  He is sans one leg now but never stops loving you to death.  His favorite spot is still on your lap.

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Adorable Yogi

And some other snapshots:

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Textured Notocactus rutilans flower
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A textured bloom from a Crown of Thorns cactus
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Although he returned from WWII, we went to visit him during Memorial Day weekend.
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A Chamaelobivia (Rose quartz)
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A bloom of an Echeveria harmsii rendered into pastels.
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A simple Clematis
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A Chamaelobivia (Rose quartz) rendered into B&W
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Hummingbird sage (Salvia microphylla or “Hot Lips”). Hummingbirds love this flower and come frequently. A lovely scent proliferates when you break a stem.
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A Notocactus rutilans flower

Just Some Snapshots #14


I have been distracted for this and that, more so as of recent; life does get in the way as they say.

But just some recent snapshots to perhaps brighten your morning…

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Graptopetalum rusbyi, a Sedum.
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My Little Cake Boss’ shoes.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, June 28, 2010
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, June 28, 2010, part of the Smithsonian.
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Graptopetalum rusbyi, a Sedum.
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Echeveria pulidonis bloom.
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The Endeavor.
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Graptopetalum rusbyi, a Sedum.
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A kalanchoe’s new branch dazzles you in pink and orange hues.
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A WWII P-51 Mustang presented in sepia. A P-47 Razorback is in the background.
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A Scaevola – Bondi White
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Our flag and the glory days of backyard aviation.
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An English daisy.

c-10-191Have a great day!

Just Some Snapshots #12


It appears Spring has come a couple of weeks early to Southern California…  Some photos of blooms from around my home.

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Tiny buggers invade this succulent bloom.
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Clematis
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Cineraria
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Red bud blooms.
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Aloe bloom
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Shrimp plant
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An early Portulaca grandiflora blooms from my cutting
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Clematis
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Cineraria in B&W
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A real bad hair day
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Cineraria begins to bloom
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Aloe blooms
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Cineraria
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My cigar…but not my yard.

Just Some Snapshots #8.1


I hope you all are well and I pray for our young souls going into combat for our sakes.

In addition to investing time into reading WWII history books, my snapshot side of me still beckons.

“EXPLORE” is a featured group on the photo website flickr.com.  Out of the close to 2,000,000 photo uploads daily, about 500 are selected for “EXPLORE” by the website for “interestingness”.  Some of my photos have been fortunate enough to be “interesting”, 19 in total.

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The last four are below; hope they are “interesting” to you.  Clicking on the images will take you to the actual photograph.  🙂

This is called “painting with light”.  You leave the shutter open then use a flashlight to illuminate the subject.
Tried Painting with Light - EXPLORED 9/11/2014

A Lantana
Lantana - EXPLORED Sept. 7, 2014

A blue Balloon flower
Blue - EXPLORED Sept. 6, 2014

An Amarcrinum Lily X taken at Descanso Gardens
Amarcrinum Lily X - EXPLORED Aug. 25, 2014

A summary as of today of my photographs selected for “Explore” on flickr:

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Airmen, Marines, soldiers and sailors – be safe.