Inspiring Photo: In The Lime-Light #10487594

In The Lime-Light

Uploaded: July 21, 2010 | Entered: March 23, 2016 13:28:01

Description

Exif: F Number: 3.2, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/80 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 60.00 mm, Model: NIKON D200

Comments

Susan M. Reynolds July 21, 2010

I've gone from Blue Hydrangeas to Fuchsias...Couldn't resist trying the crackle overlay to see if I remembered how to do it and I did, so my insomnia paid off for a change!
I'm packing for a five day trip so will be off the charts until next Tuesday. I'm bringing my laptop, but service will be spotty if at all. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and those that are going on the photo walk have fun...I'm off to the one in Santa Cruz on Sat. but going a day early and staying three days longer, because the long drive and great area of Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel, and the Great Tide Pool in Pacific Grove are all in the same area. Will be with some ladies from my group on Saturday, but the rest of the time I'm going it alone :(
Dear Hubby was put on emergency call for his job and now he can't go with me...sigh...so I'll be navigating what to me is the hecka scary Coastal Highway 1...but hoping to bring home some real beauties!!!
Be back next week around Wednesday :) #1290514

Dale Hardin July 22, 2010

Have a great time Susan. You're going to one of our favorite places, the Pacific central coast, though we rarely get that far North. #8780377

Michael Kelly July 22, 2010

Some of my favorite places for photography, sounds like a wonderful trip. Hope you manage OK with no one with you an part of the trip, or are you off the crutches now? Have a great time and looking forward to your photos. #8780563

Rita K. Connell July 22, 2010

have a great time can't wait to see your pictures #8780970

Aimee C. Eisaman July 22, 2010

I really hope the trip goes well. Also hope the areas you were talking about are open for you now. :~) I love the colors in the photos you posted. I don't care for the first version much...makes me feel like it was either a fogged up lens that only got wiped off in one spot or the middle of an edit in (incert photo editing software). The second version though is very artful and I like that about it. I do wish the stamen on the left flower was in focus. #8781088

Stephen Shoff July 22, 2010

This image struck me as being very thoughtful. I liked the fogged appearance along the top. I would have liked the DOF to include the entire leaf at the top of the primary blossom. #8781344

Jeff E Jensen July 23, 2010

Have fun on your trip Susan!

I'm not sure how I feel about these, They are beautiful flowers, but the soft focus across the blossoms is not working for me, especially with the detail in the leaves/water drops. #8782346

Teresa H. Hunt July 23, 2010

Have a great trip Susan! I hope your time alone suprises you. :)

I'm not crazy about your first post. I had the same reaction to it that Aimee did. I like the one with the crackle overlay. Though like Aimee I wish the focus was a bit sharper.

Congrats on your EP for the textured one! :) #8782720

July 23, 2010

I like both images but, Like Aimee, I prefer the second one with the crackle the most. Wonderful colors! #8782896

Debbie E. Payne July 23, 2010

Susan, I, too, prefer the crackle one. Aren't textures fun? The original has a beautiful vivid quality to it but I believe that its vividness brings our attention even more to soft focus on the right fuschia. The crackle effect takes the focus back more on the overall photo. Good call on adding it. #8783010

Ellen H. Robertson July 25, 2010

Congrats on both of them. I do like the textured one best. #8785775

Kathleen Nealon July 26, 2010

Very nicely done. I too like the crackel treatment. For me it counteracts the very bright white glow of the softened fuschia on the (looking at) right. #8786831

Susan M. Reynolds July 31, 2010

Thank you for all the helpful feedback...the fogging on the original was intentional to match the title "In The Lime-Light" meaning to keep the focus on the one Fuchsia. I will try to replace the stamen on that one so that it's not fuzzy per the suggestions from a several. I'll remove this set and post another photo right after I get my new photos loaded.
The trip was pretty much a bust for me - will explain later. Right now I'm in too much pain and too exhausted for comments. Need to rest a while...
Thank you too all for your helpful comments. #8797328

Peter W. Marks July 31, 2010

OK Susan, I'm late with this but have only came back from Cornwall this week and there's a bunch of catching-up to do.
Seems that most folk prefer the crackle version and I think I agree but an wondering if the actual crackle could be made a little more subtle?
The original version gave me much food for thought as to why it wasn't working for me. I think the primary reason is that the eye is tricked by the flower on the right. Because it appears on the "canvas" as large as the one on the left one feels they are both in the same foreground plane and is left wondering why they are not equally in focus. Does that make sense?
So sorry about the trip Susan, that was not good. #8797364

Susan M. Reynolds August 01, 2010

(Hi Peter, Welcoming you home! I'm glad you had a good vacation & a safe trip as well...I am so sorry for the loss of your brother, Chris, I still keep you & your family in my thoughts and prayers daily & will continue to do so.)

Thank you for commenting on my photos, I appreciate all the comments/in-put by everyone.
The reason that the flower on the right is not in focus is because on the plant's vine, the right flower & the blossoms were farther back by at least 1.5" or more, and since I was using a macro lens very close up. Only the main body of the flower on the left & surrounding leaves were at the same distance from the lens & were in focus.
I took quite a few shots from different POV's trying to get both in focus, but without success as I wanted to name one shot Twin Fuchsia's...but as you can see by this shot it was a 'no-work' situation for this plant unless I clipped one of the blossoms and attached it artificially somehow. I do have some other shots to work with so I'll work on a few of those & see what happens. I can also decrease the opacity of the crackle on the second version as well as trying to see if the other photos are any better than the one I posted...was pretty much in a hurry to post something before my trip.
Eventually I'd like to use this type of layering process over floral, landscapes, old-time architecture & such to replace the framed prints that are in my home...I love the old Victorian floral & roses prints that I have now, but desire to someday replace them with my own work after I learn more about the basics & more advanced techniques with layers.
I am enrolled in a 4 week class in September with Doug Steakly (I was able to see some of his work at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History when I went to try for photos at the Great Tide Pools in Pacific Grove.) The class is called - Basic Masks In Photoshop, also, another 8 week class in November by Richard Lynch - Leveraging Layers: Photoshop's Most Powerful Tool.
I had two 50% off MVBP rewards that I had to use before they expired, so I figured taking the ones on layers/ masks would help me learn & understand what can be one of the greatest tools while using Photoshop.
#8798377

Susan M. Reynolds August 01, 2010

My trip...the place I wanted most to photograph, the McWay Falls on the over look Trail at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park beach...the trails were closed due to mudslides and fires...Had rented a car, but my daughter suggested I save my money on the rental & use the money instead to get my own car tuned up & road ready for the trip...wound up paying a little over $1100.00 the shop found other stuff wrong (of course)...then on the day before I was to go to the Tide Pools, my car wouldn't start in the parking lot of a grocery store where I stopped to get a few items instead of going out to eat (to save money) got back out and the car wouldn't start. Called AAA they came out and jumpstarted my car, telling me to drive it for at least 30 minutes before I shut it off, then left. My car died immediately again when I was only 1/2 way backed out of the parking stall. I called them again and they jumped it again but it was only enough to pull back forward into the parking stall to get it out of the way of traffic. By this time it was almost midnight - I'd been in the lot for 2.5 hours...they called a cab to take me to a hotel, since we have the AAA that offers trip interruption insurance, battery replacement etc. The tow truck from AAA called a cab, when I asked for the # to the cab company, the AAA guy said they'd give me the info when they arrived and left...well I went ahead and took my pain meds, since I knew I wouldn't be driving because a cab was coming. I saw several pass on the main street in front of the store in the 45 minutes or so before I dozed off from the medication. Well, I didn't wake up until the a.m. freezing cold, with a bad crook in my neck. Called AAA again, they came back tested the battery & said it was the alternator instead. #8798387

Susan M. Reynolds August 01, 2010

So after spending about 12 hours in that parking lot, I finally got a cab to the garage & thankfully there was a hotel right next to the garage. We only have 200 miles on our towing allowance for the year and it would have cost me an additional $180 for a tow back to Sacramento Infiniti who serviced it for over $1100 to get it ready for the trip plus $125 for a one-way rental back to Sacramento.
When I called back to Infiniti, they said it would take $650 to replace the alternator, but the Tow Truck from Monterey Garage said they could do it for $460...so I opted to rent a hotel room from the place next to the garage and have it fixed there, but it took two days, so I was pretty much stuck in my room for the days I should have been at the Tide Pools and some of the other places I had wanted to see & photography on my list of things to discover. Anyway, I at least got to go to the Aquarium, but didn't the jellyfish I wanted to photograph...I tried at some of the other displays, but have yet to see how they turned out. So, though disappointed in not getting to all the places I wanted to photograph, being stranded for two days and sleeping in my car...I finally made it home, only to be pulled over by a CHP
(California Highway Patrol) just as I turned into my driveway about 1:30 a.m.!!! I've never been pulled over in my life - was shaking like a leaf and scared stiff, but knew I had been doing 60 in a 30 about .5 miles from the street where my home was... because I was in so much pain that I was in tears, I had been driving so long, just wanting to get home & finally lay down!
I deserved a ticket I know, but he let me off with a warning, Don't know why buy I am so thankful no ticket - after all that had happened & all the money we had to spend on the car, before & during the trip - This is all just a part of what went wrong...but I'm thankful I didn't get a ticket even though I did deserve it...figured it was the middle of the night and no traffic, no lights, or stop signs, so I wanted to just "get there" - though I learned my lesson well and will NEVER do that again no matter what!
#8798402

Peter W. Marks August 01, 2010

OK Susan; I know a guy who sailed single-handedly across the 3000 miles of the Atlantic who had less adventures than your trip down the coast! Unbelievable! I am so sorry that the trip was not what you had hoped for, I really am. If I were the cop I couldn't have given you a ticket either after hearing your story. I think I would have given you a credit note for another speeding offence. :o)
#8798511

Aimee C. Eisaman August 01, 2010

Wow...I'm so sorry Susan that is horrible! #8798519

Michael Kelly August 01, 2010

OMG Susan that sounds horrible. #8798745

Rita K. Connell August 01, 2010

I am so glad that is behind you, aren't we glad that tomorrow is always a new day..... #8798875

Teresa H. Hunt August 01, 2010

Susan, I'm so sorry your trip was so bad. :( #8799094

Susan M. Reynolds August 01, 2010

The trip surely wasn't what I expected, even the photo-walk was pretty much a let down, The leader of the group in Santa Cruz, didn't even wait 5 minutes for people to get to the meeting point through the hecka bad traffic and parkking nightmare there! So we just went on our own. The two people that were with me didn't want to wait until sunset to get better photos of the Boardwalk all lighted up or even the light house there at sunset...they wanted to leave before dark & go to dinner first as they were heading home and I was going on down to Pacific Grove/Monterey/Big Sur. I went with them instead of staying alone because one of the group was my daughter.
Funny thing is Peter, I didn't even tell him the stories of my misadventures on my trip, I think he knew I was telling the truth when I said I'd never been pulled over in my life and apoligized profusely...and I had been crying...so maybe he felt sorry for me, but I know I truly deserved the hefty ticket I'd have gotten, but thankful he didn't site me...Just know I'll never do that again! #8800100

Kathleen Nealon August 02, 2010

Yikes, what a nightmare. Seems like everything you encountered would be on a 'bucket list' of 'not-to-do's'. I'm glad you are safe and home. #8800995

To discuss, first log in or sign up (buttons are at top center of page).

Get Constructive Critiques

Did You Know?

Discussions by Category: You can view photo discussions on various themes in the Community > Photo Discussions section of the site.

BetterPhoto Websites: If you see an orange website link directly under the photographer's name, it's totally okay. It's not spam. The reason: BetterPhoto is the one that offers these personal photography websites. We are supporting our clients with those links.

Unavailable EXIF: If there is no other information but 'Unavailable' in the EXIF (meaning no EXIF data exists with the photo), the 'Unavailable' blurb is not displayed. If there is any info, it shows. Many photos have the EXIF stripped out when people modify the image and resave it, before uploading.

The following truth is one of the core philosophies of BetterPhoto:

I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.

You learn by doing. Take your next online photography class.

You &

Love It!

Copyright for this photo belongs solely to Susan M. Reynolds.
Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer. Contact photographer via gallery
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.

My Profile

My Photo Shows

My Photos

My BetterPholio

My Messages

My Courses

Description

Comments

Get Constructive Critiques

Did You Know?