Super Moon 2014

I told myself that I wasn't going to give in to the pressure of photographing the Super Moon this time around.  I have taken photos of the gigantic moon in the past and have always come out with some results that just made me yawn.  Nothing was too exciting about it.  Last night the dog was taking a little longer than normal to get ready for bed and I had my camera right inside the door so what do you do.

Here are a couple snaps to satisfy this years Super Moon fix.  Now if I could somehow keep myself awake enough to try and catch the meteor shower.

Click on the photos to be taken to my website to view larger.

My Time With Salsify - Take 2

Part 2 of my post about Salsify takes us closer and to more creative avenues.  I have viewed photos in the past that I had the hopes of recreating in my own way, but could never get close enough or get drops to hold correctly on the seedlings.  I always attempted to photograph these on a dandelion and the seedlings weren't quite strong enough to hold what I was trying.  Discovering the Salsify plant, I immediately started thinking of ways to get the photo I have always wanted.

So once I had the plant home, I placed the stem in an old flower vase and started shooting.  Seeing my assistants having fun with the water sprayer was enjoyable.  The enthusiasm they have for everything really is infectious.  I grabbed an old eye dropper and finally captured the photo I was looking for.  All of the photos were stacked from multiple photos except the first and last.

This is the photo I have been trying to get for the last 4 years.  Finally!!!

In my part 1 of this photo topic I posted a link to free wallpapers.  Stop over and have a look if you would want one.  If you would like to see more of my work, please visit Alder Images.  You can follow me on Facebook.

My Time with Salsify - Take 1

Playing soccer with my kids, I happened to notice a very large looking plant with a fluffy head.   My son saw this also and thought was a giant dandelion.  Coming from a farm I knew that the plant in question was Salsify or commonly referred to as the Oyster Plant.  These weed looking plants are actually grown and picked for their roots which apparently taste like an Oyster, hence the name.  I for one have never tried Salsify, but was fascinated by its fluffy seeded exterior.

Having attempted many photos of dandelions over the years, the larger fluffy head of the plant presented numerous opportunities to get the ideal picture I have wanted for a very long time.  So yesterday hunting butterflies, I picked a plant and brought it back for some one on one time.  It was a windy day and the seeds do blow away quite easily so I attempted to contain it in a plastic bag.  The bag did damage part of the fluffy, but I was able to manage.  With help from my curious assistants, a handy spray bottle and eye dropper, we made some pretty interesting images.  Feel free to click on the images to see them bigger on my website.

I have made a couple available for download if anyone would like a wallpaper.  The are sized for a 16:9 computer screen.  Follow this link and you will be taken to the page for downloads.

Feel free to leave comments at the bottom or visit my Facebook page and give it a like.

These two were my original attempts to photograph the Salsify in the field, but wind and other weeds made it difficult to get on the proper level and get some good closeups.  I also did not have my tripod with me so anything super close was going to be blurry.

We finally got the Salsify home and started taking some photos.  Without the misted water on the seedlings, the Salsify look like a dandelion seed covered in spider webs.  Water drops give the photo life.

For this photo I tried refracting a photo of a brightly colored dandelion photo I made a couple of years ago.  I couldn't get the photo close enough to get a good refraction, but it did leave some nice colors on the water drops.

Thank you everyone for viewing.  If you have questions or comments, please leave them below or on my Facebook page.