Monday, December 12, 2022

[dewarp]

Hi Folks

I decided to start the Daily by adding a few more recent images. (As MFI and Dave have pointed out, it certainly seem quiet here on FF these days.)

We went to Bruges the weekend before last, and I took a few early morning shots. Here are three that I edited - they're now in the contemplation stage.

The first is one of the main streets. During the day one could hardly move down the street due to the number of people! I was expecting the decorative lights above the road to be lit all night, but they obviously switched them off at some time.

   

This next image is a shot of the "Our Lady of the Church Museum", one of the local tourist attractions. The lady here is actually someone I photographed in the hotel reception area the next morning, but it seemed like a good idea to add a lady. I think I may have gone a bit overboard on the colours! What do you think?

   

This last image is a shot of another famous Bruges scene. I'm not sure what it's called offhand, but it appears in most descriptions of photographic tours of the area. This image is a composite of three raw images.

   

C&C welcomed as usual.

regards - Pete

[Don]

Good morning Pete from a rainy morning here in Georgia. Very nice images to start the week. The first one has a very HDR look to it. Seems strange the the street is totally deserted. I like the "star burst" on the lights. The lady in the second photo adds some human interest to the shot. The more I looked at the third image, the more I noticed in the details. All nice shots.

I have concerns as well about FF. I've recently renewed the domain name so we are good for most of next year, but I really hope activity will pick up. Otherwise...   I invited a friend of mine to join and I think she registered but has yet to post. And it looks like we have lost Patty as it has been weeks since she was in here. I see too that folks will log into the forum but not post. I am guilty of that as well sometimes. We will see what the future brings.

Meanwhile, here are some random shots from a short trip we made down to SE Georgia and N Fla. The first is from a historic state park of a British fort near the coast. I converted it to B&W.  Next is a fly on a leaf taken while hiking a trail, and last is an image of a sunrise taken with my cell phone. We were staying at a Bed and Breakfast and I got up early to walk through the "historic" part of town and watch the boats.

Hope to see more folks in here today. I'm going to try to be more active myself.

[Dave]

More top quality images, Pete.

#1 is my favorite. Superb light and shadow, a bit of color at left center that along with leading lines carries the eye into the image, sharpness that looks to have been carefully varied to emphasize what you chose.

#2 Again, masterful light and shadow. You asked about the colors. Strong they are, but not distracting from what you chose to feature. I really admire how you used the two whitish areas (the lady's coat and the light coming through the distant arch) to emphasize them.

#3 is the most subdued. It reminds me of how oil painters use a thin glaze of color to unify their paintings. But you still have a small area of relatively more intense colors (near the right edge, just below center) for added interest. Overall, a very pleasing, soothing image.

An impossible act to follow, but I'll still post another from my archives (taken on 2017/02/25 but just reprocessed this morning) of a succulent in my front yard...

   

Yes Don, the low level of participation is worrisome. Asking friends, relatives, and acquaintances to join is the right idea. Another thought came to me - editing one's email signature to include a link to the FF site might generate interest and new members.

I really like your three images. The first shows what is known as lost & found edges in painting. (I'm wondering what Small Beer is, though.) Great contrast and lighting on the fly photo. And the sunrise image is magnificent.

[Dreamin]

Hi, Don. I imagine a lot of us are very busy for the Christmas holiday....shopping, baking, cleaning, visiting.  I also have several Dr. appointments, trying to get things in before the end of the year, insurance deductible met and I want to take advantage of that.....
Don, You also posted some very good images.  That fly has great detail.  Those pesky pests do have some marvelous color!  I like the darkly lit barrel.  Well spotted. That sun set is also very nice. Love the streaks of light from the clouds.
Dave, another great detailed floral. This one has great colors!
Lorell, from Sunday's posts, Love your angel....she really is watching over the graves....nice colors!
Dave, that is a beautiful flower, some sort of daffodil?  Never seen one like that before...it really is a nice combination of colors..
Hello, Rich!!  Love the sepia tones in that image!  A golden city!!
Peter, what great detail in your fly image....even the hairs on the flies back!! They do have some great colors on them, even tho I hate those flies!!  Love those funny little green buds, too.
Dave and Peter, funny jokes on Lorell's typo....fries!!!  I had to laugh out loud!

I spent yesterday making some Ukrainian vareneky (Pierogi's in Polish) We have to have them at Christmas because my mother would NOT be happy if we didn't carry on her tradition!  These were the cheese filled ones. I made potato/onion ones a few days ago. Still need to cook up some sauerkraute with onions for a third filling. I'll post a photo in the food section.  I also took one photo for the seasonal challenge.

[Luv2shoot]

I am raising my hand high as "guilty".  I have not been participating as much as I should be.  It is because the camera has been sitting on my shelf and I have not taken any photos lately.  I have to go back and see what everyone is laughing about, FRIES?  I get my spell checker missed that.

Peter,
Thanks for starting our daily with such unique and creative compositions. Number ONE Image is my favorite too.  I love all the details, depth and tones.  It would be fund to go back and take some slow shutter speed shots with people moving around with a BLURRED effect.  You did a good job on the second. Adding the gal really created a story. Is she waiting for her date to pick her up as she checks her phone, or calling a Uber to get transportation to an event.  Either way, it works and you also created the perfect shadow for her.  I especially like the light coming out of the door in the castle-like-looking structure. The reflection in the holding pond in the third makes this one interesting.  A really nice collection, Peter.

Don,
Patty and I email each other and she has been busy sewing lately.  She told me that she also has not taken photos lately and feels bad about MIA. 
She feels that she has taken photos of everything and anything and there is nothing new to photograph. 
I too wonder what is SMALL BEER.  Do they make BIG BEER TOO.  It is a cool capture with nice subdued light. I also like the photo with the boats against the setting sun. Nice clouds with the sun's rays poking through.

Dave, Your succulent warms the pages as you managed to adjust your camera's exposure correctly taking advantage of the bright light shining on the spunky flower against the dark background.

So, I am still working on my 20 photos for Thursday night's club Christmas part.
Here is one that made the cut.

[Man From Ironbark]

Ah good to see so many posts with such awesome photos. I enjoyed Pete (DW's) walk though well lit city street manipulations.
Also enjoyed Don's small beer and big sunrise with boats.
Good post processing on your succulent, Dave.
Is that a bottlebrush Lorell? It is a striking image angle.
You have Ukranian heritage Natalie?

Would that be JanetP, Don? Perhaps some of us should do what we are told and send her an email to encourage her to contribute?

This is perhaps suitable for Christmas. One of our native mistletoes.

[Rich]

WoW Pete, I am gobsmacked by these! The first one with the whole street well lit, sharp from front to back, wonderful details in the shadows is amazing! In my opinion it may be better with the lights off.

Second one is great! I may have made the sky that way but studying it, maybe make the blue on the top edge closer to black and the lower crimson a bit lighter? The figure really adds to it but it seems too bright for the scene, tough call.

Last one has good natural colors. What a photogenic area! I am a little bothered by the water on the left looking like it has a current but the central and right water is calm.

Pretty amazing work Pete!

Don, well exposed beer barrel, I'll have a pint!

Good close up sharpness on the fly, very iridescent!

Sunset phone photo is quite good. Even some details in the shadows!

Dave, you are the succulent master! Good lighting and focus!

Thanks for the comment Natalie. I agree it is always busy right before Christmas. Hard to do all!

WoWser Lorell! That is an eye catcher. Nothing like red to get the attention.

As I was writing this I was thinking that we seem to be using Wet Canvas rules. Yes, it is always nice to have a current "day before yesterday photo" but what's wrong with showing one taken months or years ago? Better than no photo at all and we can stay in touch. Your comments are todays! With that said, I am off the soap box and and down the river to the Falls. Niagara Falls that is!

---

Interesting mistletoe Peter!

[Don]

Another nice on from the archives Dave. I too find myself going back and processing older images especially with all the newer software that keeps coming.

I really like that vibrant red image Lorell. It should have made the cut for sure.

How many mistletoes do you have down there Peter? As far as I know, we have only one. Yours is much more colorful than ours. Yes, I believe that JanetP is probably what my friend would use. I should send a gentle reminder to see if she will start posting. She's a very good photographer.

The "small beer" image was taken at a historic site of a British fort, Fort King George. It is a fairly small barrel. I didn't see a bigger barrel labeled Large Beer but there might have been one. I did see one labeled Rum, and of course flour, etc. It was an interesting fort to visit.

Here is another image from the trip. I'll probably post a few more during the week.

[Man From Ironbark]

Hi Rich. Lovely images of the famous falls. Thanks for the comment.
Don, I have photos of at least five local mistletoes on my Flickr. There may be more that I haven't photographed.
There are around 1,500 different species of mistletoe in the world, and all 92 in Australia are endemic — found nowhere else in the world.
From: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/the-misu...a/11505510

https://www.anbg.gov.au/mistletoe/evolution-origin.html

https://blog.publish.csiro.au/australian-mistletoes/

Each of our mistletoes has their own butterfly species which host on their flowers and leaves. This is Delias aganippe, Painted or Spotted Jezebel. Which is hosted by the grey mistletoe. Photos of these can be seen in my Lepidoptera album

[Dreamin]

That's a lot of red, Lorell! Surprised that  bee can get to the pollen!
Peter, yes, my parents left their homeland during the war and made it to the US in 1949, so I'm 100% Uke. That is a pretty mistletoe blossom...ours just has an ugly little flower....
Wow, Rich, those are magnificent falls!!!  Turbulent waters!  Great capture.
Don, what a pretty butterfly.... Nice!