Tag: bee

Going soft

Published on by bushboy42 Comments

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #237: Bringing Softness

It’s fun bringing something new to a photograph. The software I use is Corel PaintShop Pro Ultimate 2023. I just hammered through these doing something different to my usual techniques to soften images. I alter a photo changing lightness, shadows, or mid-range tones, sometimes adding more black or white as well as saturation. Mostly then I use vignette as the first stop in softening an image.

This photo I used a function in the software – Soft Focus, which I haven’t used before.
I changed the amount of soft focus and edge hardness. Then set the Halo amount, size and visibility I bore you with meaningless numbers.
From a harsh morning sun through grass seeds to this.

A bee on a Zinnia. I seem to have quite a number of similar photos. Just using vignette and dark settings
Dark/Light into the negative numbers
Blur making sure the subject bee wasn’t out of focus
Diffuse Glow on low as well
Feather Edge just encroaching on the petal

The opposite with the Australian Painted Lady Butterfly. The original photo had the grass as well as the butterfly in focus. Firstly, I bought up the black and colour as it was a bit washed out.
I decided to try something new again. Selective Focus. It is in parallel band and can be moved in any direction.
First I ran the focus following the butterflies body and to the tip of the wings. Left and right hand sides now blurred.
Then did the same going horizontal, blurring the top and bottom of the photo.
Adding a vignette in a vague heart shape.

A very old street in Adelaide, Victorian terraces and a blue stone building which were a staple for stone buildings in the late 1800’s. A bright sunny day photo. I like the result of this photo. This was the first photo I played with and was just doing all sorts of things, deciding I didn’t like it and undid the changes.
Therefore no idea how I did this one, sorry

Well there you go. This is something I don’t usually do and I know why…..it’s exhausting! Hope it gave some insight into the process to get a desired result

It’s the cats whiskers – again

Published on by bushboy10 Comments

After the response to my Mid-Week Monochrome post yesterday, I thought I would show you what a Cat’s Whiskers flower looks like in colour.

This is the monochrome version as posted

The flower in colour

A close-up including a bee who do like a quick visit

Cee’s FOTD

Life of an Orange Trumpet flower

Published on by bushboy32 Comments

Another in my series of “In the life of…..” This time it is the Orange Trumpet vine or Brazilian Flame Vine (Pyrostegia venusta) whose flowers are out in force at this time of the year around the North Coast of NSW.

This one is on my shed and it almost covers the roof and hangs down the walls so the display is seen from all angles.

When the flowers are just starting out they are a lovely lime green bud that gradually turns yellow before bursting forth into the brilliant orange flower. Even at this stage, tiny spiders set up home with delicate webs strung between the buds.

The flowers are in large groups which can range from a new bud, unopened flowers to some that are open and ready for visitors, giving a warming look to a winters garden.

Flame vine is the perfect name, because when it’s in bloom, the plant comes alive with a fiery hue of bright orange. Looking closer at the individual flowers, you’ll see the small yet bold orange trumpet-like blooms that smother the vine.

Once the flowers are open the insects gather to collect the nectar and pollen. When I went down the garden as the flowers started to open, there was a definite buzz happening.

One of the winter butterflies in the garden is the Meadow Argus who love flitting from one flower trumpet to another. I was waiting for the Meadow Argus to sit with its wings open, as it does frequently, but on this day they were too intent of getting nourishment. Their “eye spots” on the wings are a wonderful orange as well.

A tiny Stingless Native Bee makes a beeline for an open trumpet to add more to its pollen sacks.

The flowers last for a few weeks but there is always new buds appearing to take there place.

Even as they are in their final days, I love the texture.

I couldn’t not go without leaving a Meadow Argus showing its patterns and colours.

I hoped you enjoyed a look into the life of an Orange Trumpet Flower.
Also for Cee’s FOTD