Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: maple leaf

(+6 insets!) (view large for better detail!) :D Merely the Messenger! Can you believe all of the "winner" pictures I managed to capture on my day to town with Steve a few weeks ago?! How wonderful it is to see so many interesting and beautiful sights and be able to share them with you! I truly do feel like a mere messenger, trained over the years to record things I see to the best of my ability. I've often worried that remarking with such unbridled excitement about my pictures may make some think I am boasting or have a superior opinion about my photography. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is just my pure delight that I've learned to present these beautiful things for all of us to revere and enjoy! I only hope that my abilities continue to improve as time goes by--isn't it marvelous that photography (and processing) is a never-ending skill which one can never become "best" at? I Love This Talented, Humble Community! I personally feel that in all things, there is no excuse for grandstanding or putting on airs and taking on a superior attitude. Some of the people I most admire in the world are the massively talented, special folk who are completely humble about who they are and the amazing things they can do. That's one of the things I adore about the ipernity community…you guys are so darned talented and yet, nobody (that I am aware of, anyway!) is snobby about the jaw-dropping photography you create and share. Instead of being "holier than thou", you are happy to point out the positive, give encouragement, and help with technique--instead of burning down those around you who may be a bit further behind on this photography journey. Today's Pictures: More Fall Leaves in Medford Parking Lots! Walking around and staring up into the trees, I got many remarks from folks passing by…"Looks like you're having fun!" "What a wonderful day for photography!" and even a keen-eyed "Wow, nice camera!" which produced a blush and happy laugh from me--it's always fun to take my Canon 5D and macro lens out for a romp! Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be to get proper separation between leaves and the rest of the tree? Sheesh! I spent a lot of time creeping this way and that, looking for proper opportunities. It's a lot of fun though, especially when you find a picture to take! :) My main image was one of those happy successes…a backlit maple leaf with a cool shadow and some really wonderful bokeh in the background…woot! Many pictures were just blobs of leaves without distinction. Looking at them made me wonder, "What the heck were you thinking? There's nothing here!" :D However, every picture can teach us something so I always try to glean a helpful tidbit from my many failures, though I don't always learn anything more than, "Nothing about that picture works!" Today's Insets My other pictures today include a wide variety of interesting finds! A lovely trio of droplet-sprayed leaves beginning to deteriorate, a twig of Mimosa leaves embarking on a journey of fall colors before they die, and then a picture which gave me all kinds of trouble! I'd found this wonderful group of maple leaves with cool spotty light coming through the leaves behind. I saw potential but the image straight out of the camera was busy and the separation between the subject leaves and the background wasn't distinct. I experimented with lots of ideas to draw the leaves out but nothing worked. Too boring, too dark, too contrived…It took several sessions on different days before finally I used a textured idea which hit a home run for me! In the end, this picture is exactly what I'd hoped for but it took a long time before I found a proper solution! :) The next inset isn't a fall subject except that it's a dependable beauty if you're looking for flowers in autumn! I found some rose bushes while strolling around and though the blossoms were sad and droopy, the buds were fantastic and this picture turned out really nicely, showing both the bud and some surprising bokeh behind. In the large Safeway parking lot--or was it Costco?! I don't remember!--I heard a raucous noise and looked up to see a large flock of crows flying by. I can't resist trying to take pictures of birds in flight and I was so happy to find that I'd gotten several "winners"!! I'll share my other picture in the last set--don't you feel wonderful when you capture wing detail?! WOOT! Finally, the breeze fluttered something on the ground and I found this disheveled feather, all twisted and bedraggled but still fascinating to look at. Can you believe that feathers are modified scales?! It's amazing. Anyway, it took a bit of work to coax a nice outcome--like the other picture I had trouble with, this one fought me all the way but in the end I'm happy with the result! :) Stay Safe! I know you are all doing your best to keep out of harm's way, but I cannot help but add my plea to the mix. The number of new cases these days are totally unprecedented and it's more risky than ever to be out and about. I'm glad that I'm able to manage the worry I feel for all of you and can visit ipernity without freaking out, but I am feeling a lot more anxiety lately. Take care and stay away from anyone that you can!! And finally, thanks so much for your visits, favorites and comments--you guys are the very best! I love visiting your streams too, what a great delight! *virtual hugs to all* :D Explored on 11/17/20; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) (the details in a larger view are worth it! :D) I hope this day has been a nice one for you! I am regaining warmth in my fingers on this crispy, cold but beautiful morning--a warm mug of tea does wonders!--and my feet are wrapped in a blanket. Though, let's be honest--they're really cold and won't be warming up any time soon. Happily, I decided to order a heated blanket so I don't have to spend so much time "praying to the Monitor Heater" downstairs with my sock-covered feet pressed up against the heating vent. Can't wait for that blanket to get here! :) Great Luck with my Photography! I have been having such fun working my way through my parking lot extravaganza! Don't you just love it when the majority of the pictures you took on an adventure turned out really well? That's how this lot has been and I took well-over 300 shots! Granted, I take aperture sets (e.g. 2.8, 4.0 5.6, 8.0, 11.0 etc.) of most subjects but still…I ended up with a huge variety of lovely subjects and interesting images to pursue. Leaf Junkie When I got my first Canon DSLR and beloved 100mm 2.8L lens, the first thing I took pictures of was an oak leaf! It's true: I cannot help being crazy about leaf shapes, colors and textures. I know that people get tired of the subject but me? NEVAH! Naturally, when the trees begin to turn colors and fall reveals its gorgeous rainbows of two-dimensional flowers, I lose myself when appreciating this yearly show. What about you? Do you tire of leaves or are they something you can't stop taking pictures of?! Today's Pictures Wandering around in careful steps on a wet lawn that had been watered earlier that morning, I zoomed in on the droplets I found all over the place. But I made sure to look up into the trees too, appreciating the myriad colors and pretty shapes there. I was attracted to the lovely peach and reddening tones in one tree and spotted a leaf that had enough contrast to stand out against the peach. When I processed the picture I realized it was the only forward-facing leaf of the group, which allowed it to show off so nicely. I find it a wonderful challenge to get a picture like this to work and happily, I got lucky with super framing of the peachy-colored leaf-backs all around! Also included: a much more subdued leafy composition mostly in shadow with interesting bokeh to look at; oh look, another lovely gingko leaf surrounded by bokeh! And it's growing directly out of the tree trunk!; a droplet-covered maple leaf found on the bark-covered ground; a single curled leaf, also growing directly out of a tree trunk that glowed beautifully in the afternoon light--almost a yin yang image!; and finally, a battered leaf in tones of splotched yellow, complete with cool shadows to appreciate…I think a well-placed puff of air would have brought this leaf down! Thank You! I'm loving the parade of images you've all been sharing for me to enjoy! And I really appreciate your visits, comments and favorites too. Sometimes I wonder if I should mention some of the pictures and presentations that so delight me as I wander around ipernity, but I think it's better to just leave my comments on your pictures and know that I've had a lovely visit and appreciate how you see the world! :) Be safe out there!! The flu is something we all need to worry about on top of covid, so please stay warm and monitor your sleep and stress!! *hugs to you all!* Explored on 11/3/20; highest placement #6.

This image was taken during the month of October, 2011.

This image was taken during October, 2011.

Maple leaves and fall...they go together, don't they?! :D I found this beauty on a tree near the Applegate Lodge where Steve and I got married a few years ago. This image was taken during October, 2011.

This image was taken during the month of October, 2011.