Day 232 – Fun with fill-flash: Apples, grapes, ants and bees!

Getting this right will mean when I’m shooting people I’ll get it right then too.   All of these were shot at ISO 100 with exposure stopped down one or two stops and then fill flash at about 1/4 intensity. I used the LumiQuest 80-20 with the white reflector and no diffuser.

The apples are getting big!  I should be able to start harvesting them soon. I hope my co-workers are in the mood for Granny Smiths!

 

 

I hope they like grapes too. The vine always gives us far more than we can eat ourselves.

 

This ant was working the nectar . . .

Out front the bees were going at it.

 

 

 

Day 231 – It’s feeling a bit tropical around these parts

We’ve had some very strange weather lately.  Humidity in the 40 percent range, and now, rain. Go figure. Not complaining, really. We need the precipitation and if we can’t get it in the winter, I’ll take it now.

I woke up at 3:30 in the morning to the sounds of a huge downpour, so after I got up for good I stepped out into the backyard to see if I could find any remnants of the moisture. While the grass was a bit damp, no evidence of the early morning storm was to be seen.

Still, the hibiscus was blooming . . .

and the grapes were starting to ripen.

Buddy napped one minute . . .

. . . and hoped to see a rabbit the next.

And while I was processing these photos, rain!

Day 228 – Fresco Grapes

You’ve seen our grapevines before, so I thought I’d try something a little different. Fresco effect with vignette.  I kind of like it.

Day 178 – View from a ladder

This ladder is leaning against our house so I climbed it and got a higher view of the grape-vine than I usually do. Then I looked down and there was Buddy hanging out on the walk.

Lilacs in the yard.

Day 136 – Leaves

Lilac bush catching the last bit of sun before it fell below the western horizon. Shot hand-held using Speedlite with soft box attachment to provide a little fill.

Grape leaves and baby grapes.