Red flowing gum

[karen donnybrook]

This is a hybrid of Eucalyptus ficifolia. The intense colour made it difficult to get a good photo. The background is an image of Donnybrook sandstone.

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/6595/redfloweringgum7kg.th.jpg (http://img367.imageshack.us/my.php?image=redfloweringgum7kg.jpg)

[MikeH]

Karen,

The colours are great.. Did you shoot these digitally or on film?

Mike

[karen donnybrook]

Film, what is film :rolleyes: Yes it was digital, I don't use anything else now. Why do you ask?

[Wendy]

Karen ...

Oh those are beautiful .... such amazing colours :)

Wendy

[kevq]

Karen,it's great.
The colours are so vivid.

Kev.

[MikeH]

Film, what is film :rolleyes: Yes it was digital, I don't use anything else now. Why do you ask?

Just wondering... Are those shots as out of the camera..?

Mike

[Robyn]

I've just spent 4 days on the east coast of Tasmania and have taken about 100 images of flowering gums - mauve, red, orange, pink.

Mike...... I tried to get some really good macro shots, but in my haste I took all the images in JPEG. My camera doesn't have the option for RAW but it does for TIFF............and I FORGOT!! Anyway I hope to put some of these images in my gallery this week. I notice Karen has a thread on banksia....I also took quite a few images of those too.

This is an image just quickly done.....no post processing, just the mauve border.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1889/mauvefloweringgum024rm.th.jpg (http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mauvefloweringgum024rm.jpg)

[Robyn]

Here's a few more quick images.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2850/orangefloweringgum017tq.th.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=orangefloweringgum017tq.jpg)

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/86/orangefloweringgum056zz.th.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=orangefloweringgum056zz.jpg)

[mel]

The colours are indeed wonderful Karen, great display all over.

Robyn, I just love the colours of the first photo you posted. Just one question.....how did you do the mauve border, it is absolutely gorgeous!!! It really blends in with the flower. I just love it.

Mel

[Robyn]

Hi Mel,

Thanks for your nice comment.

Very simple border....... new layer over top of original image with solid mauve colour fill and then using marquee tool cut out a rectangle on that layer.....I think I probably used about 100 PX feather......and that's it...very simple and quick. I didn't reduce the opacity, but you could if you wanted an even more subtle effect.

I like to try and create simple images......I always think "less is more". I sometimes find it is very tempting to use all the "bells and whistles" just because they are there, but in my opinion it doesn't always produce the best result. Mind you, I don't know how to use all the "bells and whistles" anyway - I'm a long way from that yet! But that's just a personal opinion and I'm only very much a beginner.

[Wendy]

Hi Karen ...

Oh those colours are just so great ... and I love the matching border. It adds just the right touch !!

[mel]

Thanks for explaining that Robyn. I will go and try that out because I just love the way it looks......very simple but gives a very nice effect to the image.

I don't know all the "bells and whistles" either but I'm getting there just by trying things out and especially by reading the posts in this forum. It really is great for beginners isn't it.

Mel

[mel]

Hi, I tried it out and also tried to use image shack for the fihttp://img65.imageshack.us/img65/4350/img22769hb.th.jpg (http://img65.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img22769hb.jpg)rst time so I hope it comes up.

Mel

[mel]

ooooops must have linked it in in the wrong place. I'll try again.

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/4350/img22769hb.th.jpg (http://img65.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img22769hb.jpg)

Mel

[Robyn]

What a lovely image Mel. I think it looks great.

[mel]

Thanks Robyn.

I'm glad if finally got the image shack link to work.

Mel

[CarolLHB]

Karen...don't let Grant hear that!:) You two have done some incredible images here-thanks for sharing!

Could someone explain more about using tiff for macro shooting? :confused:Thanks.

[Norm F]

Could someone explain more about using tiff for macro shooting? :confused:Thanks.

Hi Carol,

TIFF is a "lossless" format which files your image with no compression. JPEG's are compressed files. When you shoot JPEG your camera dumps some pixel data to reduce the overall file size. In most instances JPEG does a pretty good job and often the loss is not visible. TIFFs are preferable for projects which are highly detailed because all of the file data is present. Hope that helps.

[NMarti]

Wow - so much in such a short thread!

Robin and Karen - gorgeous images as usual. Robin, the mauve frame is very nice, just the right touch. You guys keep them coming so we don't get too depressed here in the dull, gray, mucky winter of North America. They are a real bright spot this time of year.

Nice job Mel - stick around and you'll pick up a lot of great advice.

Norm - I didn't know that about TIFF. I have always used jpeg to avoid filling my memory card too quickly but now that I have a 1gb card that may not be an issue (may not only because I have an 8mp camera). I tend to shoot a lot in different settings to test shutter/aperature in an attempt to move away from auto.

[GaryK]

Great photos to all. Some really wacky plants down under :D . Lovely and fun, so different than most of our "regular" flowers.

Mel

I think your bird is upside down:D :D

Nancy

Did you see Grants' post regarding his jpg and RAW experiment. Can't remember where it was posted :rolleyes: .

Found it http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5785

[karen donnybrook]

I have been away for a few days and will now try and answer your questions.

Yes the images are as they came out of the camera. The only thing I do differently with really intense colours is to use a UV filter. I know you can not fit a UV filter onto my camera but Michael drilled two small holes in a conventional filter and I put some hat elastic in them and use that to hold the filter in place.

You can see from Robin's photos that the colour is as bright and intense as it seems in my shots.

I sent a copy of the collage to one of my friends and she wrote back: "The colours are realistic. I don't think people overseas will accept that the colour is as bright as that though we know it is. "

[kewTpie]

Hi Karen-

I was so intrigued when I saw a new post "red flowing gum". I couldn't begin to guess what it might be:) .

Nice shot and great work!

Take care,

[karen donnybrook]

Ooops, Kristy. Just a typo, abviously should have read "red flowering gum"

[Robyn]

Here's one I've just put in my gallery. You can see by the ants how big the flower was on this particular variety.

I took lots of photos of these gorgeous flowers last weekend, I can't wait to play with them some more..................I'll end up with a flowering gum gallery! :D

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2863/floweringgummono4ao.th.jpg (http://img301.imageshack.us/my.php?image=floweringgummono4ao.jpg)

[karen donnybrook]

Robun, Love the colouring (background and the frame, also the way you have picked out the blossom colour. I am not game enough to try that kind of thing yet. Our flower colours can be so intense, can't they?

[Robyn]

Karen,

I've got some gorgeous photos..........the colours are just amazing.

Of course we have none of these beautiful trees where I live in the city......but our shack is on the east coast (not far from Coles Bay and the famous Wineglass Bay and Freycinet Peninsular........you may be familiar with these names??) and that's where I took the photos.

PS I forgot to say thank you for your nice comments.

[CarolLHB]

Robin-just beautiful!

[Robyn]

Thank you Carol, your comment is appreciated.

[Pauline]

Robyn your flowers certainly are intense! I love the way you framed it and made the back ground a nice reddish grey. It gives your eyes a rest and also brings them back to the center of interest. Very beautiful.
Nothing but dirty snow around here right now. I can't wait for spring when I can try out my new camera on some birds. We usually get a nest of Robins under our deck each year.

[Robyn]

Thank you Pauline.
You say nothing but dirty snow...........but I have this image of your winter looking like the gallery image of the week.......pristine white crystal snow and blue skies etc.etc. There have been some beautiful winter images in the galleries recently. Does your area get that stunning fall (we call it autumn of course) that Canada is renowned for. I'm hoping to visit Canada sometime in the next few years......before the walking stick becomes a permanent feature..... LOL.:D

[Pauline]

Robyn we do get some beautiful snow falls and I have some pictures I took a few weeks back from a heavy snow fall that I should post in my gallery. The snow was heavy and all the trees were covered. It was just gorgeous. The pictures are never as beautiful as the real thing though.

Fall is my all time favourite with the leaves changing colours. We go to a provincial park every fall and walk the trails. It's truly a wonderful site.

[Pauline]

Robyn just for you I've added 3 snow pictures to my gallery. The only thing I wish is that the sky had been blue. Unfortunately it was very white. Everything was WHITE!! I got some truly beautiful shots of the same kind of snow last year but the sky was a gorgeous blue.

I did use a blue gradient and changed the mode to multiply on the one picture and liked the effect since it gave the whole scene a bluish tint, but then I thought I would leave them as is so you can see how pretty it really can be. We don't get that kind of heavy snow often. It beautiful to look at but a real pain to shovel since it's so heavy.

[Pauline]

Robyn just for you I've added 3 snow pictures to my gallery. The only thing I wish is that the sky had been blue. Unfortunately it was very white. Everything was WHITE!! I got some truly beautiful shots of the same kind of snow last year but the sky was a gorgeous blue.

I did use a blue gradient and changed the mode to multiply on the one picture and liked the effect since it gave the whole scene a bluish tint, but then I thought I would leave them as is so you can see how pretty it really can be. We don't get that kind of heavy snow often. It beautiful to look at but a real pain to shovel since it's so heavy.

Just had a thought, maybe one of these would work with the new tutorial!! Maybe give it a try tomorrow. Planned to go to bed and read an hour ago! :rolleyes:

[kayser]

Pauline- I know if we had this much snow, I would get tired of it very quickly, but I love snow pictures, and yours are terrific. Thanks for posting them.

[Robyn]

Thank you for posting these shots Pauline.......they are just magical. Your winter must certainly produce some great photo opportunities. I especially love the one with your dog - great contrast.

[karen donnybrook]

Pauline, Love the one with the dog on the walking trail. Does the blue sky make the snow more brilliant?

[Pauline]

Karen a blue sky shows off the white better in the trees. It was such a hazy day. Only small sections of blue and I would have liked to have gotten in this area before the ski doos, but it was snowing to hard and I sure wasn't going to risk my camera!! Last year the snow happened on a week day so everyone was at work. The small branches were so laden with snow down that trail (that the dog is on) that I literally had to bend down to walk under them. In my gallery if you look at the snow globe picture with the branches hanging over the dog, that is from that place and the whole trail looked like that. It was truly amazing.

Robyn winter and fall are my favourite times to take pictures. I love them.

Kayser that is not much snow!! It was only a few inches! It looks like a lot because it was the heavy sticky, snowman making snow. We've had hardly any snow this winter and more rain than anything. I would prefer to snow. At least you can go for a walk in the snow, and a fresh snow fall is so bright and beautiful.