Summer and cell phones

Posted on July 7, 2010 by pearlsandprose

yellowandorange zinnia

I’m hoping this yellowandorange zinnia will wake me up this morning. Kind of dragging here–didn’t get enough sleep and it’s already 81 degrees this morning. Supposed to reach 100 today. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of hot weather. I really miss Southern California this time of year.

image courtesy of AT&T

Some good news: I reserved an iPhone last night! Just looking at them gave me brain cell overload. I can’t wait to try out the vintage photo app. Can you believe how far the technology has come in just a few years? I watched My Best Friend’s Wedding a while back and laughed out loud at the gigantic cell phone Julia Roberts used at the end of the movie.  1997!  By the way, if you want a good chick flick, rent this movie. Rupert Everett and Carmen Diaz are perfection.

Speaking of cell phones, this is a great photo I wish I’d taken myself. Someone else sent it to me and neither of us knows who to credit. If you have the info, please share.

Stay cool!

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Reflections

Posted on July 5, 2010 by pearlsandprose

dappled shade

Since it’s Monday morning here, I thought I’d start with a peaceful, soothing image. Hope everyone had a great weekend. This was taken at a lovely public garden–one of our favorite places to just stroll and reflect on all the beauty.

French doors

I love the colors on these French doors. We were at Glen Echo Park, a very cool vintage amusement park in the Wash DC area. Lots of art deco and old architecture.

I hope this doesn’t scare anyone. The mask is a little creepy, isn’t it? I like the way it reflects, though. There’s a tree in there too….

reflections

I’m not exactly sure how this happened. I think I was looking at a reflection of some ballroom dancers through two different panes of glass. I was trying to shoot quickly so I could meet someone Mr. Prose had just run into. Anyway, there are two or three different reflections going on here. See the dancers at the bottom?

OK, Mr. Prose is off work for the Fourth of July weekend, so we’re going to a movie and possibly shopping for an iPhone (yay). They’re supposed to have some pretty awesome apps for photography.

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“The Greengage Summer” by Rumer Godden

Posted on July 3, 2010 by pearlsandprose

 

image from barnesandnoble.com

I read this novel a few months ago and loved it. I had heard of  the movie Black Narcissus, but not of the author herself. I found out about the book just this year from another blogger, Slim Paley, and now I seem to hear about it every month. It’s on a lot of “all-time favorite” lists, and now I know why.

The Greengage Summer is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s mainly a coming-of-age story, but has so many underlayers, and a sinister turn or two. Godden does such a good job of bringing the characters to life, they’re still with me. You truly feel like you’re seeing the world through their eyes.

There are five children, but the story focuses on thirteen year-old Cecil, the narrator; her older sister Joss,  and Willmouse, (yes!) the younger brother who loves Vogue magazine. The children are left in the care of hotel employees when their mother becomes seriously ill at the beginning of their vacation in France. Their interactions with said employees and a charming English guest are at the heart of the story.

I can’t say much more, or it will spoil the plot. Godden slowly takes you down the path the children are following, and you experience their awakening along with them. She is so skillful at understanding the way children think. Godden also understands the effects adults and children have on each other. Her descriptions of a sleepy summer in France are intensely vivid.

Incidentally, greengage is a type of plum! Who knew? I’ll let you guess why it’s a metaphor for the children.

I’ve read one other book by Godden: Battle of the Villa Fiorita. I can’t recommend it as heartily, because it’s guaranteed to break your heart. This book portrays the anguish children experience during a divorce better than any book I’ve read. And it was written back in the 50’s before people really discussed the subject.

I’ve just noticed a common thread in the two books. The mothers are incapacitated. One physically, one mentally. It will be interesting to see if that continues in other novels.

Godden had a pretty colorful life herself. Her parents were British, but she was born and raised in India. You can read her obit here.

I can’t end on that note, now can I? Here’s a little red, white and blue for you….

Happy Fourth of July

Everyone, have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend!

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Goin’ crazy with texture

Posted on July 2, 2010 by pearlsandprose

textured lisianthus

Remember when I said the craziest-looking textures can sometimes work with your photos? I created the image above with a free texture from darkwood67’s collection on Flickr. (There are tons of free textures on Flickr, by the way.)

The texture looked like this:

 Basically a peeling piece of concrete. I thought it was kind of a nutty idea to try this on a harmless lisianthus, but I’m kind of surprised and pleased at the same time. I had so much fun doing this. Reminds me of my old days back in art class. I removed the texture from the center of the flower with a “magic eraser” tool in Elements. What’s great is that you can zoom in really close and see exactly what you’re doing. That would have been nice in art class.

It’s probably a good thing I’m new to textures, or I wouldn’t try crazy stuff like this. Kind of like men in the kitchen. They haven’t been following recipes for years and are more likely to experiment and do well. My youngest son is a fantastic cook who’s not afraid to try anything. I learned to cook late in life and need to follow a recipe. Every. Single. Time. But hey, if it tastes good, that’s all that matters, right?

Here’s an unadulterated shot of a variegated petunia….

variegated petunias

We’re having such a spell of great weather here on the East Coast. I was actually able to eat breakfast outside this morning, just like in Europe. One of my fondest memories is waking up in Geneva and walking across the border to France every morning to get gruyère cheese for breakfast. The air was sparkling clean and fresh; everything was in sharp focus and I felt lucky to be alive. Still do.

All for now, folks.  Tomorrow I’ll be talking about one of my favorite books. Thanks for stopping….

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Is it real or is it Memorex?

Posted on July 1, 2010 by pearlsandprose

Some soft tones for you this morning. This is almost SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) except for some tweaking of the brightness. 

Tlaquepaque courtyard

I played with the exposure and focus here.   This was taken in a place called Tlaquepaque (pronounced “tuh-lack-ee-pack-ee”) in the Sedona, Arizona, area. Lots of nice shops and art galleries. If you get a chance, visit Sedona. You’ll be driving along in the flat desert and boom! gorgeous red rock formations in the distance. I have to go back, because I was there nursing a broken heart and just didn’t feel like taking pictures at the time.

pastel peony

 When I shot film, ALL my photos were SOOC. I took a b&w darkroom class, but changed very little. I never had the money or inclination to process color photos. The world of digital photography has changed all that, but I find too much processing can ruin an otherwise nice shot. I’m still learning my way around this new world and am often flummoxed by the hypersensitive digital sensor.

I’ll crop and adjust the saturation or brightness, but I won’t add a sailboat to a sunset that wasn’t there. Too manipulative, maybe. I am intrigued by the effects available, though. You can create something that looks like an oil painting or watercolor on the computer now, as I did here.

Did you know you can download a free version of Photshop Elements 8 for thirty days? Just go to adobe.com and follow the instructions. Their “help” button is good, and the Web has all kinds of  tutorials for Elements. The best part? Elements is about $700 cheaper than the full Photoshop.  Warning: addictive!

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day, so I’m heading outdoors….

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Imperfection and conformity

Posted on June 29, 2010 by pearlsandprose

We had a lot of rain yesterday, so my coneflowers are a bit bedraggled. But imperfection can be photogenic too….

Fading coneflower

Last vestiges

I think our culture is obsessed with perfection. Everyone on TV has to have perfect white teeth, perfect bodies, perfect hair.  If you don’t conform, you don’t get hired. Like I said in my Stieg Larsson post, it was refreshing to see actors with flaws for a change. If Hollywood gets its wish, everyone will look like Pamela Anderson. Is the American way the only way when it comes to appearance and lifestyle? Do we really need McDonald’s and Starbucks in every corner?

When I was younger and traveled a lot, foreign places looked unlike anything I’d ever seen. The people looked and dressed differently too. When I went back to Paris a few years ago, I was surprised to see that all the teenagers looked exactly like their American counterparts. The same jeans and torn t-shirts.  When I travel, I want to experience something new. That’s why I travel.

Has anyone seen the website and/or catalog Lexington? It’s a company based in Sweden, but there’s an American flavor running throughout. Models pose in front of an American flag while eating out of blue and white bowls; cowboy hats are hung from a rod over a canopy bed; the company logo itself consists of red and white stripes with “LEX ING TON” in white, on a blue background.

I find this disconcerting. If the company is marketing towards a bigger audience like the U.S., then I guess they need to be relate-able. But can you imagine an American company using the Swedish flag and colors all throughout their advertising? It ain’t gonna happen. Imitation is a form of flattery and all that, but do we want everyone else to be just like us? I don’t.

In a way, Lexington is selling the same American dream as Ralph Lauren, but to people in Norway, Sweden and Finland (the only places with Lexington stores so far). That dream world where everyone lives in the Hamptons, wears beautiful clothes and has tons of money.

Sweden, do you really want to sell that? You have so much to offer already. Many Americans are crazy about your furniture and antiques. I hear your cities and towns are gorgeous. I truly hope that you and the rest of the world hang on to your unique heritage and look, because we have plenty of the Ralph Lauren image here already.  If your plan is to market to Scandinavia only, then more power to you.

What say you, gentle readers?

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A tutorial of sorts

Posted on June 28, 2010 by pearlsandprose

purple petunia

Shooting reds, purples and yellows is a challenge in the digital photography world. Instead of film, you have a sensor and it’s highly sensitive. I shot these petunias on the VIVID setting of my new Nikon and the image appears oversaturated or “blown out” on some computer screens. I foolishly thought going from film to digital would be effortless. I was wrong.

I’m an amateur photographer, so don’t have a ton of advice to dole out, but I’ve learned two important lessons. First: move in closer, especially with people and flowers. I haven’t done portraits in a long time, but generally, shoot from the shoulders up. And make sure the background is decent. You can always Photoshop the background, but that can be tricky. I find that the less tweaking, the more realistic the photo. Occasionally I’ll play with the saturation, but mostly I just crop a little here and there.

Second: don’t shoot in bright sun! I’ve seen so many photos of flowers that could have been great, but the bright sunlight completely washed them out. You’re basically taking a picture of glare. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but usually you want the sun behind the subject if shooting towards the sun. I try to shoot in light shade, or even dappled shade, whenever possible. Block the sun with your body if you need to!

I’ll use a couple of my photos to illustrate. The first one was shot in light shade:

crocuses II

This one was taken in full sunlight just a few minutes earlier:

See what I mean? Actually, these photos illustrate both points perfectly. Zooming in made the crocuses more dramatic.

You may have noticed I have two Flickr accounts. Whenever I want to show examples of my bad photos (and believe me, there are plenty!) I’ll upload them to the pearlsandprose account. I’ve established a rapport with some really good photographers on Flickr and would never ask them to look at the inferior stuff.

Something else about Flickr. If you want to comment on any of my photos over there, you have to be a member. I’m pretty sure you only have to provide a user name and email address. If you love photography, think about joining. It’s a lot of fun and very educational. I have learned so much in the year I’ve been there.

Hope I’ve been of some help….

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Photos are back

Posted on June 27, 2010 by pearlsandprose

Hi…I’m just popping in to say I looked at all my old posts and was dismayed to see some photos missing. Evidently, when I tweak a photo even a little bit, it drops off the blog. I should have known, but like I said, I’m learning as I go. I promise to replace any photos that I tweak from now on.

I’m especially bummed that some of my favorite peony photos were removed, so take a look here, here and here if  you have nothing better to do….

Thanks for your patience!

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Sad photos and monuments

Posted on June 26, 2010 by pearlsandprose

A recent comment made me think about old photos and how they can make you sad, whereas paintings or drawings don’t. I know I experience a bit of melancholy when I see old photographs of people in an antique store. I wonder why they’re there. Did the family no longer care about them, or did they just need the money? I think I don’t want my likeness to be for sale in an antique mall one day.

But why are paintings less sad? I guess it’s because photos are so close to the real thing. That’s why people pose next to cardboard cutouts of the president and take pictures.  A painting is heavy canvas or wood, with layers and layers of paint. And they often don’t look like the real thing. Picasso, anyone?

It’s the same concept with movies (moving pictures). I have old movies of my parents and grandparents, and I can’t bear to watch them. It is heartwrenching to see them young and alive. When I was little, I couldn’t for the life of me understand how someone could be dead, because we were watching them in home movies. Maybe that has stuck with me.

I find nothing sad in photos of flowers or architecture or living persons. In fact, a beautiful photograph can make me feel wonderful. I read somewhere that the ability to really appreciate beauty is one of the greatest things a person can possess. I’m truly grateful to have it.

I hope the following photos bring a bit of a smile to your faces…. Ironically, they’re all blue. I picked them before I decided on my topic!

blue violet

Is this lavender? Probably, but it looks kind of velvety for that.

moonrise @ Jefferson Memorial

We took my stepdaughter over to the Jefferson Memorial the other night, and as we were leaving I looked up and saw the moon. It was around 95 degrees and humid, so there’s a lot of haze.

Washington Monument

As many times as I’ve seen the Washington Monument, you’d think I’d remember that the stone is two different colors. But it always surprises me. The reason for the color change is an interruption of several years for a lack of funds and the Civil War. It’s the tallest obelisk in the world and the tallest structure made from stone (marble, granite and sandstone).

Thanks for stopping….

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Thank you, WordPress people!

Posted on June 24, 2010 by pearlsandprose

shelter, originally uploaded by Ms._Pearl.

What a day I had yesterday. I knew something was up when I noticed a huge spike in my blog views. Totally forgot to check my blog email, or I would have seen that my blog was chosen for “Freshly Pressed.”  I still can’t believe it. 1325 views! I just moved from blogger. com about a month ago and really didn’t expect to make the “front page.” I must have sat staring at the screen for ten minutes. I even took a picture of it because I couldn’t get my “print screen” to work.

Anyway, I’d like to give a huge thank you to WordPress and to everyone who visited my blog. All the comments were intelligent and thoughtful and I really appreciate that.

Now, how about some photos? Flickr has made some changes, and now pictures are bigger and crisper. Some of mine look better in the new format and some look baaaaad. Every flaw is basically magnified, so I’ll be editing a little more carefully.

I went to one of my favorite nurseries yesterday and shot flowers in 95-degree heat (insane, I know, but the muse must be obeyed). There was too much sun, but I worked around it.

Hmmm, the new Flickr won’t allow me to move photos the way I used to. All I can do is hit “blog this” and one photo shows up in the blog. Don’t really want to do a separate blog for each shot, so will have to enquire.  Thanks for your patience….

zinnia pair
Yesssss! I can now grab the html code for my photos and drop them into the blog. And they link back to my Flickr photostream. FINALLY. I’ve been trying to do this since I moved to WordPress.

One more shot. I love coleus, but they’ve kinda’ gone out of vogue. This one is so vibrant, yeah?

coleus

Thank you so much for stopping by….

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