Photography by Naomi Drew
We spent the weekend in the central coastal area of California. The drive up and back were beautiful, with miles travelled in the Paso Robles wine country. This is an oak tree, leafing out in a field alongside the road home. This has been an extraordinarily beautiful spring!
We spent a weekend in the wine country of the central coast in California . . . .
Not an especially well-taken photograph. I have a tendency to shoot quickly without holding still. As a result, a lot of my quickie shots are a bit blurry. Nonetheless, they do catch a mood that pleases me, such as a sea of flowers and a lovely tree. Our botanical garden is always a delight to visit.
X100V.
With spring here, the hills are green instead of brown, there are flowers by the roadsides, and we have been enjoying 50+ F for several weeks – more to come, and perhaps even rain! Living in a dry land is dull at times, and as it becomes dryer, it becomes duller. So, when the poppies and lupines bloom, it is indeed a time to celebrate.
I came to Wildwood Park looking for them. Did I miss them? I think I must have, but I have seen them along a nearby road.
Despite that, it was good to get out. I took one of our dogs, too; they always enjoy an outing. Today was cool enough for a jacket and shoes and socks. The wind kept blowing my hair into my face and sometimes I would line up a shot only to see my hair in the viewfinder instead of whatever.
Here, I am one side of a deep ravine while the houses in the distance are on the other side, easily a half mile or so from my viewpoint. The bottom of the ravine is a creek which fills with flood waters and can easily kill anyone foolish enough to be in it – a few people have died over the years when the winter rains come. Today, no rain, but the sky was rather leaden, the breeze quirky, and the day just glorious.
I have no idea what the name of this bush is, but it always fascinates me when I see it on my walks through the botanical garden. I should look for a tag. It’s such a cheery plant, and the long seed pods seem rather impossible given the pom-pom shape of its flowers.
Weeds if not wanted, flowers if wanted. Perspective is everything!
Today is one of those wonderful days where winter is giving way to spring. Here in California where I live it means the air is cooler, sky is blue, the breeze is fresh. Buds are forming on trees that shed their leaves and had them blown away by the east winds. Bulbs are emerging, some already blooming. It’s just a delightful time to be oot-n-aboot – we were oot for a good 3 miles, dogs, and Josh, and the X100V!
I took this photo a few years ago with my pre-WW2 Voigtlander Brillant. It is a simple camera that gives lovely results, as only a vinage camera can. I wonder if it is from their uncoated lenses.
I haven’t been to the local botanical gardens since last year, where this picture wast taken, when I fell down a hill and came home looking like something out of a horror film. A bit trepidatious to return, I admit. However, after the rains of last months, I know I have to go. The hills are greening, and the air of spring is in the air.
Definitely time to get out. I think more Ektar is definitely indicated, too.
After the rain comes weeds. This is a particularly prickly one, but not so bad as thistles! New growth comes in many forms, and this one, I think, will eventually produce some rather pretty, sticky, and prickly flowers.
More browsing through history! Today, a trip back to the spring of 2017, a hike on a pathway behind the local botanical garden. Obviously there was some rain that year as there are green plants!
One thing I really enjoy doing is making panoramas out of a whole series of images. Sometimes I fail to get enough to create a good study, and that is where Photoshop comes in. I did a lot of filling in of empty spaces, and if you look closely you will see repetition of the cloud in the upper right corner, and plants in the lower left corner. That is what happens when I hand hold my Nikon Df camera and a long lens – this was the Tokina 100 macro lens. I think I took about 50+ photos here. I like to use a macro lens for panos because of the sharpness that is inherent in such lenses.
Altogether, I like what I did in post here. The coloration and composition are pleasant and summery. I also think it is a photo worth using as the basis for a landscape.
The Glass Aerie 