Reaching for the Sun

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I'm posting a shot I took Thursday that was in my blog yesterday and which several folks commented on.  I just had to fix a few spots on the flower, so I did not just copy over the original but have uploaded the fixed version.  Thanks so much for the encouragement that this one was worthwhile.

I was back beside the tobacco/corn field yesterday taking more morning glory and other wildflower pics.  It's become an addiction this week.  A determination to take advantage or the flowers while they are there before their blooms slip away to fall and then winter.  The tobacco and corn are close to harvest, the morning dew is starting to form on the plants each day, and the butterflies and other insects continue to do what comes natural to them.

I kept hoping I'd startle a deer from the fields and one would run past me, but no such luck.  With my camera set for close-up flower stuff, I probably would have missed the shot, like I did with the hawk, anyway but still I hoped.

I did take this combined corn and morning glory shot yesterday that I like much better than the one the day before.  Still, it needs 2-3 more flowers clustered in the shot I think.  At least today they are all looking at the viewer which is what I determined was not right in yesterday's shot.

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For papamuggger and webstersway, here's what I think is a cucumber beetle.  In larger sizes, you can really see the pollen on his head/mouth.  I've also been seeing a lot of sulphur butterflies up there, but they are so incredibly FAST.  I have not focused much on capturing them.  Maybe they'll slow down and I'll get lucky.  (Note:  papamuggers says probably a Soldier Beetle goldenrod s. b.)

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For a few minutes yesterday, I was in love with how the stem on this morning glory curled away and into the frame.  BUT, there's this huge shadow behind the flower that I never saw when I took the photo.  Yuck!  I spent 5 minutes trying to figure out in PSE if maybe I could fix it but no luck:-(

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I kept noticing how beautiful the grasses were in the light and dew yesterday too. The number of interesting things on that small stretch of country road is limitless to me.  I am only held back by time and poison ivy:-) I've been taking the kids to school a few minutes earlier the past couple of weeks.  Really, we're back on time as over the last school year we kept slipping later and later.  This new found time is giving me the chance to stop and take morning photos again.  Still, it's always a rush to finish and get on with what I'm supposed to be doing!

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Most of the shots this week have been taken in manual mode.  It requires a bit of effort to control the light bouncing around off the dew and at that time of day.  I love the backlight here, but somehow the petal details and color still seem not right.  Another shot I thought I might love back on the computer but didn't...at least not for a daily.

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