Flutter Stop

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Comments and critiques welcome.  I guess I feel compelled each day to tell you what I see as wrong with the shot, and you can add on what I've missed or agree/disagree with that.  Here, the eyes and probiscus are not sharp enough.  The focus is on the lower wings and not on the higher flower and face.  Also, I've had to use Color Efex Pro (CEP) here to darken the center to bring back some details lost by being slightly over exposed.  A big improvement over the original I think. In cropping to a maximum 8X10, I also had to clone out some leaf clutter in the lower right and lower middle.

I am really sorry to be posting yet another butterfly shot.  Nothing particularly great about this one although I do like that I can see the face looking over the flower.  A week or so ago, I posted a similar shot with a better background, but the face was hidden.  I only took a few shots yesterday nowhere near the 100-200 I'd like to work with if I were really wanting and trying hard to get a better than average butterfly picture.  For me, it takes a lot of brute force to get 'the one'.

I've been pulling weeds and mulching the butterfly garden at Donnie's house in preparation for his sister's visit in a few weeks. It's really looking much better after the sprucing up, so I hope she will be pleased.  Instead of looking up at the butterflies, I'm focused on looking down for a few days.  I have managed to work around the writing spider who has moved on to his next meal.  I noticed that he dropped the butterfly wings to the ground when he was done feeding from the body.

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I made two main dishes yesterday for dinner.  The boys got chicken drumsticks.

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Donnie and I had grouper.

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You have just got to try the cauliflower mash that's pictured upper right.  This time instead of hand mashing the cauliflower I used a food processor.  Donnie said he thought I should try to enter it in the state fair this fall it was so good.  He said he no longer misses potatoes which we avoid now due to carbs.  Here's the recipe which is easy to make and worth the prep time.

Dragonfly Hunter

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I went at 6:30PM last night to take some pics on the dirt/gravel road again.  It was really too late, and then a big cloud came up and blocked the bright sun:-(  Oh well.  I thought my shadow with my right arm raised to take a picture of the skimmer dragonfly was kindof cool, so I've posted it.

I also got another shot of the Halloween Pennant in virtually the same spot.  The focus isn't on the head, though, it's on the wings, so I didn't want to post it.  I do like that neutral background, though!

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I tried to do a few light paintings, but didn't get what I wanted.

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I did however invert the colors, and I think it makes for a great confetti style digital paper for maybe a birthday party invitation or something.

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Halloween Pennant

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Comments and Critiques Welcome

As best as I can tell from Jeff's Dragonfly page, this is a Halloween Pennant.  For sure the variety of dragonfly is Pennant.  It may not be apparent from the picture, but this is a smaller variety of dragonfly.  Taken on a drive down my favorite graval/dirt road, John Adams.  Lately, I get discouraged when I drive down the road, so I haven't been going as often.  The farmer that lives on the road keeps messing with the beavers and mowing down desirable wildflower growth, and it pains me to see it.  The daily is a digital zoom.  from the Canon SX40 HS.  Not sure how that shows up on the exif.  I don't usually post digital zooms, but I thought this one was more interesting that the normal zoomed one and good enough to share.  I also took pics with my Canon S3 IS.  I keep going back and forth just trying to get the most sharpness and least noise.  

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This is the exact same ditch area where I took this daily two years ago.

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I like the greenery of the older shot and the fact that his wings are more perfect but the body was a tad overexposed.  So hard to get every element of a nature shot to be just right.  But I like continuing to try.

Butterfly Take N

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I took this shot in August 2010. It was taken on the same day as the #1 most popular shot on my site shown below.  BTW, I wish I'd cloned out the little clump of plant on the lower left.  I have this  shot printed and on the wall in my bedroom, and it printed very nicely but that clump of green bothers me. 

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I didn't have anything else worth posting so looked by through my previous year August galleries until I found something I thought would be a good choice.  I repaired both wings and turned the shot taken horizontally into a vertical 8X10.  I hope you enjoy.

Squirrel Bed

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This flower pot used to have flowers in it...  Now it serves as a squirrel bed of sorts.  He looked quite comfy:-)  The only shot I took of interest yesterday.  I know it's not much.  Sorry.  Taken out my back deck door window.

Sleepy Kitty

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The stray cat that we adopted a little over a week ago is doing great!  A few minutes before this shot was taken, Johnny was cuddled up with her on the floor watching TV.  When I called him to the table, I saw how cute and content she was and took a minute to take this shot along with the food shot below.  Can you imagine a kitty, Princess Kitty that is, that likes to snuggle this much?

I was pretty frustrated to see on my computer that the copyright on the Scooby pillowcase was right beside her face.  Grrrr...  I used the clone tool to review it, darkened up the red blanket, tried soft outer focus but took that back off, and finally added a black vignette to tone down the bright one smidge more.  Also cropped to maximum 8X10 from the original.

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I tried a new recipe last night to go along with our teriyaki London Broil, onions, and green beans.  It was Cauliflower Mash.  A recipe designed to mimic mashed potatoes without the carbs.  Although you could detect a hint of cauliflower taste, it was really yummy and my boys ate it right up.  How can you go wrong with butter, cream, bacon, and cheese, right?  If you haven't served cauliflower ever (like me) or haven't served it lately, I recommend giving this recipe a try.

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Hummer

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The hummingbirds were very active in my yard yesterday.  I saw at least 3 at one time, but I suspect there were more like 4 or 5 circling the house and various feeders.  I really like the two shots below but felt I couldn't clean up the noise enough to make them technically good enough to put up as my daily:-(  I do also like the shot I posted except I wish it was a solid green background instead of part tree (American Holly) and part green.  Oh well.  Hummer shots for me are pretty difficult, so I'm happy to have gotten these.

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I got this really cool hummer feeder at Tractor Supply.  Neat stained glass tube and atypical pink base.

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This goldfinch shot from my kitchen window is pretty sharp and he has a seed.  I am thrilled that the goldfinch have stayed all summer.  They ignore the thistle this time of year and mostly go for the sunflower hearts.

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A spiderweb from off the back deck too.  I applied the Picasa Lucky filter to bring out the contrast and colors.

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This is a farther back shot of the same web sooc.  It's that spiny orb weaver again.

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No meteors visible here.  Clouds and light rain:-(