Friday, November 13, 2009

A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world *

Click to enlarge
.
Getting this one in just under the wire today. I'd say it's because I was busy and needed a quick NaBloPoMo post, which I was and which I did, but the truth is that even though I spent half the day on a (nearly cancelled due to weather) photowalk in Abu Ghosh and returned in the evening to find my house full of company I did have plenty of time after that to put a post up. Or at least I would have if I wouldn't have spent it all photoshopping this image from today's walk. It needed a bit of work to pull it out of the doldrums and even now it still isn't really zinging for me. Conditions today weren't great. It was overcast and dim most of the time with intermittent drizzle, and by the time we got to the heart of the trip the light was pretty much gone but we did have fun and a few truly great experiences along the way which I'll share later. I lost some would be great images because it was simply too dark, even with my ISO bumped up to 1600. (And then I lost a few more truly incredible ones because I'm an idiot. My camera suddenly wouldn't focus, I kept snapping and image after image were blurry. I began to panic, wondering what on earth I'd done, when my friend pointed out that I was still on manual focus following some experiments with his extension tube. Unfortunately by then it was too late and the shot was gone. I could have kicked myself.)
.
I'm going to revisit the whole batch tomorrow with a fresh eye. Sometimes the best images take a while to make themselves known. Right?
.
* Leo Buscaglia
.

18 comments:

day by day said...

Oh, I love the caption to this very pretty picture!!!

~Michelle

Kerri Farley said...

I think this is absolutely stunning! WOW!

EG CameraGirl said...

This is truly beautiful, Robin! Please do NOT kick yourself. ;-)

I'm sorry you missed those photos but must admit I've done the same sort of thing...many times. What goes on in our brains when we forget to check what mode we're shooting in?

Julia Phillips Smith said...

I rather like the diffused light that comes from overcast days. Sunshine is so often too harsh for delicate subject matter like rose petals.

kayerj said...

I like to hear about your photo walks--I think I'll talk to some friends about organizing some. What does it entail? I think your rose is quite delicate looking.

quilly said...

I did that whole auto-focus/manual-focus panic thing today, too! My heart just about stopped before I figured it out.

I rather like how this photo came out. It looks a bit antique.

Dina said...

Did you take pics of humus in Abu Ghosh? ;-)

Robin said...

No humus, we never made it to a restaurant. We were at the Notre-Dame de l'Arche d'Alliance church first (where this yellow (yes, the actual rose is in fact yellow) was growing) and then at the Crusader Church and Benedictine Monastary.

I'm a bit bummed about the no humus thing though, all those great restaurants around and not so much as a bite. I'll have to go back with the family one day. (And back to the Crusader Church too, when it isn't so dark that you can't get so much as a single shot outside!).

Kaye, all a photo walk needs is an interesting sight to shoot and someone willing to organize it. It's not a tour, it's just a group of people out with their cameras :). You could definitely lead one, go for it.

Robin said...

PS I'm a fan of soft diffused light, but this was so overcast that it was pretty much too dark to shoot. Not quite what you're looking for on a photo walk. I can't tell you how many shots came out as noise with slight indications of form, rather than the beautiful crisp images I'd have gotten a few hours earlier. Very frustrating.

moneythoughts said...

I agree, it is a very nice photo. Like the background as much as I like the rose.

Happily Retired Gal said...

Lovely rose ;-)
I hate it when MY camera malfunctions in the midst of a walk and I hope your photos can be salvaged!
Hugs and blessings,

imom said...

Love the quote, I haven't heard or thought about Leo Buscaglia in forever!

I also love the shot, it's very subdued and romantic.

Frida said...

Beautiful capture and I like how you have presented it.

Anonymous said...

That's interesting, like it, composition and colour. Different but good

Maria Berg said...

It is good to leave the photos a few days in the computer and then come back and look at them again.
MB

Daryl said...

I want to smell that gloriously fading rose

Mojo said...

This you should submit to Hallmark or somebody. Seriously. It rocks!

Shannon said...

I want this blown up on my wall. Lovely!