Dancing Poppies

Skagit Valley Tulips Dance in the Wind

Since I often travel, I don’t plant many flowers that require watering and/or special care while I’m gone, since I know that when I return my money and time will have been wasted on parched flowers. And not planting them also gives me another reason to travel back to Skagit Valley, with more money to do it with.

While in the fields, I often find myself dodging other visitors, as well as photographers, and I do my best to capture the essence of the flowers that “speak” to me, but often I find I want to do more with my keepers after I get home, and this is where creativity is key in a successful end result.

With this piece, I chose to combine three of my images. The colorful abstract background you see is actually light reflected on gasoline floating in a puddle of water (I’ll spare you the details…); the tulips, originally with someone’s foot behind them, are the second layer; and the leaves the third.

Using Adobe Photoshop, I sandwiched the images together and used their software to sharpen and bring out the details to achieve the look you see here. Successful? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Pretty as a Peacock

Bejeweled

While I photographed this peacock in Victoria, BC, we also have a number of them here in Sequim, but the challenge is to find them and have access to them.

Beacon Hill Park in Victoria is the perfect spot since visitors can get close to and interact with them. And although I do not feed or recommend feeding them or any wildlife, photographing them is a joy.

This one reminded me so much of a beautiful blue embroidered peacock scarf I’ve owned for years (and never worn) that I decided to create the same effect here, by manipulating pixels.

And if you’re so inclined to photograph them as well, the Game Farm has them; not only the colorful ones, but a fabulous white peacock that loves to display his tail feathers at this time of year. And…he’s often seen outside the entrance!

Today at New Dungeness Nursery

Purple Sunflowers Begging to be Photographed

What better way to celebrate the onset of May than with a trip to one of our local nurseries?

Although my luck with growing plants is questionable, I love the thought of having a yard full of plants and flowers to nurture and photograph. So I’m always glad when a friend suggests to stop by the New Dungeness Nursery here in town to admire their collection.

And today, as I cruised through their selection, I found this eye popping color staring back at me. Later research, whether accurate or inaccurate, tells me these beauties are purple sunflowers, but with this much variety in color I question the name.

Nonetheless, if you too find yourself craving a nature “fix” or if you need help in the garden like I do, the nursery, as well as the Master Gardener Nursery in town are there to help, or to simply indulge your senses in the beauty of May flowers.

Pt. Townsend, Flugelhorn Phil, and The Bubble Lady

While cruising Water Street and the beach in Pt. Townsend a few years back, I had the pleasure of photographing a musician as he entertained a crowd of onlookers and listeners. I found out later that he’s Phil Flugehorn and the bubbles behind him were created by Brenda Easley, aka, The Bubble Lady.

As Brenda swayed along the shore creating enormous and colorful floating backdrops, he created an atmosphere of his own while playing requested tunes from the crowd as they sang and shouted for more.

I can’t remember when I’ve been more delighted to attend an impromptu photo shoot then that unforgettable day on the beach, and I’m forever grateful to Brenda for forming the enormous bubble behind Phil – which resembles the shape of the horn…now that’s good karma!

To learn more about Phil, visit his website at www.flugelhornphil.com. And you can find Brenda at www.facebook.com/brenda.easley17.