Creative Photography

Roger this one's for you. I apologize for not posting for a while. Not for lack of wanting to.

Roger of Idaho Photo has a wonderful blog called Creative Photography. Check out all his wonderful posts.

My World Tuesday

This is my poorly trimmed Japanese Maple in Spring.

I posted a photo of it back when it was covered with snow. Here it is below:

I prefer the first photo...

Acer palmatum, called Japanese Maple or Smooth Japanese Maple (Japanese: irohamomiji; 紅葉 or いろはもみじ ) is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea and China. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are commonly grown in other parts of the world too, for their attractive leaf shapes and colors.

Acer palmatum is a deciduous shrub or small tree reaching heights of 6–10 m, rarely 16 m, often growing as an understory plant in shady woodlands. It may have multiple trunks joining close to the ground. In habit, it is often shaped like an upside-down pyramid (especially when younger) or takes on a dome-like form, especially when mature. The leaves are 4–12 cm long and wide, palmately lobed with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes. The flowers are produced in small cymes, the individual flowers with five red or purple sepals and five whitish petals. The fruit is a pair of winged samaras, each samara 2–3 cm long with a 6–8 mm seed. The seeds of Japanese maple and similar species require stratification in order to germinate.

Even in nature, Acer palmatum displays considerable genetic variation. As such, even seedlings with the same parent tree can show difference in such aspects as leaf size and shape, and colour.

Here's a close-up of the leaves:



Palmatum Matsumurae


Thanks to the My World Team:

Klaus | Sandy | Ivar | Wren | Fishing Guy | Louise

SOOC Sunday

Yum!

Do you ever take a photo that you love; it comes out so well, (straight from the camera), that you're not tempted to do anything with it. It's wonderful and you want to share it. Jan decided to start a new meme - Straight Out Of the Camera Sunday. She'll host it each Sunday. So put your thinking cap on, scroll through your files and decide what to post. The subject is open, no weekly theme, just have fun. On Sunday morning, actually at 12:00 PM PST, on Saturday, I post my SOOC Sunday, and Mr. Linky.What are the rules? On any Sunday you can post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that hasn’t been tweaked or altered in any way (cropping is OK). In other words Straight Out Of the Camera.

Go over to see Jan at Murrieta 365 for other participants.

Purple Photo Passion - Week 1

Erika of Purple Photo Passion has a new meme. Check it out here.

I think my pansies will do... won't they Erika?

Good luck on your new meme! Purple's a great choice!

Finally...the Tulips!

My World Tuesday

I took a photo like this in the Winter on an overcast day. I went back a couple of days ago to Flushing Cemetery to take the shot again on a bright sunny day. I also meant to go back for the Spring flowering. I think I'll have to go back in May to see the trees in full bloom.

Here though a couple of the beautiful trees in the cemetery that were already in bloom:

SOOC Sunday

Go over to Jan's on Sunday at Murrieta 365 to check out other participants.

Thematic Photographic - floral

I posted this for Mellow Yellow Monday a while back but I think it is appropriate for Carmy at Written Inc.'s meme, Thematic Photographic. His word for this week is FLORAL.

My World Tuesday

Here's the magnolia tree around the corner from my house. I took this photo a week ago and it was in full bloom as you can see. I showed this very same tree last week on "My World Tuesday" before it was in full bloom.

Magnolia trees come in white, pink and yellow. They bloom early in Spring, at least here in the Northeast.

With just a little research on the net I found out this one is called a

Leonard Messel magnolia and offers lovely pink blossoms with white inner petals. There is just nothing else like it. Flower color can vary from a lighter to a darker shade depending on the season's temperatures, but most years, it is an outstanding flamingo pink. You can count on plants to grow fifteen feet tall and ten feet wide.

Thanks to the My World Team:

Klaus | Sandy | Ivar | Wren | Fishing Guy | Louise

SOOC Sunday

Tsuru: The Japanese Crane

For the Japanese, the crane—or tsuru—is considered a national treasure, appearing in art, literature, and folklore. The Japanese regard the crane as a symbol of good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years. It also represents fidelity, as Japanese cranes are known to mate for life. Over time, the crane has also evolved as a favorite subject of the Japanese tradition of paper folding—origami—as children and adults attempt to master this art.

Shortly after the end of World War II, the folded origami cranes came to symbolize a hope for peace through Sadako Sasaki and her unforgettable story of perseverance. Diagnosed with leukemia after being exposed to radiation after the bombing of Hiroshima, Sadako became determined to reach a goal of folding 1,000 cranes in hopes of being rewarded with health, happiness, and a world of eternal peace. Although she died before reaching her goal, the tradition of sending origami cranes to the Hiroshima memorial has endured as a symbol of the Japan’s ongoing wish for nuclear disarmament and world peace.

Today this tradition of folding 1,000 cranes represents a form of healing and hope during challenging times. After the events of September 11, 2001 the Japanese American National Museum’s staff and volunteers, along with many students and visitors folded thousands of cranes, and in a gesture of support and hope for peace sent them to fire and police stations, museums, and cultural institutions throughout New York City. During the run of September 11: Bearing Witness to History in the summer of 2004, visitors to the Japanese American National Museum had an opportunity to fold origami cranes as a symbol of healing.

Happy Easter

Thematic Photographic - edible

The word for this week's Thematic Photographic is EDIBLE.

This is an unusually small order for purchase at Costco, an international chain of membership warehouses that sell all brands of merchandise at reduced prices.

But everything on the conveyor belt is EDIBLE except for the Q-Tips.

Chock full o' Nuts coffee
Fresh salmon with garlic herb butter
Fish oil gel tabs
Lobster salad spread
Lindt's Lindnor truffles
Fresh dim sum
Fresh stuffed salmon
Shrimp cocktail
Almonds

The people invited for dinner will enjoy, don't you think?

Carmi at Written Inc. hosts this meme. Go over there to visit other participants.

theteach

My World Tuesday

The magnolia tree above is just about in full bloom in my neighborhood. The buds on the tree in the second photo are almost as beautiful as the actual blossoms themselves.

The bark from M. officinalis has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as hou po (厚朴). In Japan, kōboku, M. obovata has been used in a similar manner. The aromatic bark contains magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have demonstrated anti-anxiety and anti-angiogenic properties. Magnolia bark also has been shown to reduce allergic and asthmatic reactions.^[20][21]

Magnolia grandiflora is the official state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. The flower's abundance in Mississippi is reflected in its nickname of "Magnolia State". The magnolia is also the official state tree of Mississippi.

One of the oldest nicknames for Houston, Texas, U.S.A. is "The Magnolia City" due to the abundance of magnolias growing along Buffalo Bayou.

SOOC Sunday

The weeping willows at Golden Pond are really beginning to show their leaves!

Jan at Murrieta 365 has a message for all of us who participate in SOOC Sunday:

"It's hard to believe this is the 23rd week we've done this!

Thank all the regular participants for hanging out with me."

Do you ever take a photo that you love; it comes out so well, (straight from the camera), that you're not tempted to do anything with it. It's wonderful and you want to share it. I've decided to start a new meme - Straight Out Of the Camera Sunday. I'll host it here, each Sunday. So put your thinking cap on, scroll through your files and decide what to post. The subject is open, no weekly theme, just have fun. On Sunday morning, actually at 12:00 PM PST, on Saturday, I post my SOOC Sunday, and Mr. Linky.

What are the rules? On any Sunday you can post any photo you like (it must be one of your own) that hasn’t been tweaked or altered in any way (cropping is OK). In other words Straight Out Of the Camera.

theteach

Spring daffodils

Thematic Photographic - reflective

Carmi of Written Inc.'s word for this week's Thematic Photographic is REFLECTIVE. It's rather strange that I got my hair colored today and took a couple of shots at the mirrors and the reflections in them. A real coincidence!