I suppose if someone asked me the question, “What is your favorite thing to photograph?” I’d have to say flowers. And Scout. That’s two things, but can you blame me? Scout is Miss Photogenic. Anyway, flowers, especially if they are from my garden, are my favorite subjects. With my newish camera, I am able to capture so much more detail and that makes me very happy. I love to slowly walk around the garden and play with my camera.
Let me be clear. I’m strictly an amateur. But I’m learning all the time. I took these photos yesterday and I thought it might be fun to share the reasons why they made the final cut for this post – why I like them.
What I like about this photo: The detail on the tiny spirea buds, that portions of the spirea bloom are in focus while the rest is blurred, that the hydrangea in the background is blurred – you can tell I love this effect – and surprise, surprise, that some wonderful bokeh appeared. Bokeh is the way the lens renders out of focus points of light. See those golden orbs on the right in the background? Bokeh. One of the things I couldn’t wait to play with when I got this camera was bokeh. In fact, one of my first photos was capturing the bokeh of Christmas tree lights. I was like a kid in a candy store.
Plus, this photo shows the three stages of a spirea flower. Bud, flower and spent flower. Nifty!
What I like about this photo: the flowers of the cosmos aren’t centered, they’re off to the right and in the lower left hand corner. The texture of the green leaves predominates with a splash of orange and yellow – all of it against the siding on the house. I like things a bit off-center.
Sometimes I get lucky and the flower, in this case, my limelight hydrangea, gets framed by a black background, which makes it all the more striking. Add to that the patterns of light and shadow on the hydrangea with the just-starting-to-turn-pink petals and I end up with a winner with a sense of mystery. Gotta love mystery.
What I like about this photo: the shallow depth of field, which blurs the background (by now you can tell I love doing this) and focuses on the vines and buds of the morning glory. I took this photo to capture the little ant on the bud. Also love the purple of the vine contrasted with the green leaves and buds. The buds and vines are concentrated on the left side of the photo. A little off-center again. (Maybe this attracts me because I’m more than a bit off-center?)
For every photo I get that’s usable, there are many, many more that aren’t. I take scads of shots because I’m never sure what the end result will be. I know what I want it to be, but again, I’m just learning, so it’s all up for grabs. And sometimes there is a happy surprise that is totally unexpected.
What I like about this photo: I went in for the shot wanting to capture the texture of the now brown bee balm against the green background of the garden. Blurred background: check. Bokeh: check. The surprise? The gossamer web-like strands that extend on either side of the bee balm. I didn’t see that when I was taking the photo, but there it is. I love that.
Sometimes, editing and enlarging a photo results in a wonderful surprise.
Here’s another one, which will also leads me to a question:
I took this photo on the porch. See the gossamer strand extending upward from the flowers? An unexpected delight. I like the contrast between the white porch railing with its aging paint and the texture of the vine. Blurred background again. Do you see a pattern here?
Okay, here’s my question for all you gardeners out there. In the two weeks since my last visit home, this appeared on the porch railing:
It has wrapped and re-wrapped itself around the railing and is now making its way to the glider. You can see the pale flowers in the previous photo. I’ve seen it up in the wilder portions of the back forty, as well. Does anyone know what this is? The leaves are heart-shaped, the flowers are delicate and tiny. Is it a weed? Is it a wildflower vine? Anyone?
I’d love to figure this one out. Though I didn’t plant it, I rather like the way it has artfully made a home on the porch.
Happy Thursday.
Loveliness.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Hugs right back at you, Susan!
Claudia, I know nothing about photography,But I know what I like and this was it. Thank-You! -Judy A-
Thanks so much, Judy!
looks like you have “mile-a-minute” vine. ( Polygonum ? ) It would be a very good idea to get rid of it asap. like now or yesterday if possible.
Your photography skills are so much better than mine.
I love to capture nature and my dogs.
Hi Marianne. I looked it up (thanks for the reference) but I don’t think it is mile-a-minute vine. That particular vine has leaves that are shaped like equilateral triangles and aren’t heart-shaped. Also, it has barbs on the vines and this plant doesn’t. It still might be something invasive, though.
What kind of camera do you have? Great photos, especially the closeups.
It’s a Canon Rebel t3i. I love it.
Beautiful pictures Claudia. Thank you for sharing. Had never heard of “Bokeh” previously, but I have loved the effect and now I love the word! Sorry, no help with your mystery plant.
Thank you, Vera!
I’m also thinking your vine is in the polygonum family. Here in PA we have a variety that we call bindweed—no barbs. Farmers hate it. Wild morning glories are sometimes called bindweed too, but members of a different plant family.
Well, I’m still stumped. The leaves definitely look similar to a morning glory leaf but the flowers don’t look at all like the ones I see when I look up bindweed. There are lots of different varieties, apparently, but I can only see photos of flowers that look like a morning glory flower.
Claudia and Linda, it looks like bindweed to me, also. However, I am referring to the bindweed that is in the morning glory family. It can be extremely invasive. You can wait until it blooms and then decide if you want it around. If the flowers do NOT look like little morning glory flowers, then I am wrong.
Do you feed the birds? Wild morning glory often sprouts from birdseed. Please see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulaceae ~ If you decide to remove it, you might want to do so before it goes to seed.
Your photographs are a delight! I look forward to them every day.
Thanks so much for the links, Nancy. You are so helpful! I don’t feed the birds, simply because we have feral cats around here and I don’t want them getting at the birds.
Thanks for the kind thoughts re my photographs!
I think your vine is a weed…I have one also growing on my front porch…and it does bloom. But, I can’t be sure. All I know is, it’s a fast grower. Your flowers are lovely…wonderful pictures! ;)
Something tells me I should yank it before I leave for Hartford tomorrow.
I see we have the same camera. I’m not very keen on reading manuals and I keep promising myself I will, as well as a photography book from my son. I’ve heard the best advice is to practice, practice, practice! And it looks like you are doing just that with your flowers. Beautiful!
I’m not sure about that vine. I am a vine and climber lover from way back, but I draw the line at the ones that strangle the life out of other plants! If you like the guy, maybe you can dig it up and put it where it won’t be so invasive. Maybe it will get some flowers!
XO,
Jane
This one looks like it just might strangle other plants. I’m going to go out and look at it more closely and I just may have to yank it.
Claudia and Linda, I went back and looked at the close-up and now I have to rescind my previous suggestion. Any member of the morning glory family will have spiral, twisted buds.
I think Linda is correct. I also think that plant is going to go to seed very soon.
Sorry for any confusion.
Do you think I should remove it, Nancy?
Well, the first step would be a positive identification, Claudia. Check out these images:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1440&bih=742&q=Polygonum+bindweed&oq=Polygonum+bindweed&gs_l=img.12…3047.8982.0.11523.18.10.0.8.8.0.108.761.9j1.10.0….0…1ac.1.26.img..6.12.782.z6_UkmYnETg
I think it’s this species:
http://www.missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Polygonum_scandens_page.html
or
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/polygonumcili.html
You wrote another post recently about “weeds” versus flowers. The horticultural definition of a week is “a plant out of place.” That makes the decision subjective. If you don’t think it’s out of place, then it’s not a weed.
That being said, this particular plant can be invasive and is not at all polite. It can climb over and smother anything, often while you are looking at it.
So, the decision about removing it has to be yours, Claudia. I love how you respect all living things. At the same time, it is important to give your other plants their fair share of light and water and nutrients. I don’t think they’ll get their fair share with this one around.
I took it out, Nancy. It grew so quickly and that makes me very wary. I’m afraid that if I leave it and then am away for another three weeks, that it will be truly out of control! Thanks so much for all your helpful advice. xo
By the way, your links were so helpful. Those pictures are definitely the same as what I am seeing. It’s invasive. And it’s next to my rose bush. It had to go!
Hi Claudia,
Looks like bindweed has found its way to your home from the back forty. Pretty little white flowers typical of morning glories are only present for a short time, but the vine is very invasive and should be removed asap. The roots go way down into the ground and sprout up in all directions. I have been fighting it in a few areas around my home for a couple years now and it is extremely resilient to any harshness we give it. But I keep trying and it keeps resprouting.
I’m going to check out the flowers because they don’t look like morning glories at all. But maybe I need to do an extreme closeup with the camera.
I have bindweed (although I’ve decided to focus on the “bind” part and not fret so much about the “weed” part. The little flowers aren’t exactly like a morning glory (to me anyway) but are similar – slightly bell shaped, white with a little yellow ( or is it purple — there is purple in there somewhere) coming from the center and partly up the petal.
My son loves to pick those flowers and give them to me — so how can I resist?
It does go everywhere and if I could figure out a way to get rid of it I would…..without poisoning all the other plants of course!
You may be an amateur (your words, not mine) but you managed to explain bokeh to me in a way that actually made sense – so thank you! And I love the sharp front focus/faded background look to!
I guess what I have, Cassie, is a form of bindweed, but not the one that looks like a morning glory. I see it all over the place in the back forty, so I’m sure it will make an appearance next year. I’m like you, I won’t do anything that might endanger another plant – and my yard is pesticide -free, so I couldn’t do that anyway.
Thanks so much for your kind words!
We have the same vine growing on our woodpile—heart shaped leaves, smooth stem, and the same tiny flowers. According to all of my reference books, it is a polygonum. Morning glories are in the convolvulus family. I don’t think you want it in your garden.
I just went outside and yanked it. Sorry to see it go but I’m leaving for 3 weeks and heaven knows what it would do in the meantime.
Lovely photos, Claudia…you make me want to go outside with my camera!
Go on out, Linda, and take some pictures!
Lovely pix of your flowers,Claudia. The vine is definitely not the wild morning glory bindweed that we have in the West. My garden is so choked with that kind that we’re pulling plants out to start over. If it appeared on it’s own, I would definitely get rid of it.
I got rid of it. I’m a wee bit sad, but it looks invasive.
Tell you what…you yank yours…I’ll yank mine. Mine will soon be crawling in the front door! ;)
I yanked it, Donna. Now it’s your turn!
Done and done! Even found a few more while I was at it! Pulling weeds over the Internet…could that be the latest meme? Safe travels! ;)
Wow, reading this blog today I’m so impressed with all of the knowledge floating around out there on flowers and invasive vines! Such help for you! I have a question about your Canon Rebel t3i. I take it it has interchangeable lenses? And does it come with several lenses or do you just add them as you go along? I’m looking for a step up for my daughter. She just has a point and shoot Canon but the little thing does amazing things!
I know! Bloggers are so generous with helpful hints and information!
The Canon is the kind with interchangeable lenses. You can buy the camera in a kit, or by itself (body only.) Depending on where you purchase it, the lens that is included might vary. This one came with a basic lens and I purchased the 50mm (Nifty Fifty) in addition. The basic lens I use a lot, the nifty fifty is the one I use in the house for closeups. I really love it. I want a telephoto/zoom lens but I’ll have to save my pennies for that one.
Canon updates this model every year. I think they are up to the t5i now. I purposely bought this one when the t4i had come out because I knew I could get a better deal on it. Just like my iPhone! I bought an earlier model and ended up getting it for very little. You might look into that, Annette.
Are you sure you’re a amateur? Your photos seem to say
otherwise. You have the magic touch I think…Oh, and the
vine, whatever it is, I think, is pretty..Just saying..
I do, too, Bonnie, but if it’s invasive and I’m going to be gone for 3 more weeks….I decided to pull it. It will come back next year, of that I’m sure!
Thank you so much for your generous complement, Bonnie!
Beautiful pictures Claudia..I also like the in-focus/out-of-focus look..
The trick is to have the focal point in focus. I see lots of photos on the web where the focal point isn’t in focus and/or the photo has been cropped too closely and enlarged, so it looks blurry because the photo can’t support it.
Too bad you couldn’t wrap that yanked vine up and send it my way. I would love anything that sprouted up on its own and spread like crazy. Many of my plants died while we were away for the summer even though we had someone watering them. Always have to start over after the summer heat. Lovely photos! Have a great day. Tammy
Darn! I wish I COULD send it to you, Tammy! You have a great day, too, my friend.
Hi Claudia!
I am loving your new site (well new to me…haven’t been by in a while). We have that same vine, and it is very invasive. It will wrap itself around stems of flowers and it is hard to pull off without damaging the flower’s stem. Keep an eye on it, it will come back – again and again. I do like it, as long as I can control it some, but usually I don’t control it so I rip it out only to watch it come back in a week or so.
Your images are just wonderful and for the same reasons you stated are the reasons why I liked them so much too!!
Loved seeing your smiling image…
Big hugs
Elizabeth
That’s a huge compliment coming from a professional photographer like yourself, Elizabeth. Thank you! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Your photos are wonderful, as usual! I live in Georgia and we have so many invasive vines (5 in my yard alone!), but none like that.
A few of my friends have this http://www.olloclip.com/ thing that can attach to your Iphone and takes wonderful pictures. I haven’t tried it personally, but your readers might like to know about it if they are like me and don’t want to buy and tote a camera around, but would like to get some pretty photos once in a while. It isn’t very expensive for what it allows you to do, imo.
I’ve read about this before, Tina. I should look into it!
Wise women all!
Yes, and so very helpful and generous with advice!
I’m not sure, but your weed might be Autumn clematis, a perennial at our cottage. Did it bloom in small white multi-lobed petals. Love your pictures, as well. I learn a great deal from your photos each posting.
I think we figured it out, Karen. It’s Polygonum scandens. The pictures look just like my plant. And, darn it, it’s invasive! Thank you so much for chiming in with a suggestion. I’ve seen autumn clematis and it’s beautiful. I wouldn’t mind some of that around here!