Inspiring Photo: morning glory gardens

morning glory gardens - 2009

Uploaded: August 22, 2009

Description

Morning Glory Gardens along the shores of beautiful Lake Minnewaska on Highway 28. Lookout over looks the City of Glenwood and beautiful Lake Minnewaska.

Exif: F Number: 4.8, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 10/2500 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 100, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 18.00 mm, Model: NIKON D80

Comments

Peter W. Marks August 26, 2009

I'm thinking, on Lake Minnewaska, Mn. Yes? I've never been there but in my retirement I've become a bit of an armchair detective and when you lovely folk on BP are so sparse with your titles and descriptions I go a' googling! I didn't find any other images but a description mentioned a 'small white chapel' on Morning Glory Gardens and a check on your BP bio mentioned moving to Mn so I'm thinking another case solved.
What a perfect example of 'leading lines, 'framing' and all that technical stuff Barbara! Would you just tell us a bit about what post-capture work you did on the image? Beautiful color saturation and lighting though I am a little curious about the grass on the left seeming to be in deep shade while that on the right is in bright sunlight.
Regards, Pete #1172936

Barbara E. Gould August 26, 2009

Yes!!! That is the place. It was a lovely place (and on my BP website, I have a link to my Blog and it explains more about the place). I had written that in a Club message (sorry...I need to start writing more info with the image!) I plan on submitting this to the area Magazine.... :)
Thank you for your comments. This was taken for my class: Inspiring Nature Photography: The Essentials and I have learned a lot. I can really see the changes in my Images.
I used only minimal adjustments from Tips for BP (In Elements change my Saturation from 0 to +18 and then my Reds from 0 to -15 and then did Unmask (and found out I probably should not be using this formula every time...)
I think the dark green on that side either came from the tree lines or the clouds were puffy and scattered and the sun went behind them many times. It could have been partly behind because in a couple of images before that there are no shadows at all on the church.
I have included the original image. I used my Polarizer.
Thank you so much Pete for your comments.
Barbara #7890659

Thomas Ehlers August 27, 2009

A very pretty pic Barbara, I like the blue sky with the white clouds, it almost looks like a hdr pic. Nice work!!! #7893708

Barbara E. Gould August 27, 2009

I was very pleased with the outcome of these images. That's a nice compliment that it looks like an HDR image. It was a beautiful place and I hope to go back again soon. I know a second shoot at an area doesn't bring the same thing (clouds; sky, etc)...but I hope to get some more.
Thank you so much for your comments! I appreciate them. #7893758

Susan M. Reynolds August 31, 2009

Absolutely beautiful captures, Barbara. Have you tried flipping the photo so the path to the church leads from left to right? That way you will still have your original but with a different look and feel to it.
If you try it, I'd like to see how it differs. #7905603

Barbara E. Gould September 01, 2009

I have never flipped an image (just learning the basics still too!)I will give it a try (I purchased and am downloading tutorials for using LightRoom).
Thank you so much for your comments.
Good to see you! Hope things are a little better for you.
Barbara #7907825

Peter W. Marks September 01, 2009

I made a screen grab and flipped the image in Photoshop Edit>Transform>Flip horizontally. It makes to my eyes an amazing difference and I like it! The reason for this is that we westerners read from left to right and with the image flipped our eyes follow the path and end up at the church. I have Photoshop CS2 so am not sure whether or how you do this in Lightroom.
Pete #7907867

Barbara E. Gould September 01, 2009

Great! I will see if I can...I also have Elements, and I may be able to do it there too!
Thanks! #7907872

Meghan Gonski September 16, 2009

Excellent composition and vibrant colors. I find the orange flowers distracting though from your composition line. Good job on making the road enter from a corner point.
I looked at both the Morning Glory Gardens-1 and Morning Glory Gardens-2009. I could not see any difference in the color as you stated you tweaked.
Morning Glory-2 I think is nicely framed but I would have done the opposite, had the church blurred and the flowers sharp. Just a different opinion. Or I would have had them both sharp because with the flowers that close to the lens, it hurts and distracts the eyes from the church.
My bother has Lightrooom. It's awesome you get a lot more control over the image than regular Photoshop
#7949698

Barbara E. Gould September 22, 2009

Thank you Meghan!
I did not get a good image of the flowers in focus and the church blurred, but found this one of the church on the otherside of the flowers.

Also, for the others above, I was able to flip the image in Elements. Let me know what you think? I'm not sure if I like it.

I also, now have Lightroom and just learning how to use it!

Thank you all for your comments.
Barbara #7972965

Barbara E. Gould September 22, 2009

I made some adjustments on the Church & Flowers (above), and I'm not sure if I like it.
#7972967

Susan M. Reynolds September 23, 2009

It could be just me, but the trees seem tilted towards the center in the flipped version. I like the way the road leads from left to right though...The original is beautiful, but I like the road better in the flipped version. Just the trees bother me.
#7973164

Barbara E. Gould September 23, 2009

That is weird in that the trees looked tilted, because I only went the menu and asked the computer to flip the image. Because they do look tilted more to me too. I thought maybe I grabbed a different image, but I don't think I did. The road is uncomfortable to me this way (flipped), and that could be that I was physically there to shoot this, so I know what it should look like, maybe?
Thank you Susan for you comments and feedback. I appreciate it.
Barbara #7974466

Susan M. Reynolds September 23, 2009

Hey Barbara...I think it's an optical illusion now that I look back because after I saw this last night and left my comment, I went to some of my older photos and did a flip on a diagonal of the Old Water Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
Before the flip it looked fine, but after the flip it looked like it was tilting more. I went ahead and entered the flipped version into the Travel Photography and Place category because the folks in my other group liked it better.
It's good to hear from you again! I've been out sick for a few weeks, but hope to be back on track now :) #7974675

Barbara E. Gould September 23, 2009

Yes, I think so too! One thing I did notice on the images I have of the church and the gardens is the church does seem to be uneven at the foundation. I am going back to take more pictures for the BP class i'm taking, so I will have to check that out.
Good to hear from you too! Hope you are feeling better! Hope life is treating you better too. I've been spending ALOT of time the last few weeks looking for a job. :( I had an interview yesterday and I'm praying to get the job (been out of work since april).
Is your image in the BP Contest for this month? Are you still in MM?
Take care! #7975049

Susan M. Reynolds September 23, 2009

What class are you taking? I'm waiting for BP staff to call me back about the class I want to take before my MVBP rewards expire on 10/1 - I am having trouble signing up online as it won't process the payment. I want to take one by Rob Sheppard: The Magic of F-stops: Choosing the Right Aperture.
I am not in the MM anymore. I really enjoyed it but I just cannot afford it right now!
I will pray that you get a job soon. I've been out of work on disability since a car accident on 3/7/07. I am soooo hoping to be able to go back to work as soon as possible.
Cheers and good wishes to you!
Susan
p.s. oh, and yes, I entered the diagonal of the water tower in the Travel Photography and Places category this month. #7975195

Barbara E. Gould September 23, 2009

I am taking a class with Rob Sheppard called: Successful Publication Photography (this is what I want to do) and it is an "eye-opener". Has given me alot to think about. He is a great instructor too! :)
This is my third class with BP! Learning so much.
I hope I get a job soon too! Sorry to hear about you being out on disability :( because of a car accident.
I will have to see if I can find the image! I don't think I have submitted any photos this month?! hmmmm... I may have to stop MM too, if I don't get a job soon.
Barbara #7975836

Meghan Gonski September 23, 2009

Just wanted to say I like the road from right to left (your first photo). The second one looks funny to me too going from left to right
that apeture class sounds great! #7976660

Peter W. Marks September 23, 2009

Why do you say that Meghan? If left to right was the way it was in real life would you then have said "Shame they didn't build the chapel on the other side of the garden"? Just curious?
Pete #7976878

Meghan Gonski September 23, 2009

hahaha well there's a few things that play a part to make it not look "right".
Although the original photo with the flowers slants a little, it is more prominent in the flipped. The tree is tilted in both photos but again it is just more prominent in the flipped one. The road especially the cement edge doesn't seem to lay right on the ground in the flipped one. Then there is the subtle issue of light. I think the sun is roughly on the right side of the photo so the trees branches are highlighted on the side with the sun. in the flipped the sun is roughly on the left, some sections of the tree seem appropriate with the position of the sun but other section especially the spruce tree would be highlighted but are not. and the church if you look closely at the under-hang the shadow lines up appropriately. On the flipped the shadow goes to the left instead of proportionally with the sun.
This is my take on why the original is better than the flipped. HAHA I wouldn't say "too bad they didn't...etc" because if she originally took the flipped photo standing in a different position (orange flowers) the light would hit it right because it's the original and not flipped. The program doesn't know how to flip the shadows automatically. #7977233

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