365-271 One of these things is not like the others

Knowing that I would be busy on the job all day, I ran out at lunch to the park to try to find a quick photo for the day. I was attracted to these purple flowers with white stems ( I can’t find what kind they are) that were obviously knocked down by the previous rains in the area. I liked the color and the unusual stems and the way they were all lying down. I took a few shots and went back to work knowing that I had something “in the can”. I picked this photo for my 365 shot because of the funky composition compared to my normal flower shots. I’m also throwing in another photo of flowers that isn’t anything spectacular except for the fact I caught a bee in mid-flight. Usually when a flying bee is in my photos it’s a blurry mess. But this one came out kind of sharp. Pentax K20D, DA 55-300.

Click on pics for larger view

Under Pressure

© David Guidas

 

Now for the one not like the others. Later in the day at work I spotted this roller on a slope with the late afternoon sun creating long shadows. I immediately thought it would make a strong black and white image. I tend not to show too many work/construction oriented photos because they generally have limited appeal, except to a small fraction that actually does the work. For some reason people like farm photos but not construction. If this was a tractor in a wheat field it would be a winner! I think this is a stronger image than either of the flower pictures but I hesitated to make it my 365 photo. Maybe I’m overthinking.

  One thought on “365-271 One of these things is not like the others

  1. September 29, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    That that purple color..

    • September 29, 2011 at 2:37 pm

      Thanks. I have to chase color while it’s still around. Winters are dull around here.

  2. September 29, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    So pretty!

  3. September 29, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    I like construction photographs, but I worked in construction so that confirms your observation. You’re right it was a good choice for b/w.
    I like how the bee looks as if it’s just taking off.

    • September 29, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      I try to be somewhat artistic with my approach and not simply documenting construction. I’m on various landfills for long hours and I have to work with what’s around me. BTW thanks for looking around.

      • October 1, 2011 at 7:42 am

        Freshly pressed is nice, but if you only take the time to look at that one page you miss a lot of interesting stuff. There’s a lot of cool people out there with neat things to say, with words and photography and whatever else! Keep it up!

  4. larosson
    September 29, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    Lovely photos – the black and white one is especially striking.

  5. September 29, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Great photos. The first one of the purple flowers is really nice. The black and white image is nice also. It is a photo we would have discussed when I took a photography class at Rutgers.
    Thanks for sharing. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

  6. September 29, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Love the pictures of the flowers. And I’ve tried catching a bee before on camera and it’s like catching Bigfoot, the bee is always fuzzy and you can’t get it in focus. The one you caught in the photo is very sharp!

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:38 pm

      Thanks. It was a pleasant surprise. I guess if I purposely went out to get a mid-flight bee picture I could manage a good shot with due diligence. But, yeah, they’re usually blurry blobs.

  7. September 29, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    Thanks for sharing these photos. They are wonderful. Beautiful color and detail. Connie
    http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/

  8. Katie
    September 29, 2011 at 1:55 pm
  9. September 29, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    Congrats on the Freshly Pressed…excellent work as always!!

    • September 29, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Thanks Astra. I just happened to check my stats on my phone and noticed the upsurge. Exposure 😉 is always good. Too bad I’m in the middle of nowhere.

  10. September 29, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Ah, my kind of photos – lovely all three!

  11. September 29, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    I love the contrast of the black and white. I didn’t even think about it being a contruction site. My thought is that lots of people can take pictures of flowers and make them look decent, but very few can take a picture of a construction site and make it look like that.

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:41 pm

      Thanks. I have to find the shots wherever I am and I’m usually nowhere exciting 😦

  12. September 29, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    love the unique stems on the flowers…but also the black and white is wonderful!

  13. Stubborn
    September 29, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    Those would be Fall blooming Crocus (Colchicum)…and the second is Cleome ‘Linde Armstrong’. So lovely!! Thanks for posting.

    • September 29, 2011 at 2:52 pm

      Thanks. I kind of thought crocus but wasn’t sure. I think of spring when I think crocuses.

  14. Stubborn
    September 29, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Actually that second shot could be Cleome ‘Senorita Roselita’…little hard to tell..

  15. September 29, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    Well, as lovely as the purple flower photos are, for some reason, I can’t look away from the last black and white one…it just feels like there’s such a story behind it. 🙂

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:42 pm

      Thanks. I like it more than the flower shots. It hits all of the right points of a good image, IMO.

  16. September 29, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    You’re the first blogger that I’ve ever looked at on this site and what a treat it was to find you. These are fantastic and I’ll be looking forward to seeing more in the future.

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:43 pm

      Thanks. Hope you enjoy my work.

  17. September 29, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    I like all three photos…and the B&W would have made a nice 365 photo. I like the contrasts and the patterns that you captured.

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:45 pm

      Thank you. I thought of making it my 365 and chickened out. But if I did, I probably wouldn’t have made Freshly Pressed. So it was a good thing after all!

  18. September 29, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    The grid textures in roller image along with the shadows are quite something – make a v good image for the wall. Are the purple beauties some sort of autumn crocus? They usually have white stems and these look a bit like crocus blooms. Love the blog and the quality of the images you take. Thanks for sharing 😉

  19. September 29, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    Wow, that first flower is properly purple! Fantasic shots, priceless. K

  20. moniinhelsinki
    September 29, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    how big was the “F”-value on the first pic?I had the same problem sometimes, that only a small part of the “main part” of the photo was getting sharp,because of small F-values. Although the photo is great and I like the colors and the dynamics.

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:48 pm

      It was shot at f8 but at 210mm. so the depth of field is relatively narrow at that focal length and distance. I usually don’t try for overall sharp photos of flowers. Makes them look too sterile.

  21. September 29, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    I really like the black and white one, lovely contrast in this shot.

  22. September 29, 2011 at 4:25 pm

    right on, i’m researching people that do blogs with “every day ” in them. posting a day, new dress a day, collection a day is a good one and now yours etc.. mine is make something every day. nice post.
    http://www.foundobjectbeachart.wordpress.com
    cheers

  23. Palm Trees & Bare Feet
    September 29, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    The first flower picture is absolutely gorgeous! Love the colors! Thanks for sharing!

  24. September 29, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    Good job catching the bee!
    Congrats on being freshly pressed.

  25. September 29, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    my vote goes to the farm picture…it looks like a weaving…stunning! – marcia

  26. September 29, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    my vote goes to the farm picture…it looks like a weaving…stunning! -marcia

  27. September 29, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    One thing you may notice when you visit my blog is the highly professional photography – crisp and clean, never blurry, always relevant to the blog post. Every time. Some people think I take low-res photos of various patterns on tissue boxes, pillows, chairs, booths, floors and 7 foot tall mosaic eggs, but nope – it’s highly professional fine art!

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:49 pm

      Uhm, OK. Thanks for stopping by Edward.

  28. September 29, 2011 at 5:50 pm

    Lovley shot!
    Nice crisp clear photo!
    Keep up the good work!
    http://www.the cameraangle.wordpress.com

  29. September 29, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    Absolutely beautiful. This 365 stuff is addictive.

  30. September 29, 2011 at 6:16 pm

    I love the purple colour of your flowers! You captured the beauty beautifully :)!

  31. September 29, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    I’d say go with the black and white. Yes, it’s construction, not farming, but it is by far the most interesting and unique. The others are gorgeous, but they aren’t anything special. Flower macros like the first one have been done to death, and likewise the shallow depth of focus in the second. Why? Because they produce great photos. The problem is that everyone knows that so everyone does it. (Some, as is the case here, more successfully than others.)

    Your last shot, though, is unique. It’s simply about contrast and composition, and both are superb.

    I do have a question regarding it, though. Is the darker right side actual shadow or did you do something to get the contrast between where the roller had and had not been. It looks quite natural, which is part of the appeal, but the logical part of my brain says that such a difference should not be natural with so little difference in texture.

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:53 pm

      Thanks. I know the roller shot is more special, photographically speaking. I went with the color flowers for more mass appeal. Yeah, I sold out!

      Since the clay is so moist the part that had been smoothed by the roller becomes quite glossy and is reflecting the sunlight.

  32. September 29, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    These are gorgeous, as are many of the photos on your Flickr page. Keep at it; you’ve got real talent! 🙂 Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:54 pm

      Thank you. And thanks for visiting my Flickr page. I don’t always show the same photos in both places.

  33. September 29, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    Awesome post! Thank you!

  34. September 29, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    The colour of the crocuses is gorgeous, but the b/w has to be the best. If you hadn’t highlighted it as construction it could easily pass as a tractor in a field! I think the nature of the subject is barely relevant anyway, it’s all about the beautiful linear composition. Lovely work.

  35. September 29, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    great post!!! love the images… keep it up. =P

    http://travellersdiningdepot.wordpress.com/

  36. September 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    SO Beautiful!

  37. September 29, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    The farm photo got me immediately. Terrific photos.

  38. September 29, 2011 at 9:52 pm

    The first photo is incredible… the rich color organically grown is a master piece. Thank you.

  39. September 29, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    I LOVE B&W photos, getting married soon and went through so many meetings with photographers because I desperately wanted someone that had a good eye for shots that work beautifully in B&W as well as colour. This is a skill that is harder than a novice would think!!! So congrats on capturing a beautiful shot!
    This post has everything I love about photography, brilliant naturally occurring colours and B&W brilliance! Doesn’t hurt that I am a purple lover! Those flowers are gorgeous! My lavender bush has gone wild over the past few days with all the rain and the colours in it are glorious, getting the camera out tomorrow morning. Have you ever shot lavender in B&W? The detail in lavender flowers is so different that they work really well in B&W!

  40. sereniteacafe
    September 29, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    Stunning.

  41. September 29, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    what flowers are those?soo pretty!

    • September 29, 2011 at 11:55 pm

      I’ve been told they are autumn crocus.

  42. September 29, 2011 at 11:33 pm

    Nice work with the roller in the field.

  43. September 29, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    Gorgeous pics.

  44. September 30, 2011 at 12:23 am

    Purple is one of my favorite colours. These shots are great. The black and wite is stunning too. I can’t say which I like best. Great 😀 p.s congrats!

  45. September 30, 2011 at 2:05 am

    hey, really a good thinking of you, i think you enjoy taking the photoshots, really very good, and the way you written say about ur inner expressions………….all the best 🙂

  46. September 30, 2011 at 2:41 am

    What great photos. I love the construction shot!

  47. September 30, 2011 at 2:53 am

    nice pics

  48. September 30, 2011 at 2:57 am

    Bee to David Guidas: “You lookin’ at me, Bub???”

    (Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!!)

  49. September 30, 2011 at 3:06 am

    Fabulous shots as always. Thanks:)

  50. September 30, 2011 at 4:13 am

    nice pics.

  51. September 30, 2011 at 4:18 am

    Nice photos. i like the second one. Great post!

  52. September 30, 2011 at 6:09 am

    I think the B&W is the strongest image, and I’m not in the construction business. You’re probably right about construction versus agriculture though.

  53. September 30, 2011 at 6:26 am

    nice shot keep going up

  54. September 30, 2011 at 7:21 am

    Great photos and I love the purple flowers in this post

  55. September 30, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Nice work! The colors were so vibrant! I love it!

  56. September 30, 2011 at 9:39 am

    Cool pictures! 🙂

  57. September 30, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    You’ve a great eye for catching these ‘lunch break’ shots! I’m hoping that whatever it is that you are breaking from has some sort of connecting line to creativity. Your calling is most apparently, that of “Artist”!! Thanks for sharing.

    • October 3, 2011 at 11:47 pm

      Thank you Paris. One can only hope.

  58. September 30, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    Beautiful flowers!!!!!!!!
    The last photo is Crazily Beautiful!
    Good photography, hats off to you!:)

  59. September 30, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    Love, love, love the purple flowers! The stems remind me of a sort of mushroom I ate in Korea.

  60. October 1, 2011 at 11:36 pm

    I like that the photo looks like you’ve posted it upside down. It makes me wonder…

    • October 2, 2011 at 12:35 am

      I know but it’s not. I actually shot it from that direction. I did flip it during processing to see if it looked more “normal” but it seemed odd so I flipped it back to the way it originally was.

  61. October 2, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Even the flowers are still pretty after being pressed down by the weight of the rain. Makes you wonder how God sees us when were downtrodden and depressed. In our deepest ruts, we are still beautiful in his eyes and worth everything to him.

    • October 3, 2011 at 11:40 pm

      Thank you for your profound insight Robert

  62. October 2, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    I love the purple flowers with the white stems. Not only are they beautiful, but they represent the changing of the seasons well. It’s almost like the flowers are sad that they will die soon as fall takes over summer.

    • October 3, 2011 at 11:42 pm

      I hear ya. Season changes are always a bit emotional, I guess.

  63. October 3, 2011 at 11:39 am

    Beautiful pictures. I actually love construction photos, though I agree farming photos are so great.

    • October 3, 2011 at 11:43 pm

      Thank you. Maybe because farming is considered a “lifestyle” whereas construction is just a “job”.

  64. October 3, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    Construction projects generally don’t seem very appealing to me either. I’ll eat up a good time lapse of a building going up, but show me anything else, bleh.

    • October 3, 2011 at 11:46 pm

      Love those time lapse skyscrapers! I’m IN construction and I don’t usually like the photos.

  65. October 10, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    I love being able to catch an insect in flight! It’s not an easy task, good work there. Also, the farm photo is very much worth showing. You take great shots.

    As for construction photos, the ones I love involve stage work. Watching a stage get pulled up before a show, and all the intricate details involved make me smile.

    • October 11, 2011 at 11:40 pm

      Thanks. I guess if I purposely tried to get an insect in flight photo I could do better but I don’t have that kind of patience. I like “behind the scenes” photos also.

  66. October 25, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    Wow…very professional photography you got here.

    http://kalafels.wordpress.com/

    • October 26, 2011 at 1:15 pm

      Thank you. Good luck on your blog.

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