Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Beautiful Milkweed Buds


I've discovered that looking at the world through a photographer's eyes has me noticing things I have never really seen before.  For example, I had never noticed how beautiful milkweed blossoms are.  Before they actually open, they have the most wonderful cluster of buds and then when they do open, each individual blossom on the cluster is quite amazing.  
I had also never noticed the incredible colour, including the burgundy vein that runs through the leaves.
And so, the first digitally altered photo for today is the milkweed blossom.  I followed a tutorial that Kim gave us in Beyond Layers to add the text band with gradient colour. I used a variation on a well known quote to remind you to, "take time to smell the roses" or as I said above, notice things you might be overlooking.  I played with a variety of filters and textures to create a painterly effect on this one.


These photos are being linked to Photo Show OffTexture TuesdaySweet Shot TuesdayOur World TuesdayThis or That ThursdaysPhoto Art FridayShoot, Edit, SubmitFabulous Friday,Flower Art Friday and Photo Friday Link Party.

57 comments:

  1. Beautiful images! I really like the painterly effect you created on the milkweed blossom.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Admission, I've never seen milkweed blossoms and you've taken some wonderful shots!I love the texture of the leaf in detail! Thanks for calling by Twistedvines. Yx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Yvette. Glad you got to see some milkweed. They grow wild all over around here (Ontario, Canada).

      Delete
  3. Beautiful images! :) I especially love the poppies, they are so vibrant and cheerful. You are right about noticing more details through a photographer's eyes. Happy day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kia. I was out with a friend today and we saw some more beautiful poppies. Some were pink and the others were double or full poppies. I'll probably post photos of them in the future.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful flowers, Linda! Enjoy your week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Emille. I hope you have a wonderful week too!

      Delete
  5. Love the textured milkweed. The fragrance from these plants is wonderful too. Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I quite like how that image turned out too.

      Delete
  6. you processed the pictures wonderfully!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Milkweed has incredible flowers!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gary. Hope you and Boom have a great week of hiking and taking photos.

      Delete
  8. I like the painterly effect you achieved - wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'm really please with how it turned out.

      Delete
  9. Isn't a close-up view enlightening, though? Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Evelyn, I love taking close up shots. Thanks so much.

      Delete
  10. fabulous captures and rendering!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm really drawn to the "painterly effect". It's beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Marilyn. I love how that image turned out too.

      Delete
  12. Both flowers are beautiful. Milkweed also attracts butterflies, so it's definitely one of my faves! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Misty, in fact, it's the only thing that the Monarch caterpillar feeds on. Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  13. Lovely shots and great to see seeing as I'm in the middle of a thunderstorm. Lovely to find your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yes, isn't it amazing how looking at life through a lens changes what we see. So much beauty we often miss just because we haven't taken the time to really look. Lovely capture and processing here. Thanks so much for sharing with Flower Art Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  15. a camera lens can really slow us down so we appreciate the world's beauty in a new way. your photos are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Laura and yes, you are so right about cameras slowing us down. I really do look at everything differently now.

      Delete
  16. Love what you did with the milkweed. Wild flowers have such interesting surprises in store when we stop to look properly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Carol and welcome to my blog. Have a great weekend.

      Delete
  17. Your work on the milkweed is just lovely, Linda! It is perfect for the painterly effect, but I especially like the text band and the frame on it, which really set it off! Have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Beautiful picture and so lovely flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I just love poppies, so bright and cheerful. I understand your photographic eye I feel exactly the same.
    http://flic.kr/p/codgLA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Miriam. I recently saw some absolutely stunning pink poppies. They were incredible.

      Delete
  20. Your photo art looks like a lovely postcard, Linda. Love those poppies, too! Thank you for sharing your talents with Photo Art Friday.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I do love milkweeds. I have some growing in my flowerbed, but they aren't blooming yet. Your pictures are wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I never thought to have them in my garden but that's a great idea.

      Delete
  22. I love the poppies !!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, poppies are beautiful. I love the pink poppies too.

      Delete
  23. Think your processing here is awesome. Love the graphics from the beyond layers classes. I also love macro in that it has opened up a world that I have never before seen! Lovely work!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Gorgeous photos! What a wonderful example of God's creation!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Very pretty. I'm not familiar with this type of a flower on a Milkweed plant. Loved the textured version and also the lovely poppies.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You are right Before they actually open, they have the most wonderful cluster of buds and then when they do open, each individual blossom on the cluster is quite amazing, and all the images you have added in this have great look, i just want to say thanks for sharing this post.

    Better Canvas Art Development Service

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Andrea. I'm glad you found me and stopped by for a visit.

      Delete

I love to hear what you think . Thanks for your comment .

I've had to add moderation because of a lot of spam, but your message will be posted soon. Thank you!
Linda

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.