# Photographic Journal



## Koru

i am currently on annual leave and had a wonderful thought that might not only help ensure i pass my annual leave in a pleasant way, but also i might have some chances to learn a little more about my camera and things i'd like to do with it.

so, although i'm going away for four or five days of this next three weeks, i'm going to make an effort to post something of what i've been seeing, each day (where possible). this is meant to be a fun thing for me, not stressy... i don't need stressy, i need a break from stressy... getting the idea? 

today i didn't get the chance that i had been planning on because my only battery for my D80 decided to go flat on me - i'm still learning about that little oblong flashing icon. but, i did go out and about into my garden again.

oh, one more thing. the equipment i use is a Nikon D80 with the kit lens 18-135mm and i have a pack of four magnification lenses (+1, +2, +4 and Macro). i'm not too steady, so sometimes i might use my tripod, or sometimes i'll hand hold everything. my 18-135mm lens is not VR.

okay, enough chitchat.


----------



## Koru

.













































i'm giving myself free reign, no restrictions on what or when or how i use my camera. and if i get a little too quirky, sobeit.

i hope you enjoy my holiday with me.

rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

nice pictures...what kind of plants are those in number 1 and 2? 
Thanks for sharing

John


----------



## Koru

1 is a rose hip from a rose called The Fairy. a pink miniature bush rose that flowers here from November until well... they're just about finishing now, only a few blossoms left.

2, 3 and 6 are from the same plant. Cyril Watson, i think it's called. 6 is what it looks like in full bloom, 2 and 3 are closeups of one part of the flower. i hope that makes sense.

glad you like them. 

rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

makes sense to me. Seeing your pictures of the bee just makes me want to go out and buy a macro lens. Looking forward to more pictures of your vacation.

John


----------



## Gator_Nutz

Great idea Karen and a great start. Let us who are stuck working enjoy a little holiday with you. Have a great time and by all means stay away from stressy. Your first bee shot is fabulous. I like everything else a lot as well but this one in particular is my favorite. The composition, depth of field, and the clarity of the bee is right on. Have fun.
James


----------



## Pocketfisherman

I really like the first three where you make very good use of a shallow depth of field to accent the foreground subjects. The Bees are really nice too. Having time off to focus on photography is something I really envy.


----------



## Tortuga

OK, Luv...the birds and bees and flowers are beautiful.....but I wanna see WHERE you are.. Snap a few interesting landscapes for us 'stuck-at-homes'..


rosesm rosesm rosesm


----------



## Koru

good idea... i'll see what i can do in the next few hours. 
'rose'


----------



## samurai_ag

WOW...those are the best yet I have seen of yours...that is great...coming from a macro guy...I like..!!! the two after the rose hip...what did you do ...was that just the way they turned out or did you do something extra??

you have given me some inspiration for a shot I would like to do....something to think about...see if you can do this....if you can do a multiple exposure..try setting your camera to shoot 2 exposures on the same frame and take the first with pin point focus on the center subject then....take the second zooming in and see what happens...i'm going to try that this weekend...you will need to adjust your exposure compensation.....thank you for posting....i've been looking for some inspiration..


----------



## Koru

samurai_ag said:


> WOW...those are the best yet I have seen of yours...that is great...coming from a macro guy...I like..!!! the two after the rose hip...what did you do ...was that just the way they turned out or did you do something extra??
> 
> you have given me some inspiration for a shot I would like to do....something to think about...see if you can do this....if you can do a multiple exposure..try setting your camera to shoot 2 exposures on the same frame and take the first with pin point focus on the center subject then....take the second zooming in and see what happens...i'm going to try that this weekend...you will need to adjust your exposure compensation.....thank you for posting....i've been looking for some inspiration..


i used the macro filter (i think it is a +10) and did only sharpened and resized the image in post processing. nothing else.

i find it really 'touchy/tricky' to get focus with that filter. the depth of field seems very very shallow and if i do my usual 'sway' as i hold the camera then maybe one in five shots are focussed. lol it's definitely a fun filter to play with though. it can do some amazing arty/quirky stuff.

i'll try your suggestion over the next week and see what happens. there is an ability to put one image on top of another image on my camera, to be honest i've not tried to do it seriously. lucky i have some holidays! 

'rose'


----------



## samurai_ag

when using macro filters you really should use a tripod with no wind...probably your hand motions are what gave the affect along with the fact that when you get up in the numbers on those macro filters you tend to get that effect sometimes...but they look great..!!


----------



## Koru

no wind?  this is New Zealand in late autumn. actually, you're right. though i do get the same effect even when photographing with that macro filter indoors, with a tripod.

it gives me some real quirky moments that filter. i have a love/hate relationship with it.


----------



## Koru

*day 2*

it is only fitting that i slip into leaf focus mode now and again, seeing as it's Autumn.























































rosesm


----------



## Koru

samurai, i looked up the idea you suggested, image overlay is on my camera but i have to do it in RAW. i didn't shoot RAW today, but i'll try over the weekend and see if i can come up with anything interesting.





































rosesm


----------



## Koru

and some for Tortuga... i was facing into the sun half the time and was half blinded and had blank brains for figuring the exposure, AND it was midday and i didn't use my P.L filter.

five minutes from where i live...




























and a wide angle... 
at the bottom of the hill behind lots of trees and other houses is where i live. i couldn't figure out how to show depth... i was on the top of quite a high hill but it really doesn't show.









todays lot: i tried sharpening using picasa but somehow it seemed to not be saving the images afterwards. i wonder how good the sharpening function is on the camera itself. i might try that over the weekend and see if i can compare a shot taken with and without sharpening.

the long leaf image was cropped. i liked how i caught the focus for the shadow rather than the leaf itself on this one.

i liked playing with the black and white - with the sun behind the tree, everything i looked at were silhouettes. it seemed logical to flick to B&W. i like the flatness of the image, literally just black and white.

in the 6th image, i liked how the sun seemed to come through the trees and just touch the backs of some leaves. they didn't lose their colour and i'm pleased with how the photo turned out.

it's Saturday tomorrow and i'm not sure what else is planned. i'll try and get out with my camera at some point though.

rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

Koru, I really really like the first one with the sheep and the hills in the background. You said that is just five minutes from your house. Its sort a relaxing view. I just wish the power lines were not in the way. Awesome pictures....cant wait for day 3


----------



## Arlon

Thanks for posting this stuff Karen, it gives us a glimpse into another world almost.. 

Hmmm, is there any retirement property available out there??


----------



## Koru

Ibeafireman, i'm with you, i wish the power lines weren't in the way too. they're very annoying. i've been hunting down some autumn trees to photograph but it seems they're all always mixed in amongst the wires. argh.

Arlon, plenty. that big farm is likely to be split up one day. but there's plenty of land here. especially out in the whopwhops.


----------



## Koru

*Day 3*

here's today's sampling...










and









and one more that almost got away...









rosesm


----------



## Slip

Karen, beautiful photos and that lens is sharp. Great detail. Love you country side also.


----------



## Gator_Nutz

Beautiful images and very interesting to see more of your part of the world. I would not know it was Autumn though unless you told me. What is that little animal in the last one?
James


----------



## sandybottom

Karen, All I can say is Oh WOW!!! You know the photoshop can erase those power lines. But who cares it was a great shot! I wish we had terrain like that here. I like the bee shot too. Your images are sharper. I wonder if your holding your breath like me when you take the shot. Photoshop is fun isn't it?
Keep those landscape pictures coming please. You know me I like farm stuff also.


----------



## Koru

glad y'all are liking the pics.

James, that pic you queried... it's a mouse. my cat Timothy was having a ball hunting that mouse down. he caught it and played with it for ages on the lawn and i grabbed a couple of photos. i must have turned away because when i looked back, the mouse was gone and the cat was looking for it. he had to do a little tree climbing to find it. it was the funniest thing to watch. poor Timothy. sometimes he's not really All There Up Top if you get what i mean.

anyway... a few more from today...




























still havin' fun (as the song goes).

rosesm


----------



## Koru

the day is only half over, but i thought i'd share this morning's fun...





































rosesm


----------



## Koru

and some for the afternoon...














































rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

What kind of flower is that pink one in the third and second to last picture? Thats a pretty wild looking flower. That is also one mean looking fly. Reminds me of the horse flys we have here in texas....ours bite, does yours. Keep up the good work.
John


----------



## Koru

Ibeafireman, that flower is Grevillia rosmarinifolia 'Scarlet Sprite'. it is a pretty wild looking flower 

okay today's photos...

Finding Autumn


----------



## Koru

.




































rosesm

(hmm, i might try a diff focus area on that third photo... try it on the dead rose instead of the middle rose -or maybe just increase the depth of field.)


----------



## Slip

Although simple looking, I really like the red colored leaf (maple?) in the afternoon shot.


----------



## stargazer

Outstanding Karen.....you are getting quite good with the camera...Like the still lifes, and the color and crispness of the shots are really good...Keepem coming


----------



## Gator_Nutz

That leaf on the wood is by far my favoriet of this latest set. Very nice effect and mood with this one. James


----------



## Koru

thanks for the comments, glad you're liking them. i was kind of so-so happy with the still life's. i want to work more with shadows for effect. maybe _after_ the holiday.

from today...

after a bad night's sleep (hubby has a head cold), i awoke groggy to a frost. i waited a little bit and discovered this coming off one of the pipes:










looked around and found this:









did a little office work for my brother and found these behind the office:





































rosesm


----------



## Koru

this is a one of the local vineyards about 2 mins drive from the office, and about 10 mins from where i live:









and these are across the road from the vineyard, it's owned by the same people




































rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

I love the black and whites...I really like the steam or smoke coming off the pipe....great work. Thanks again for sharing

John


----------



## Koru

it was steam John. glad you like the black and whites, i enjoy taking them. i need more practise. but for today...























































rosesm


----------



## Gator_Nutz

Very nice Karen. Now it really is looking like Autumn.


----------



## Terrynj

Wow Karen, you really have some beautiful photos in this Journal. Some are truely outstanding....great subject matter, correctly composed, and creative camera work! Great job!


----------



## Koru

thank you James and thanks Terry. i appreciate your comments. 

rosesm


----------



## Koru

today was Sunday and a very slow day for me, but i did get out a little with my camera...

found a sparrow on the roof:









found an old hall (wanted desperately to take more photos but it started raining, so i'm saving them for another trip)









...


----------



## Koru

so, between raindrops...














































rosesm


----------



## Ibeafireman

oh wow, I think the rain helped in the photos. Makes the leaves shine a little. Everyday your pictures get better and better.


----------



## Koru

Monday... we went for a little drive today. eventually, i went bush with the camera.










had to climb over this first













































and more...


----------



## Koru

.






















































rosesm


----------



## Koru

today:








rosesm


----------



## Gator_Nutz

Now I like that one a lot Karen. Very nice.
James


----------



## stargazer

WOW, Karen..those are just beautiful...Love the mushrooms color and texture.


----------



## Terrynj

Karen, these are fabulous photos. You should make a Coffee Table book with all of these on this thread. The variety and quality is second to none!! Beautiful and very impressive You are bound to have a few books already...right?

Terry


----------



## seawings

Your spread of pictures reminds me that we are surrounded by beautiful photo opportunities, if we but look! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## richg99

OK....you've learned what you and your camera can do VERY WELL. Your shots are back to and far exceeding whatever you posted with your prior camera. 

I particularly liked the very last --plate-- shot, since it is a reach from the beautiful nature pix posted prior. 

It is probably time to branch out and do some people; action; boats; wagons or other hard shaped objects. EXPAND.. you are getting very good at this, you know. Rich


----------



## sandybottom

I like how you included the shadow on the table set. Good Job!
And the leaves turning. That's so weird being that we are going into summer over here and your going into winter.
Sure wish we had that cooler weather here. Its going to be in the upper 90's here.


----------



## Koru

Terry the only thing i've currently got is a small photo calendar with some photos i took of different flowers, last year. i'm thinking about a book idea, thinking about combining my poetry with my photography, i'll let y'all know if/when the idea actually gets another step along the track.

thank you all for your comments. i admit i'm absolutely loving the whole idea of the photographic journal. it's really giving me a great deal of enjoyable time with my camera without being bogged down by boundaries and limitations of my skill (or lack thereof).

today i was up at the crack of dawn and wandering the streets following in Jack Frost's footsteps... here's some of what i found.














































and a few more to follow...


----------



## Koru

.


















we breed 'em tough here... it was 30oF


















rosesm


----------



## Koru

the photographic journal is going to be quiet until the end of next week. i'm going away for a few days with my hubby in the morning. i'm going to let him carry the point and shoot and i'll be carrying my D80.  i'll be definitely making up for the odd days i've missed posting and i promise to share some of what i shoot in and around the Nelson, South Island area when we get back. i just hope and pray i have enough good knowledge of this camera to get some wonderful photos. i'm told the scenery down there is stunning, well, that's New Zealand for ya.

oh yes, i've packed the tripod. nothing like priorities. 

rosesm


----------



## Donnie Hayden

Very nice shots Koru! I love the one with the sail boat and the picture right under it as well.


----------



## Pocketfisherman

I'm looking forward to see what you come back with. Every time you put up shots, they keep getting better and better. Thank you for sharing your part of the world with us.


----------



## Donnie Hayden

Have fun and take plenty of pictures!


----------



## stargazer

Karen yall be safe and cant wait to see some pics.

Fred


----------



## richg99

Have fun and don't forget to take you snuggies at this time of the year! We look forward to your return and to your pix. regards, rich


----------



## Koru

"hi, that's a big camera you've got there. are you a professional photographer?" the Nelson shoe shop assistant asked.

"no, i simply dabble a little in taking photos," was my reply.

"oh, so you're just an amateur."

"yep."




























first decent closeup of a bird, Seagull:


















rosesm


----------



## Gator_Nutz

The metamorphosis continues! Very, very nice. The running water shots are glorious. The photo of the boat is wonderful too. The clouds, the color, the composition, all work very nicely together and make an overall wonderful image. It looks like you had a very productive and creative experience. What is that last picture? I know the Shell symbol but what is the other object?


----------



## Koru

it's one of the rotor blades of the plane. i was sitting inside to take that photo.
glad you like them. i'm still going through all the photos.


----------



## Slip

Karen, you have come so far. I absolutely love the water scened in the first two. Your speed settings are great with the moving water.


----------



## Koru

few more...





































rosesm


----------



## Koru

slip knot said:


> Karen, you have come so far. I absolutely love the water scened in the first two. Your speed settings are great with the moving water.


thanks slip knot. i'm glad you like them. it took a bit of fiddling with frozen cold nearly frostbitten fingers to get them. and i quickly got used to carrying my tripod around like fishphoto, well, not quite like that, but close.


----------



## The Machine

thank you those are nice


----------



## Pocketfisherman

That looks like beautiful country to travel through. I like the church and the highway best. I'm not so sure about the angle on the church, but I understand you sometimes have to do that to fit an object in a frame from your shooting vantage point. For the highway, I like the way the highway and low clouds seem to converge at a point far away in the mountains. The shot gives you a sense of "destination" and a journey still left to finish.


----------



## Koru

a couple more out of the 500



















rosesm


----------



## Tucsonred

All of your photos are wonderful..I like the one of the road going toward the mountains!! Thank you for sharing all of them !


----------



## sandybottom

The road going to the mountains was a "OH WOW!" picture.
I like the running water shots the rocks came out real sharp in those.


----------



## Koru

some more from my holiday...

out the plane window:









best busker i've heard for a long time:









from the Centre of New Zealand:









a street in Nelson city:









rosesm


----------



## Donnie Hayden

That is a beautiful country. All of those photos make me wanna grab the wife and kid and hit the road lol. Very good shots Karen. Cant wait to see more! By the way, I posted a couple more squirrel pics for you in the back yard chatter thread


----------



## Koru

Donnie Hayden said:


> That is a beautiful country. All of those photos make me wanna grab the wife and kid and hit the road lol. Very good shots Karen. Cant wait to see more! By the way, I posted a couple more squirrel pics for you in the back yard chatter thread


i'm trying to hold myself back from packing my bag and moving to the South Island right this minute. *sigh* first day back at work tomorrow after three weeks off. i'm not looking forward to it. going to torture myself more by taking my flashdrive with photos and putting some on my desktop.

i'll check out your chattering buddies in two shakes of a lamb's tail...

meanwhile...

south Auckland from up high (North Island)









the Canterbury Plains, South Island









leaving Nelson behind









rosesm


----------



## Donnie Hayden

Plenty of spots to set up a tent in that second picture


----------



## Ibeafireman

Koru
The running water shot is fantastic. I am going to have to find some sort of a river around here and try to get one like that.


----------



## Gator_Nutz

Wonderful images Karen. I can tell you must have had a great time. It's cruel sometimes how it seems like it takes forever for your holiday to finally arrive and then when it does, it seems like it's over in the blink of an eye. Back to work. Yuck.


----------

