Album Water Droplets from Janet Brien

Pictures for Pam, Day 113: SSC: Enchanting Frozen Droplet

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 21:46:33 +0000

(+2 insets) (please view large!)

What a beautiful day it is! The morning began with a dusting of frost which quickly melted as the sun rose into the sky. Now it's shining brightly on the lovely clouds that are marching through the sky.

I'm posting my picture early today because soon Steve and I are going to see the RV we're interested in and I don't know when we'll get back. I could post my picture later but I'd rather do it now so it's out of the way and not bugging me! :)

It's Saturday Self Challenge!! The topic is "One"...which...is probably at least 50% of my photography so I got this done without even thinking about it! A few days ago it was extremely cold with a lot of frost everywhere so I got outside with my camera and went to town! The frozen droplets were just amazing and I'm featuring a dreamy image I got of one, along with 2 insets: a droplet-drizzled sporophyte and a frozen droplet at the edge of our deck, adorned with a frosted hat!

Pam, since it's gleaming outside I found another sunny picture on your stream featuring "sunshine" and what did I find? A picture with that name that includes a super quote that I love. I sure do hope this was a nice day for you, and thank you for the kind words about the planets lining up for us regarding our RV plans! *BIG HUGS*!!!

Explored on 3/04/19, highest placement, #6.

Pictures for Pam, Day 108: Droplet-Encased Sporophyte

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 02:53:42 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets...ENJOY!) (this picture is very nice at full size!) :)

Holy cow, I'm late posting today! I usually try to put my picture up by about 5pm PST but I was carried away and totally forgot about the time.

What was I carried away about? Why, tomorrow's Macro Monday project, of course!! First of all, I had a great time taking pictures of the subjects I came up with. Then, when I looked at the images on my computer, I was really happy that I got lots of usable shots of my ideas! I took a running leap and did a swan dive into my artistic persona. For the next few hours I swam around in Photoshop, playing with each image and having a wonderful time. When Steve asked me about dinner I was shocked to see that so much time had gone by! EEK! :D

I'm feeling the magic of being in the Moment of my creativity, so today I'm sharing a rather dreamy image of a droplet-encased sporophyte with his people. This was taken on the day there was snow everywhere. It had mostly melted where this group was but I am beyond overjoyed that I took pictures even though the snow was gone. I hope you like this gorgeous sporophyte as much as I do...I am still trying to figure out how to get their autographs! :)

My insets feature some of my past sporophyte images. Aren't they just amazing? I think they are all like tiny people. Little villagers with great big personalities! :)

Pam, I wanted to find a magical image in your photo stream and I found just what I was looking for with the sunset image you posted that glows in the Golden Hour. It's drop-dead GORGEOUS!! Stunning sunset and incredible silhouettes...but that warm light...ohhhh, it's incredible!!! You added the awesome quote which states the following words that I love so much:

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset,
two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.
No reward is offered for they are gone forever.~ Horace Mann

This was just perfect for the way I feel right now! Sending oodles of *HUGGGGGGZZZZZZ*!!!!

Pictures for Pam, Day 103: Dewy Feather in Sunshine

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 02:22:17 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets)

What a crazy day for weather. It started off very cold and frosty. Then the sun rose and melted everything. I heard the frogs singing during the day and then I looked out later, stunned at the big change. Along with the large and beautiful group of ten does and fawns nibbling at the grass in the meadow, angry storm clouds had moved in overhead. They looked like they were about to pour cats and dogs and I expect to hear rain on the windows at any moment! It's like that a lot here in southern Oregon, especially during spring. I think the weather is starting to practice!

Today's picture is a feather I found on the road one day. I noticed something twinkling on the ground and kneeled down to see what it was. It took a few seconds to recognize that it was a feather because it was positively covered with droplets! I couldn't get my camera fast enough! I have also included two extras as insets: one is a close-up that shows some really cool details and the other is from above that shows the whole feather. That picture was taken with my flash and the appearance is kind of intense but you can see how crazy it looks. I'm also including another panorama to show the intense but lovely weather here!

Pam, I looked for "feather" on your photo stream but only found a picture I've mentioned on another post—your lovely peacock feather and "Silence" poem. So I looked through the search and picked a picture that I loved...an absolutely adorable pair of fledgling chicks that I couldn't stop cooing at. How amazing that you were able to climb up a ladder to get that picture! I hope that you are having a good day today!! SENDING HUGGGGGGS!!!

Explored on 2/20/19, highest placement, #6.

Dreamy Droplet

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 20:57:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Today I hunted around for some droplet images and managed to find this sparkling gem clinging to the end of a tiny blade of grass.

I also captured an itty bitty baby crab spider and a super cool seed pod, among other lucky shots! :) It is a joy to be discovering nature's treasures once again!

Explored on April 12, 2018; highest placement: #25

81/366: Moss Covered with Droplets

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 06:20:20 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Towering over this clump of wet moss, you would notice the sparkle of water droplets but it wouldn't really look like anything special. Isn't it amazing how the view changes when you crouch down with a macro lens and get a really good look? Tiny droplets become huge, and the moss is a lawn of glowing green! It is incredible to think about all the things there are to see in the world when you have a macro lens!

V is for Vermin Villain

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 19:45:08 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I watched this beautiful ladybird beetle hunting for breakfast among the dew-covered poppy leaves one morning, and when it paused by a dewdrop, I got some pictures!

My garden has many ladybugs in it and I couldn't be happier, because these predators kill aphids and many other insects that destroy my plants!

More apologies for not being around lately. It has been a lot of work trying to keep ahead of all the animals that are trying to eat my plants, and though I am still keeping ahead of them, this has left me feeling desperate, frustrated, worried, and depressed.

The insects have all but annihilated my dozens of Zinnias which were doing so well. I have them planted in three sections of my garden and they are all just tatters now. I'm fighting back with more and more unfriendly measures as my options are taken away.

The ground squirrels are chewing and digging their way into my gardens and eating entire plants. My dill and basil are gone, and some of my beautiful and lushly growing sunflower plants. It seems that the moment I repair one hole, they've created two more. So, it's all-out war and this makes me very unhappy because I just want them to leave my gardens alone. I get it...they are oases of plants and water, and I knew there would be trouble. But I didn't realize that the ground squirrel population has exploded this year for some reason, and they are making me crazy.

However, that being said, I've got lots of things doing really well, and just wait until I get to the letter "Y"! :D

If Garden Wars isn't enough to keep me busy, there are two colonies of ants attacking our kitchen and we have been trying for about three weeks to get rid of them. They must be under the house, because perimeter ant block has zero effect on them. Whenever we take care of one spot, they find another way in. It's horrible and so annoying, especially when I think I've finally taken care of the last place of entry, and the next morning they are coming in another way. ARGH!!

I've also been busy with work, my book, and other tasks. I have surprisingly little time for my photography, and unfortunately, my zest for sharing the wonderful things I see is severely damaged with all of the frustrating situations going on. I am working on balancing everything so that I can have some happy time with photography on a regular basis! :)

Explored on June 24, 2014. Highest placement, #1.

363/365: "Life is a series of experiences that make us bigger, though sometimes it's hard to realize this. The world was built to develop character. We must learn that the setbacks we endure help us in oin our marching onward." ~ Henry Ford

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 04:01:31 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture and two notes above! :)

I can't believe that there are only two more days after this one for my 365 Project! It's just incredible to me. I've lived with this project every day for a year and to think that it will soon come to an end...I'm just stunned by the thought!

With the end of this project just around the corner, I am finally wrestling with the burden of this commitment. It's not something I allowed myself to think about and now I find myself looking forward to not having to be consumed by this every moment of the day. However, that being said, I'm still as excited about photography as ever, and going out today was such fun!

I went over to our dry seasonal stream and walked along it, pausing now and then to peer carefully at the things that caught my attention. A cool mushroom, frosted diamond spider web necklaces, and then, these incredible droplets on wild honeysuckle leaves. I got many super pictures, but this one was my favorite because the droplets are marching along the edge like little soldiers! :)

I was also amazed to see the unusual frost formations on various plants like Oak twigs. I took lots of pictures of this unique, needle-like frost, and you'll see my picture as my second entry today. Enjoy! :)

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Contrary to popular belief, Ford did not invent the automobile nor did he invent the assembly line. Ford however was the first to develop and manufacture the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford to buy. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from a relatively unknown invention into an innovation that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout most of North America and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to control the company permanently. Wiki: Henry Ford

Explored on December 29, 2013. Highest placement, page 5.

D is for Dazzling Droplet

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:12:58 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

The other day I went down to the gate to get the mail and brought along my camera. I had looked outside and saw that everything was covered in melted frost and knew I would find lots of wonderful opportunities for my next alphabet letter, "D".

The thing that always amazes me is how incredibly tiny droplets can be. We are used to seeing large rain drops on windows, in the sink, the shower, etc. But droplets can be microscopic in size, and when you see grass sparking with early morning dew, a very close look will reveal that tiny beads of water are bristling on almost every surface!

I wandered around in various locations, dropping down to my knee pads and staring nose-close at the incredible sparkling landscapes before me, and got lucky with many cool pictures of droplets with fabulous bokeh. Here is my favorite of this photo outing.

I found this single droplet next to our seasonal pond in a patch of grass carpeting one side. No larger than a small letter "o"(about 1mm), this drop is clinging proudly to the very tip of a tiny blade of grass, the sun catching an edge and creating a beautiful starburst! These droplets are so very small that I have to keep "landmarks" in mind to help locate the droplet when I look through my viewfinder! Isn't nature amazing?! :)

Explored on March 18, 2014. Highest placement, #1. :D

The Magical and Mysterious Amber Droplets!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 06:58:58 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 note above!

I see many things under logs, bark and rocks, and there are lots of items that I'm totally clueless about.

This is a perfect example. Sometimes I find tiny little amber-colored droplets on one spot. Maybe they are dewdrops that have gathered together into larger droplets, stained by the wood they are on. But I find them on rocks and also on wood that doesn't look as if it could create an amber color in the droplets. The droplets are very watery, but I can't be sure they are water at all. Could these be collected by some insects and stored there? Or perhaps the droplets are moisture that was removed by insects and deposited there as a dumping ground? Who knows!

I have tried taking pictures of these droplets on many occasions. I've never been satisfied by the results...until the day I got this picture! In fact, I got a bunch of really nice images, and all of them are exactly what I'd hoped for: sharp focus on one droplet and the rest fading off into bokeh! :)

330/365: "I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within." ~ Titus Maccius Plautus

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 05:41:26 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 more pictures in notes above ! :)

Today I decided to explore a bit of the side of our hill that leads up to our ridge line. This area is many acres in size and yet, I have rarely wandered through it. Other than the trail leading straight up the hill to the top, there are no other proper trails, but the deer trails are very helpful, leading me around the countless thickets of bushes and dead trees with their grabbing branches. Sadly, the dogs didn't go because I wanted to concentrate on exploring this place and not keeping an eye on dogs.

Before I entered the forest on the hill, I came to a thistle plant, which was covered with seeds about to fly away on their parachutes. I captured some images and got very lucky when one flew away while I was taking pictures! As I wandered up and into the forest, I studied branches and took pictures of many kinds of interesting lichen. Under one log I discovered two wonderful prizes: the droplets of water above which are trapped in spider web--don't they look like a beautiful earring?!--and when I was pulling away some leaves, I discovered a tiny mushroom, which I'm also sharing tonight! :) On my adventure I also found an interesting spider, a beautiful wasp gall, a baby centipede, a cool little beetle running over madrone bark, some beautiful droplets bristling on a blade of grass, and a very special find: I discovered a lichen just like the British Soldier lichen I shared the other day but instead of being red on top, it's black! I want to take more pictures before I share these--the ones I got today are crisp but I want less clutter! :)

Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254–184 BC), commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus. The word Plautine refers to both Plautus's own works and works similar to or influenced by his. Wikipedia: Titus Maccius Plautus

Explored on November 27, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#38)...

323/365: "The true lover of rain.... has a deep inner enjoyment of the rain—as rain—and his sense of its beauty drinks it in as thirstily as does the drinking earth." ~ John Richard Vernon

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 05:15:00 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 more pictures and a note above ! :)

It rained off and on all day long, and as I sit here typing, the rain continues to fall. At one point it was coming down very lightly, and I risked a few minutes to step out onto our back deck for some droplet pictures. We have a tea rose bush growing next to the stairs, enthusiastically growing through the cracks in the boards and pushing through the railings. I know I should cut it back but I don't want to! I love its beautiful red-edged leaves, the beautiful thorny stems, and of course the roses! The leaves which turn yellow and fall off are pretty too. Rain drops are gorgeous on any part of it, and the same goes with dew, frost and snow.

The only problem with taking pictures of droplets on these leaves is that I have a hard time stopping! With so many wonderful possibilities, I could easily capture hundreds of images! However, I could only stay for about 5 minutes because lightly or not, it was definitely raining. After looking through my selection, I have three choices for today. What...NO mushrooms?!!! LOL, I have PLENTY of those pictures to share, but figured it would be nice to spare you for a day! :D

John Richard Vernon was a writer, most well-known for his 1826 book, "The Beauty of Rain”. Vernon earned his MA degree at Hertford College, Oxford, and became Rector of St. Audries, Bridgwater, England, in 1872. As of 1881, he was Rector of West Quantoxhead, Somerset.

Explored on November 20, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

Droplets on Yellowing Rose Leaf Against Sky

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 05:14:48 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I had a hard time deciding which picture would be the best choice for Picture of the Day. I really like the way the droplets look against the sky in this image, but I think the bokeh in the first image makes it stand out. I'd love to know what your opinion is! :)

Droplets in Curled Rose Leaf

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 05:14:35 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

How colorful these leaves are, and yet when you just glance, there is nothing special about them. I love it when they curl because you get to see both sides of the leaf this way!

Moth Mullein Covered with Raindrops

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 04:58:58 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I was out after the rain stopped the other day and noticed this perfect blossom that was covered with droplets. I hoped that it would make a pretty picture, and I was right! :) I added some texturing to the background and some vignetting to add a bit more interest. :)

Explored on November 18, 2013. Highest placement, page 8...

320/365: "Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past, what to enjoy in the present, and what to plan for in the future." ~ Arnold H. Glasow

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 04:52:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

3 more pictures above ! :)

Today I have a presentation about a teensy-tiny little fungus called Cannonball Fungus, that I found a few days ago. It was very fascinating to me, but wasn't sure it was interesting enough to share. However, yesterday I was out with the dogs and studying a few logs along the way. I noticed some very tiny things growing, and when I was nearly eyeball close, I was amazed to find tiny jelly globes (the cannonballs!) resting on the interesting orange star-shaped fungus I found the other day. It was too late to take pictures so I went out first thing today, hoping they were still there...which I'm happy to say, they were! :)

After I got my pictures, I looked up and noticed that there were droplets of water clinging to everything around me! It had rained all night and the world was dripping wet. Just a foot away, I saw this blade of grass fairly bristling with droplets, and thought it would be fun to try taking some flash images of it. When I looked at the images on my computer, I was delighted to see that this one showed clear refractions of the White Oak leaves scattered on the ground below! There are even tiny droplets on larger droplets, totally crazy! :)

Arnold H. Glasow (Arnold Henry Glasow) (1905 - 1998) was an American businessman and humorist. He was cited frequently in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Chicago Tribune and many other major publications. Daily Quotes: Arnold H. Glasow

Explored on November 18, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

Droplet with Poppy Refraction

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 03:38:34 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This is a picture I took months ago, and I remember being frustrated because I wanted this to be my Picture of the Day, but it wasn't quite as nice at the image that won the coveted position. Some days are like that...so many nice pictures it's hard to choose!

Droplet-Covered Leaf with Near Miss Poppy Refraction

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 03:38:25 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This image is an example of what I'd call a "near miss". It's a nice enough droplet picture, but the refractions are not very good and don't show the poppy well enough. I really don't know if this picture is really worth posting but thought it might be ok posted with the other one which is much better! :D NOTE: Thank you all for your votes of confidence! Maybe I've just been staring at this picture too long that all I see are flaws! I am always thinking about ' Clofotos amazing refraction and droplet shots when I make my own attempts, so therein lies a very high bar to ascend to!

Side View of Droplets on a Wild Iris Leaf (with 5 inset images!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 03:29:32 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

5 more pictures above in notes!

I like the difference in sizes of droplets in this image, the large droplet looks like a drop of clear gel! :D I thought it would be fun to put all of my wild iris leaf droplet shots all together, so be sure to move your cursor over the image to see the others. You will see that the images from last year are really special! :)

I added a bit of canvas texture to the background along with a very subtle touch of one of Jerry Jone's textures: Soft-Faux-n-Grunge-Bokeh -7-18-09-TOTD # 11

265/365: "Go and walk with Nature; thou will find, Full many a gem in her enchanted cup." ~ Isaac McLellan

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 03:29:40 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 more pictures in notes above! :)

Another drizzly morning had me yanking on my rubber boots and pulling on a jacket, with my sights set for the top of our hill, and my aim being another hunt for the first mushrooms of the season. Yet again, I found none, but I did find some interesting fungus, though the images I got weren't quite good enough to share.

On my way up the hill, I spotted some wild iris leaves, which were positively covered with droplets! These leaves repel water so perfectly that the droplets form beautiful round crystal balls all over the surface. I discovered them last year, so I was very happy to see them again today, even though I didn't find any mushrooms. Tomorrow is another day, and the nice thing about not finding mushrooms is that this image can be my Picture of the Day! :)

By the way, if you are interested, this is my album of mushroom images, which will give you an idea how crazy I am about them! :D Mushroom Album

Isaac McLellan (May 21, 1806-August 20, 1899) was an author and poet, some of whose work has achieved notability by republication in anthologies. Wikipedia: Isaac McLellan

Explored on September 23, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

Top-Down View of Droplets on Iris Leaf

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 03:29:23 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Here you can see some of the of the perfectly round droplets I was talking about. Natural waterproofing! :D

I added a touch of canvas texturing and soft vignetting to the background.