Album 365 Alternates from Janet Brien

Dry and Beautiful Irish Eyes Blossom

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 05:55:04 +0000

Here's a close-up of a dried blossom, I think they look so cool! :)

Blackberry Thorns and Frost Crystals

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:14:22 +0000

This picture shows a close up of a blackberry vine, complete with frosted thorns. Crazy, isn't it? I've never seen such well-defined crystals before!

Explored on December 12, 2013. Highest placement, page 7.

Underside of Fern

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 03:39:08 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This fern plant isn't large, with each frond being only a few inches long, so I thought it would be fun to try getting some close-ups of the undersides, which are so fascinating to me. What you are looking at are spores, which is how ferns reproduce. Ferns are one of the world's oldest plants, and they do not reproduce by flower pollination like most other plants. The next time you are admiring a fern, take a look at the underside, and you'll be surprised how interesting the spores look! In fact, the spore vary drastically from one species to another, and I find them quite beautiful! :)

If you would like to know more about spore reproduction in plants, Wiki has a very nice page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporogenesis

Frosted Spider Web

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 04:39:27 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

As I studied the lichen for just the right frozen droplets, I discovered many fine spider webs here and there with frozen tiny droplets on them! I enjoyed trying to get crisp images, and this picture turned out the best! :)

Lovely Little Mushroom with Leafy Bokeh

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 05:55:59 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I found this mushroom about 5 minutes after I got up onto the hillside and actually, I almost stepped on it! It was fun getting images from various angles and depth of field, but when I saw that the bokeh showed the shape of the Oak leaf perfectly, I was delighted! :)

Micro Mini Mushroom

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 04:35:45 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

After I took the picture of the wasp galls on the Oak leaf, I looked over at the small Oak saplings right next to me. I now know where to look to find the itty-bitty mushrooms that grow on these trees, and it didn't take me long. At the base of the sapling I found this darling little mushroom, about 1/8" in diameter! So cute and perfect! :)

Acorn Cap Nestled in Moss

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 05:20:15 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I walked about 50 feet from the house to an Oak tree that has moss growing all over its lower branches. I've seen some beautiful things here before, and I was delighted to find this lovely acorn cap nestled in the moss. I originally planned to make this my Picture of the Day, until I looked up and saw the acorn cap balanced between two twigs! :)

Tiny Mushroom in a Moss Forest

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 04:10:51 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This is the mushroom I found growing in a sea of moss on a thick branch which is supporting the massive trunk which will eventually fall to the ground. I'd say this little guy is about 1/2" in size, and isn't it funny how enormous the moss looks?! They look like bushes! :D

This picture ended up taking a bit of work to process. I shot it at f/18, which meant the background was quite clear. I tried so many things to mess with the background, but in the end, the best solution turned out to be usine Topaz Lab's Lens Effects: Bokeh SLR Lens suite of filters. There are many lens choices and apertures to experiment with, and I chose the "Canon 85mm f1.8". In order to use it though, I had to use my method of removing some of the mushroom in that layer. Otherwise, the filter effect creates a large blurry halo around the mushroom. However, I think the result has turned out pretty well with plenty of massaging to work the mushroom into the image. I hope you like it! :)

Perfect Icicles

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 03:14:06 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

These icicles were right next to the front stairs of our porch, and even though I've taken lots of icicle pictures, these are so perfect that I just had to share them! :)

Frozen Droplet with Bubbles on a Pine Needle

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 04:29:24 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Here is a side view of one of the lovely frozen droplets at the ends of the pine needles in the previous image. You can see the trapped air bubbles in the icy droplet, and you can also make out the interesting, "filament frost" on top. (I'll be sharing some crazy pictures of this filament frost in the future, I got some beauties!)

Frosted Diamond Pendant (1 inset image)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 05:55:15 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 image above in a note! :)

Today when I went over to investigate the mesh frame on top of my garden tub, I found a very interesting formation that was hanging down under the mesh. It appears that the snow that was sitting on top melted and dribbled through the mesh and re-froze, and then the weight caused part of it to detach, leaving just the top adhered. The result looks quite a lot like a fancy diamond pendant, perhaps in the shape of a cross. I put another picture above as an inset so that you can see it from the side. This way you will have a better understanding of how it melted through the mesh! Totally neato! :)

Leaves on the Frosty, Melting Pond

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 05:06:49 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

These leaves are laying in the remnants of snow on the icy pond, and the spots you see are melting droplets from a tree's branches above the pond! :)

[STORY TIME!!] Molly is Chagrined

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 06:26:09 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

"Chagrin‎: A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event."

So, I went out to take pictures today and brought the dogs with me. As you know, when we are "in the moment" of photography, we are lost to the world, and so, when I looked up from what I was doing, many moments had passed. Plenty of time for dogs to get into all kinds of mischief. Molly came running over, and she very proudly showed me her Grand Adornment....

"Oh nooooooooooooo, MOLLY!!!!!" Wrinkling my nose and moaning, I looked in mortified disgust at the sight before me. Molly had evidently found something dead, gooey, and stinking to high heaven. And proceeded to roll luxuriously in it, caking her thick coat like war paint. I'm surprised I didn't see clouds of fumes billowing up around her, but let me tell you, that was one very proud dog! Moosey and Zoe smelled her appreciatively and offered a lick or two, at which point I yelled, "NO!!!"Groaning under my breath, I told the crew it was time to get back to the house, since I now had a very foul and stinking dog to wash. Did I mention the part that I've never washed Molly before? It's only been a few months now that Molly and I are on a close trust basis, and I would never consider trying to bathe her before, but these days she trusts me completely and I know she isn't a danger. (For a long time our relationship was very neutral and though she respected me, she would not bow to my wishes without a lot of stress on both our parts. I didn't think she'd have ever bitten me, but I wasn't going to force the issue either.)

I thought about my options. First I tried wiping off some of the goo. That was a bad, bad idea!! So gross!! Then I called Steve for his advice... no answer. Ok...well, she needs a bath right now. Bath tub or shower stall? Considering, I decided I couldn't risk trying to get her in the tub because the sliding glass doors could possibly slip and fall off if banged too hard. But, would she FIT in the shower with me? I had no choice but to find out. So I called her up to the master bedroom and tried to get her to go into the bathroom. No way. She wasn't having it. I had to force her in and close the door. Which Zoe promptly pushed open (no latch on the door) and out went Molly! "Molly! You get back here!" She stops in her tracks, looking over her shoulder in horror. "EEK! Pack Mom YELLED at me!!" "Molly, get back in that bathroom right now!" Around she turned, balking at the door. I jabbed her with a finger and in she went, tail between her legs. Closed the door. Zoe opened it again and I YELLED at Zoe, "ZOE, BAD GIRL! YOU GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" Like a brown bullet, she flew out of the bedroom and down the stairs, totally mortified that I screamed at her (something I never do!). Back in the bathroom, door closed, off with my clothes and I gestured for Molly to get into the shower. She looks up at me with an expression, "Seriously? You must be kidding! I'll die in there!" "IN!" I tell her very sternly and point again. In she goes, and I follow in after and pull the door closed. Remarkably, WE BOTH FIT! Amazing!

Ok. Turn on the water...wait for it to heat up and block the door in case Molly wants to bolt. Nope...with my encouraging coos of, "Good girl, Molly! I'm sorry we have to wash off your Trophy Stink, but you can't keep it if you want to be in the house." She's resigned to her fate and waits for the Grim Reaper, who is surely on his way.

Warm water is the trick to relaxing Molly and she sat down and actually enjoyed the sensation of being covered with thick suds and a long scrubbing massage from Pack Mom. It took me about 15 minutes to get her totally shampooed, scrubbed, and rinsed. I even sang a song to her called "Rolling in the Carcass", but I'll spare you the lyrics. Molly enjoyed the excellent melody and fine choice of words, though I will say that Pumpkin hated every word, yelling (squawking) from her cage in the next room! :D (Truthfully, one of Pumpkin's favorite things in the world is watching a dog being bathed...when I wash Zoe, she sits on her perch in the shower for a front row seat! She thinks it's totally hilarious and laughs her head off the whole time, throwing bread on her head and having a grand time! :D)

When I finally got her rinsed completely, I washed myself off, and then stepped out, closing her in and telling her to, "STAY." I dried myself off, layed out some towels, and opened the door to the shower. She stepped out and was immediately enveloped in warm, dry towels, cooed at and loved as I spent the next 10 minutes drying her off. She got happier and happier the dryer she got, and finally I opened the door into the bedroom and out she pranced, tail high over her back, the Queen of All She Surveys once again! :D

I took this picture about 10 minutes after I dried her off. We all went downstairs and she lay on the livingroom floor, totally exhausted by the whole experience and obviously very relieved that I didn't hate her at all...Pack Mom loves her very much indeed. But please...no more Trophy Stink!! :D

Frosted Grass

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 04:20:01 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Something about this frosted grass caught my attention. Maybe it's the fancy hair?! :D

Snowy Oak in the Icy Mist (one inset image!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 04:20:13 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 picture above in a note! :)

I looked out into the meadow this morning and saw the frosty mist rising up around the lone Oak there. Even though I have taken pictures of this tree in the mist before, I thought it would be wonderful to have a picture where it has snow on its branches and very few leaves! :) (roll your mouse over the image above to see the other misty Oak picture I posted a while ago!)

Icicles on Blackberry Leaves

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:14:09 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This was a really cool find! I saw all the icicles on the eaves above the blackberry bushes, so I looked to see if any icicles had formed on the bushes too...and they had! So much fun!!

Silver Bubbles on Glass Vase

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 04:55:44 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

When I saw this, I really wanted to make it my picture of the day, but Steve felt the pink picture was much more flashy, so I went with that one. However, I simply LOVE the way these bubbles appear to be moving through the water. To explain what you're looking at, the weird stuff on the left is plastic wrap which we have to cover the vase of water (it's extra water if the pipes freeze). You can see lots of other bubbles here and there, but none of them are floating in the water, they are sticking on the side of the vase. I love seeing these kinds of images, so I hope you like this one! :)

Molten Silver Bubble Invasion

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 04:55:32 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Here is another picture of the bubbles sticking to the inside of our water-filled vase at another angle. Off in the distance you can see just a bit of the plastic, and the flash is reflecting on it to make that cool rainbow triangle! :D To me, this looks like bubbles marching off to their Triangle Leader! :D

Colorful Frost Abstract

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 05:24:45 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I use RAW image format when I take pictures, and to process them, I use Canon's RAW image tool. There is an option called "Auto", which adjusts the image the way the program thinks it should look. It's usually wrong but I like to see what it comes up with, since I will sometimes start my processing there and if its close and then adjust various sliders. In this case, the image you see is exactly what the software thought was right. I instantly had two reactions: "OMG this is nothing like what it really looks like!!!" and then, "But you know... hmm... wow... I actually really like it!" I decided to process it this way and the only thing I did was remove noise that was added to the image with this appearance. (By the way, in reality, the pink is actually a medium BROWN with just a hint in the direction of orange. :D I think the RAW tool has been eating mushrooms! :D :D :D

Frosty Trees

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 05:24:26 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

We have a heated bird bath, and all around the edge of it was this amazing formation of frosty trees! Isn't this cool?! :D I am totally fascinated by the way that frost forms!