Links – January 27, 2012

Yellowstone Gerbera Daisy © 2011 Patty Hankins

Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week – hope you enjoy them as well

Photogrpahy

Mark Dubovey has Everything Matters at Luminous-Landscape

Photo Attorney has Compensating You for Copyright Infringement

Landscape, Nature and Travel Photography has 10 Ways To Improve as a Photographer

Flowers, Trees and Plants Links

The Washington Post has Botanists agree to loosen Latin’s grip and New plant map shifts area to warmer zone

BBC News has ‘Peak timber’ concerns in tropics

USDA has USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

The National Parks Traveler has Biscayne National Park Visitors Concerned About Climate Change And How It Could Impact the Park, Friends of Acadia Works With Youth To Plan The Future Of Technology In Acadia National Park,  On The Eve Of America’s Summit On National Parks, Some Questions To Mull and Millions Of Dollars Heading To National Parks For Road, Multiple-Use Trail Improvements

Wildlife Links

The New York Times has Bird-Watchers Revel in Unusual Spike in Snowy Owl Sightings,  Sounding an Alarm on Birds and Mercury and Dozens of Stranded Dolphins on Cape Cod Shores Perplex Rescuers

Discovery News has Invasive Species: Why Not Just Eat Them?

Environment

Native Plant Wildlife Garden has National Wildlife Federation Teams up With Scotts Miracle Gro? and Scotts and National Wildlife Federation: Toxic Partners?

EcoSystem Gardening has National Wildlife Federation and Scotts Miracle Gro: Perfect Together?

If you’re in the DC area – I hope you’ll join me and other flower lovers at our DC Flower Safari Meetups. Next one is scheduled for February 5^th  when we head to Longwood Gardens for their Orchid Extravaganza. Hope to see you there!

Giant Stapela – stapelia gigantea

Last November, I photographed a very unusual flower at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC – it was Giant Stapela (Stapelia gigantea). They are also known as carrion plants – a well-deserved name given how they smell! The best description of how they smell is rotting flesh of a dead animal. This smell attracts the flies which are essential for pollination.

 

© 2012 Patty Hankins

Giant Stapela’s are native to Africa – found from Tanzania to South Africa. The pale yellow with reddish-striped flowers resemble large five-armed starfish, which can grow up to 10 – 16″ across. The one I photographed was at least 10″ wide.

© 2012 Patty Hankins

© 2012 Patty Hankins

 

© 2012 Patty Hankins

Spathoglottis Orchids

On a couple of visits to local botanical gardens at the end of 2011 I spotted some orchids the likes of which I’d never seen before. They all were labeled as being Spathoglottis orchids. Also known as ground orchids, the spathoglottis orchids are evergreen plants with delicate flowers.

The first set I photographed were the Citrus Cooler Orchids

© 2012 Patty Hankins

© 2012 Patty Hankins

© 2012 Patty Hankins

I then found another set of spathoglottis orchids labeled as Citrus Cooler that were totally different colors than the original one’s I had photographed.

© 2012 Patty Hankins

I also found some Coconut White Orchids

© 2012 Patty Hankins

And finally some Golden Passion Orchids

© 2012 Patty Hankins

© 2012 Patty Hankins

© 2012 Patty Hankins

I really like the bright colors I’ve seen in some of the Spathoglottis orchids – I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more of these delicate orchids to photograph.

New Photo: Columbine

Columbine © 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo –  Columbine – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

Columbine (aquilegia canadensis) are one of my favorite spring wildflowers. The combination of red and yellow add a wonderful splash of color to the spring landscape. I photographed this columbine blossom along River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are a couple of patches of Columbine I visit (and photograph) every year in the Smokies – I’m already looking forward to seeing them in 2012.

This photograph is available as  either at 10 X 10″ or 20 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Columbine from my website.

Links – January 20, 2012

Sunny Wind Hibiscus © 2011 Patty Hankins

Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week – hope you enjoy them as well

Flowers, Trees and Plants Links

Invasive Notes has Please consider participating in a Strategic Planning Task Force Survey/Questionnaire for the U.S. National Arboretum

The DC Ladies has Confessions of a Plant Killer

Beautiful Wildlife Garden has Wildlife Garden Trends

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

National Parks Traveler has Birding in the Parks: Not Too Early To Plan To Attend Birding Festivals in the National Park System and Congress Asked To Pass Legislation To Increase Size of Gettysburg National Military Park

Refuge Watch has First Donation of Land for Everglades Headwaters NWR

Examiner.com has New study proposes Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area

Wildlife Links

Mail Online has Bear-ing all: 24-hour, secret camera attached to grizzly bears captures just what they get up to in the Alaskan wild

National Parks Traveler has U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Finalizes Ban on Transportation of Non-native Constrictor Snakes That Threaten Everglades and Dozens Of Dolphins Strand Themselves On Cape Cod and Yellowstone National Park Report To UNESCO Outlines Issues of Park’s Genetic Isolation, Human Pressures

US Fish and Wildlife Service has North American Bat Death Toll Exceeds 5.5 Million From White-nose Syndrome

Adventure Journal has This Spirit Bear Cub Is Darn Cute

Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery has New Sea Turtles Arrive at the Sea Turtle Hospital

Environment

Washington Post has Obama administration rejects Keystone XL pipeline

90 Day Photo Project – Oakleaf Hydrangea

As part of my 90 Photo Project – I’ve found myself returning to one set of Oakleaf Hydrangea bushes several times. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how the colors and textures have changed on the plants over the past several weeks. Here’s what I’ve photographed there.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Day 8 – Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Lots of colors in this patch of Oak Leaf Hydrangea. I like the contrast of all the colors in the leaves and the pale brown of the dried flowers. There were some neat textures in the flowers – I may head back with my macro lens in the next few days and see what I can do with them in.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Day 8 – Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Day 12 – More Oakleaf Hydrangea Leaves

What a difference a few cold days make! Just a few days ago (day 8) the leaves on the oakleaf hydrangeas were shades of green, yellow & orange. This morning I found lots of incredible shades of red and purple!!!

 

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Day 8 – Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Day 23 – Oak Leaf Hydrangea

I was really surprised to see so much color left in the Oak Leaf Hydrangea leaves. Just about all the other trees and shrubs in the area have either dropped their leaves – or are full of brown leaves. Lots of great reds and purples in the leaves – not sure how much longer this will last.

While I was out photographing this morning I saw lots of robins and other birds eating the berries off some of the trees. Not sure if I’ll try to photograph them or not in the next few days – I do a much better job photographing non-moving subjects than moving ones

© 2012 Patty Hankins

 

Day 56 – Oakleaf Hydrangea Abstract

So day 56 was new Year’s Day and I ended up with a very different type of photo. Perhaps I can attribute it to the mimosas Jimmy & Rose were serving on New Year’s eve. . .

I started photographing the dried flowers on the Oakleaf Hydrangea bushes across the stree – inspired by a great photo of a red-winged blackbird on hydrangeas that Dan Williams posted. I had the dried flowers in sharp focus – and the background kind of blurry – and then I realized I liked the blurry background more interesting than the dried flowers.

So I recomposed the photo – on just the out of focus background. I kept the image out of focus – and started seeing what I could find. This was my favorite shot. There’s enough in focus to tell that it’s hydrangea bushes (if you know what they look like) with enough out of focus to not make it obvious what it’s a photo of.

Then I did more post-processing in Lightroom than I usually do. I played with all the saturation sliders – bringing out the blue, aqua, purple and magenta tones that were pretty sublet in the original image.

Overall I like it – and I may play with the idea of deliberately out of focus photos if I find something that I think will work.

I’d love to hear what you think about this photo.

 

© 2012 Patty Hankins

 

Day 70 – Oak Leaf Hydrangea Blossoms

I decided to head back to the Oak Leaf Hydrangea bushes I’ve photographed several times previously. Most of the leaves are gone – and those that are left are primarily brown. Some of the flowers have dried on the stalks – and are quite beautiful.

If you’d like to see the full set of photos from my 90 Day Photo Project or would like to follow along as I post new photos – I’m posting the photos and comments to both Facebook and Google+.

Some of my Favorite Spider Mums

Spider Mums are one of my favorite classes of Chrysanthemums. I love the wild structures and colors in some of the varieties of spider mums. Two of my favorite types of Spider Mums are the Coral Reef Chrysanthemums and the Natalini Chrysanthemums.

Coral Reef Chrysanthemum © 2011 Patty Hankins

The Coral Reef Chrysanthemums are a wonderful combination of colors – shades of red, orange and yellow. Every time I see them, they  make me smile. And I’ve noticed that other people seem to have very similar reactions to these bright bold flowers.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Last year, I photographed the Natalini Chrysanthemums for they first time. They are known for their long fine spectacularly pink petals. They quickly became one of my favorite chrysanthemums – something about the wonderful shade of pink and shape of the flowers!

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

 

 

 

 

New Photo: Blue-Eyed Mary

Blue-Eyed Mary © 2011 Patty Hankins

 

I’ve recently added a new photo –  Blue-Eyed Mary – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

When I first saw these wonderful little blue and white wildflowers – I had not clue what they were. Fortunately for me – there was a small sign that identified them as Blue-Eyed Mary (collinsia verna). It blooms only for a few days in the spring in Tennessee – but when it does bloom it’s amazing. I’ve seen patches of Blue-Eyed Mary that cover large areas under trees. So even though each individual flower is quite small – they create an unforgettable display in the spring.

This photograph is available as  either at 10 X 10″ or 20 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Blue-Eyed Mary from my website.

Links – January 13, 2012

Sunflower Center © 2011 Patty Hankins

Flowers, Trees and Plants Links

Native Plant and Wildlife Garden has Why go Native?

The Christine Science Monitor has In Africa, using ants and termites to increase crop yields

Issus has Washington Gardener Seed Exchanges 2012

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

The Washington  Post has Sites identified as potential Latino national parks

National Parks Traveler has House GOP Expected To Resume Push To Exempt Border Patrol From Environmental Laws Across National Parks and Interior Secretary Salazar Withdraws 1 Million Acres Around Grand Canyon National Park From Hardrock Mining

The New Y0rk Times has U.S. to Ban New Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon

Wildlife Links

The Washington Post has Snowy owls that gained fame as Harry Potter’s companion migrating to US from Arctic habitat and Fuss and feathers: Young whooping cranes and their bird plane grounded while feds check rules and Rare Asian duck’s mysterious appearance in Calif. draws bird watchers to wildlife refuge and World’s newest snake, Matilda, has menacing yellow scales, horns, and a little girl’s name

The New York Times has More of State’s Species May Be Endangered

Refuge Watch has Cranes Cleared for Take Off

Nature’s Beauty Everywhere I Look

How fine Nature’s methods! How deeply with beauty is beauty overlaid – John Muir

© 2011 Patty Hankins

For the past several weeks, I’ve been working on a 90 Day Photo Project. Every day, I head out the front door and take at least 30 photos of something beautiful I find. It’s been an amazing project. I’ve found Nature’s beauty is places and things that I’d never expected to.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Heading out and photographing every day hasn’t been a challenge for me. The challenge has been photographing in different conditions that I usually shoot in. I photograph flowers – so I’m usually out early morning or late afternoon on nice warm sunny days. As for wind, I rarely photograph in anything heavier than a gentle breeze.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

So you can just imagine what a challenge 90 days of photography from November through February is! I’ve been photographing in weather conditions I’ve always avoided – so far I’ve been out in the rain, cold, wind, and even a few snow flurries!!!

© 2011 Patty Hankins

And it has been wonderful. Without the obvious subject of a flower in perfect bloom or one just beginning to bud, I’m taking the opportunity to slow down, explore different subjects and experiment with different techniques. I’ve photographed everything from tree bark to grasses. I’ve tried to capture the feeling of the wind and the cold.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

This project is not only improving my photography, but it is also helping me to appreciate the incredible beauty of nature around my home – no matter what the season or the weather.

© 2012 Patty Hankins

So now you’ve seen what beauty I’ve been finding in my neighborhood. Is it making you curious to see what you can find in yours?

© 2012 Patty Hankins

If you’d like to see more photos from my 90 Day Photo Project, I’m posting them on Facebook and Google+.