Aperture Priority

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So our next assignment in my mentorship is aperture blending.  As I was doing some shots to blend, this bumble bee decided to have his dinner in the garden.  So much for blending these but he did make a nice addition for what is now my photo of the day!

After a little searching of flower, bud and leaves, I believe this is a Japanese Thimbleweed.  When I go back to retake some more shots, I will make sure to confirm this.

A bee is an exquisite chemist.
~Royal Beekeeper to Charles II

Here Comes The Sun....

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I am participating in my 2nd mentorship on G+ and this one is photographing flowers.  Week 2 assignment is to spend time with flowers and photograph parts that not everyone sees or looks for.

Sunflowers are one of my favorites and lucky for me, after a quick and relatively painless dentist visit, I took a walk across the street to a neighborhood garden area which always has sunflowers. According to the woman at my dentist's office, her local Dormont neighbor does all the planting!

As beautiful as sunflowers are facing the lens, the back gives us amazing details and shooting just half of the flower gives the look of the sun rising (or setting).  I shot from the side as well and sepia toned it and loved the outcome but this, to me, just screams Summer.

Be your own sunshine!

Pittsburgh CLO

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South Pacific comes to the Benedum!  Shannon had her choice of two free tickets to several musicals and chose South Pacific. Bloody Mary was my favorite.  She's my kinda gal. 

It was wonderful despite the slight trauma and mini meltdown on the way there. And the beauty of the Bendedum never ceases to amaze me!!

"Some enchanted evening....."

Flag Plaza

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Tonight required a trip downtown to Flag Plaza, otherwise known as Scout Central for the Boy Scouts in the Pittsburgh area.  It was our popcorn kick-off and just by attending I earned our troop an additional 1% in profit.

One of the most beautiful features of Flag Plaza are the flags.  There are five, eighty foot flag poles that fly flags 24 hours a day.  There is always the living 50 star American Flag, the banner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the crest of the city of Pittsburgh, the ensign of the Boy Scouts of America and an historic flag.  Tonight showed an historic flag of our ancestors and it's the flag of the United Dutch East Indies Company.  It makes for quite a site.

There is also an replica of the Liberty Bell complete with a history lesson that can be heard all the way to the Consol Energy Center.  I just had to push that button on the side.....

There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not fly in a vacuum.
~Arthur C. Clarke

Tonight's Visitor

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I was out doing a bit of garden inspection and I was greeted by this lovely visitor having his dinner on my butterfly bush.

I was so close (shooting with my phone) and he never budged.  Dinner was definitely more important than me!

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty!
~Maya Angelou

As The Day Ends.....

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The colors of Summer.  Mother Nature is good. 

Every day is beautiful if you choose to see it. 

Grandview Ave

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High a top Mt. Washington, having dinner at my favorite restaurant, we watched as a typical Summer storm rolled in and then right out.

Coffee, some peach cobbler cheesecake and we managed to let the storm pass into a lovely sunset. 

The quarrels of lovers are like Summer storms. Everything is more beautiful when they have passed. 

~Suzanne Curchod