Picture from the A--- Gardens

[silverflight8]

I went to investigate the library on P---- Street today, about a half hour's walk away, because they had promised they had piano practicing rooms, under "Features at this library". I am without a piano for what looks like a long while to come, so I am jumping on any opportunities that come by. The music department flatly refuses to lend time to non-music students.

A: When I have to travel before taking pictures, I should put my camera case inside my backpack, so that it is not immediately obvious to anyone who has eyes that I'm carrying a thousand-dollar camera (I have a DSLR). Especially when I have never been to said place before.
B: I should shoot with higher shutter speed. I dragged down the ISO, and tried to compensate, but my hand is not that steady D:

So then anyway I got home (the piano was not available until at least six and I was not going to walk back again) and started developing them in Lightroom. Things went swimmingly and I consulted many many Adobe help topics. I've had Lightroom since September, and I still haven't explored everything it's got. If you get a chance to use it to develop photos, I highly recommend it, but there's definitely some futzing around required first.

After going through the set twice (once to flag and select photos, the next to crop), I start in on adjustments. Around the fifteenth or such photo, I suddenly realize that I have f.lux on, and it's night time.

!!!!

Anyway, I turned it off and blinked in dismay (and also in reflex, because the sudden change in colour temperature will do that). I went back and half-heartedly re-adjusted my adjustments. Bleh*. Most of them look weirdly too bluish, and I can't tell if it's actually too bluish, or whether it's still my eyes adjusting. Also after staring at pictures and moving sliders in miniscule increments, everything looks fake.


RAMBLING ASIDE - I have pictures. It is 1 am and I have been working with this set, editing and trying to figure out how to publish - since four, so none of these have commentary. Well, except that the light was very good so most are just a crop and a bit of contrast adjustment, and oh right there's one with desaturated green (you'll see it easily - the flower really looks bright).

































































*This explains why the temperature adjustments seemed necessary! *facepalm*

Comments

[lullabymoon]

Oooh, gorgeous pictures! And the plants!!!

[silverflight8]

Thank you! I didn't know the conservatory was even there (I saw it on my way there and investigated on the way back), but I was so glad I brought my camera :D

[bluegerl.livejournal.com]

Oh WOW!!! fantastic flora. Honestly I can't pick out my favourites - lilies aaaaah could smell them from here. and the huge spiky one (Mother-in-law's-tongue?) that was such a glorious spiny explosion of shape. Tulips of moonlight, aaah my bougainvilliea and morning glories! Alstroemeria and Aquilegia (the 3 mauvey white flowers against the green) oh so many... I grew so many of these in Oz and had them in Africa.. now just the primula and tulips in my garden here. Lilies don't do well in this soil. Where is this A---- place - is it a sort of Kew Gardens?

Thank you SO much - I realise you had to do so much fiddling and twiddling to get these so perfect, but by golly you should be so pleased with the result. Magnificent. Truly wonderful on a grey wet stormy morning. Bless you, most grateful. Blue.

[silverflight8.livejournal.com]

They were so glorious! The cactus area, especially, seemed to have improbably enormous (and thriving) plants...MORNING GLORY yes that is one of the best names for the flower (poetic and so right!) This was a conservatory. (I googled Kew Gardens, but I think the conservatory here, as big and old as it seems, can't really compare - wow!) And I forgot to say: the last few pictures (starting with the profusion of pansies) are actually outdoors; they're in this little park next to where I live, which is maintained by the Parks and Recreation arm of the city.

I really like fiddling round with photographs, so I'm glad you liked them! I just need to find some way to post them easily.

[senza.livejournal.com]

Yay, pretty pictures! The red frog is cute (and somewhat unexpected in the set). *g* What camera (and lens) do you have? And kudos on figuring out Lightroom! Whenever I try to edit my pictures, I always end up not being able to tell what actually looks better. A somewhat-recent picture of mine: http://pics.livejournal.com/senza/pic/000454rb/.

Bummer about none of the pianos being free. That is part of a reason (among many other reasons) I did a minor in music, so that I would have access to on-campus practice rooms. Barring that, I could sometimes get one of the students to let me in on weekends or after hours. I hope you find a piano soon!

[silverflight8.livejournal.com]

That's why I liked the frog so much - I was just peering at plants and then I stumbled on the frog. I have an Canon EOS 20D with a 62mm lens and a zoom 18-200 (I think. I am a noob on these things; my camera's my dad's old one :P)

Yes, exactly! I like Lightroom's comparison and survey modes, which let you compare two or more pictures in one screen.

Oooh, the contrast between the pink flowers and the grey-blue sky is great. It almost looks surreal...where did you take the picture?

Yeah, there are pianos around campus (I found one that's not out of tune - it's not been used in ages, since I played it and came out with dusty fingers) but it's in a lecture hall. I think the only reason it was available was that it's now exams, so classes have ended.