Just Peachy!!

This beautiful peach blossom belongs to my peach tree. 

Peach Blossom "Peach Reliance"

It is the Peach Reliance.  The Peach Reliance is an excellent choice for the northern gardener as they can with stand temperatures to -25 degrees and here in Maine that temperature isn't unlikely.  In fact this year it will be interesting to see how the Peach Reliance does with all the sub freezing temperatures we've had.

 

Peach trees in general take about 4-5 years to start producing fruit which can be a negative for those who want to grow peaches and want them the same year, but on the positive side you don't need 2 trees for pollination as some fruit trees do.  One is sufficient. 

 

Last year was my first full year and we easily got enough peaches to can over 24 pint jars with plenty left over.  Probably would have gotten a lot more if I had known how to treat the tree with some of the issues it had.  I had a hard time figuring out issues such as spots on the fruit, sap on the fruit, canker. 

 

You know I have to say I found it difficult to find the information I needed to know about my problems with my peach tree.  So this year I will try harder to stay on top of things and try to get any pests or diseases as soon as I see them.  In fact I think I will get in touch with some local growers to see what they have done to deal with such problems.

 

I'm going to be pruning this year pretty heavily clearing out branches that are crossing each other and thinning out the whole tree in general.  I will be leaving one year old branches that have three buds on it.  The center bud is the leaf bud and the two outer buds are the flowers.

 

I'll fertilize in May.  When the tree starts producing fruit I will start thinning them out to one fruit every six to eight inches on a twig.  This will be the hard part as I don't want to get rid of any fruit, but to ensure a healthy tree I need to get over it an do it.

 

Growing peaches as with any fruit or vegetable is through trial and error.  I do make it a habit to use as much organic materials as possible including any pest control I may and hopefully may not need.

 

Below are a few products that you can purchase from my Society 6 site.  Beautiful décor for your home or office.

 

iPhone & iPod cases and skins  iPad cases and Laptop & iPad skins

 

 

Mugs, Tote Bags and Pillows

 

Wall Clocks and Shower Curtains

 

Great gifts for that gardener in your life or you!!

Happy gardening!!

 

 

While Waiting For Spring

Like many of you winter has gone on long enough!  I've been waiting for Spring for what seems like forever. I'm now counting down the days until I see my grass again.  I still have over 3 feet of snow in my yard and just when I think we are melting the mounds of snow we get more........YUCK!!!!  The other day driving home from work I saw a sign that spoke loud and clear "Dear Mother Nature, we really need to talk."  I thought that was very appropriate considering our current conditions.

 

So instead of waiting for the crocuses, tulips and daffodils to find their way through all the snow, I decided to pick up some flowers from the grocery store and photograph them in my studio.

Tulips

 

Tulips are beautiful springtime flowers, but there is one small problem that I have, they are known as deer.  Yes they are beautiful, but after a long winter they are very hungry.  And deer love tulips!  I Love having the deer around, but not eating my tulips.

 

Come fall when it's the perfect and best time to plant your tulip bulbs, I try planting some of my own again.  I'm going to try a little experiment though.  For the most part deer don't like daffodils, so I'm wondering if I plant tulips and daffodils together if that will be enough to protect the tulips.  I could also use chicken wire to cover the bulbs, but deer will eat the tulips leaves too.  As a last resort I could get me some coyote urine.........not sure about that though.

 

So with all that said, yes I will try growing tulips for next spring.  I'll add all the necessary deterrents to keep the deer from eating my tulips.  Except maybe the coyote urine.  And in the fall I will post all that I have done to try to protect my tulips.  Then in the spring we'll see what works and what doesn't.

 

In the mean time I will enjoy the tulips I got from the store.

Dexter

 

 

Meet my Dexter.

Dexter is a 3 year old brown tabby.  He is an amazing little kitty and very lovable.

 

 

Dexter

 

When we got Dexter a few years back of course I wanted to take photographs of him.  With the photograph above he was sitting facing a warm southern exposure sun.  I metered off his face to let the back ground go black, creating a dramatic portrait. 

 

I had entered him in a photo calendar contest with our local veterinarian.  I honestly didn't expect to win, but Dexter won and got the front cover and grand prize! 

 

 Dexter

 

The photo above is my first attempt at using Topaz ReMask.  I have the 30 day trial which is giving me the opportunity to decide if I want it or not.  I've seen some great photography using this software so I was anxious to give it a try.  I can see flaws and I still need lots of practice, but for a first try not bad.  I used 2 Lil' Owls textures for the background.  2 Lil' Owls have some fantastic textures you should check them out.  I thinking I might have to get this software too.

Oh and Dexter's eyes are really that golden.

 

See ya next week!

Learning HDR

One of my goals is to start shooting in RAW which will allow me more freedom when I edit my photos, yes perhaps it will be more work, but I will have full control of the final outcome of each photograph.  I also want to do more black & white photography.  At the Art Institute of Seattle where I studied photography and before digital photography really kicked in I learned how to process my own black & white film and photographs.  I fell in love with the whole process, but like with everything times change and you have to move on with the times.  I miss black & white and until recently I had lost interest. 

 

HDR (High Dynamic Range) has always fascinated me and I've been wanting to learn it, so I downloaded this book by Harold Davis "Creating HDR Photos, The Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Photography".  First let me say awesome book!  Very well written and easy to follow steps.  Great guide for the beginner HDR photographer.  I can't wait to get started.  But what really got my attention was when I saw the black & white HDR photographs.  Wow!  Completely took my breath away!  I knew I could create great black & white photographs I just need to learn and experiment.

 

 

 

Train Wheel

 

I processed these two photos using Topaz adjust and Silver Efex.  Not exactly HDR, but kinda gives me an idea of how and what I'm looking for.  As I start to learn these techniques I will definitely be posting about it. 

 

 Enter

 

I also plan on doing color HDR as well. 

 

Stay tuned................

What's New On Society 6?

I've recently started selling on Society 6.  Along with selling prints, I'm also selling tote bags, throw pillows, shower curtains, mobile device cases, wall clocks, mugs, laptop and iPad skins. 

Some of my images don't work for all of these items, but there are a lot of choices.

Every so often I will feature one of my images with all the products available for that image.

 

This week is 29red

 

   

29 Red

 Tote
 Bags

Maybe a new tote bag for groceries or for school?

                                        Throw
                                           Pillows

          Shower
            Curtains

Perhaps this is the time redecorate your bathroom with this unique shower curtain and matching wall clock.



                                 Wall
                                   Clocks

 

     Mugs

Enjoy your favorite beverage in the one of a kind 15oz mug!

 

                                    Laptop 
                                       Skins

 

Or perhaps your iPhone or Laptop needs sprucing up!

 

 

Mobile Device Cases

 

 

Whatever your needs are whether home décor or your office.  There is something for everyone.

For more information on any of these items click on the link below each item.

 

Also please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

 

Planning A Trip

So now that I have the finances and time to travel.  I'm planning a big trip in the fall to Seattle, Washington.  Why Seattle, well I received my commercial photography degree there and I loved all the exploring I did while I was there and I can't wait to get back there!

 

Knowing my small fear of flying I knew I wanted plenty to keep my busy so I didn't have to think about where I was.  I had heard a lot about kindles and they were very popular at work.  I did some research and finally decided to buy one.  There would be plenty of reading materials and games that would keep me preoccupied. 

 

In my search for reading material I naturally headed for the photography books and there I found many books.  This week I will tell you about my first read.  It is "Before The Shutter, Planning Your Next Travel Photography Adventure" by Anne McKinnell.  I thought this would be appropriate reading considering I'm planning a trip.  I do remember seeing Anne McKinnell on twitter and she also has a terrific blog. 

 

I read through Anne's book and was very pleased with it.  Very helpful in preparing for my trip.  I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is planning a photography trip.

 

For some folks planning a trip it is where your going, your flight, hotel and car.  And that's what I was thinking too, but I had to consider far more.  Like equipment, what did I need or already have, lighting, time of day is important, consider the weather, what if it rains.  I'll need rain gear for me and my equipment.  I needed to really think about where I wanted to photograph in Seattle.  And it's not just Seattle, there are beautiful locations surrounding Seattle too.  I created a list of locations I wanted to photograph.  But I had to make sure I stayed within my 8 day trip.  Another thing I needed to consider is do I want carryon or check in baggage.  Frankly if I can carryon with my equipment I'd be happy, but I don't know if I can do that.  So maybe I need to visit the airport near by and ask. 

 

There is soooooo much to prep for that I had to really create a file and just start typing and putting it together.  Thanks to Anne's book I will be fully prepared for my trip and have lots of photographs to bring home.

 

The photographs below were taken at a maritime village in Connecticut. 

The 2 directly below were from a few years back.  Both were done with Topaz Adjust.  The B&W one I also use Silver Efex, both had 2 textures from 2LilOwls using haunting 19 and haunting 6.

The sewing room on the bottom was photographed last year at the same village just a different dress.  On that one I used Silver Efex and 4 textures 2 from French Kiss lestex3 gale and fauve gold and 2 from Flypaper textures fly24 and lost void.

                   Sewing Room 2                                                                          Sewing Room 3

                                                                      Sewing Room

Working with these photographs using textures and software are very time consuming, but so much fun! 

Time for Change........

 For the past several years I've been trying to get my photography business going.  By doing shows, having websites and working on social media to get the word out.  But I've found that to be unsuccessful.  My shows, well some were great, but most not so much.  My websites will not until the last year or so did they really start to pick up, but they would only get sales providing I maintained social media.  I often found myself frustrated and exhausted with trying to keep up.  I was always looking for another way to make money with my photography.  I hated the constant fighting to make a living and keep my head above water.  I felt like I was degrading my photography.  I was settling and I didn't want that.  That was when it was time to fess up and say it's time for a job.  One where I could rely on a weekly paycheck.  During the course of this last year I did very little photography and spent most of my time learning the new job. 

 

Come December I had to start thinking about shows for 2014.  Did I want to do them?  Was it worth it?  I took a good hard look and though I didn't like what I saw I had to face the truth.  I love photography, but I hate having to struggle so hard.  It's not an easy business and I know it's hard, but I know I could do better.  So this year I have come to a comprise.  I will not be doing shows, but I will maintain my websites and social media and do something I haven't been able to do for quite a while and that is travel.  Fortunately I have a job working in a garden center and the people are great!  So my job is manageable and also allows me to continue with my photography

 

So now with a little more freedom I have taken on a new challenge.  I'm reinventing myself and my photography.  For the past several months I've been doing a lot of reading, learning some new techniques and getting excited about my photography again.  I so anxious to get started, Spring can't get here soon enough.  I have to say I have never been one to photograph the winter season.  As beautiful as it can be it is also very cold and quite frankly I don't care for the cold.  So I am anxiously waiting for Spring. 

 

One of my other problems is I have a hard time committing to anything.  So it is my goal to commit to this blog, social media and to my photography. 

 

I feel this is right for me......I feel it in my soul and so happy to get started. 

 

Over the next couple of weeks I will have some new and some old photographs to show and will explain further on my new techniques and goals.

 

I will be telling you about the books I've been reading and how they have inspired me.

 

I have a new website which will be my Portfolio.  It is a work in progress, stop in for a visit and let me know your thoughts.

 

Anxious to see these lovely flowers in the Spring.

Which by the way can come any time now!

 

 

Lupine

 

I processed this lupine using Topaz Adjust soft focus

        then layered 2 textures French kiss Solstic Elan 2 and 2 Little Owls Jewel chalks 13.

 

Hope to see you next week.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Treasury!

Another three awesome treasuries!!  Enjoy!!

This week we are featuring the curators of "Black Purl" by Christianne L'Esperance of CLhandmade Creations "Pretty in Pink" by Laura of SunFlowerFreckles, "Don't Get Sad When Daylight Savings Time Ends" by Karen of OberleighImages.
  

Be sure to take some time to visit our curator's shops and all the other shops in these wonderful treasuries!

 

'Black Purl' by CLhandmadeCreations

Visit my pinterest at www.pinterest.com/clhandmade to see this treasury and all the others.

Crystal Quartz Necklace... etco $25	Vintage Pulled Feather ... Modred12 $225	Black and White Photogr... CarolynCochra... $30	80s Grey Midi Box Pleat... VictoriaWestb... $40
bird earrings swallow s... LolaAndCash $42	Winter, Gray, Dark, Bla... 8daysOfTreasu... $10	Silver Grey Pearl Neckl... haileyallende... $42	A2 Asteroid 325 Origina... Manjuzaka $50
Grey fur collar imali $16	Stoneware English fine ... madebymanos $30	HAIR CHALK: White // Te... SalonChalks $1.99	Mysterious, 5x5 Fine Ar... CindiRessler $14.5
Black and white landsca... gbrosseau $20	Fog, Fall Photography, ... EyePoetryPhot... $30	Black and White Winter ... Raceytay $30	Oatmeal Wool Bead Neckl... mmimsdesigns $32

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

 

'Pretty in Pink' by SunFlowerFreckles

Positively Pink- Floral... OberleighImag... $48	Ruffled Scarf - Knit Ru... Oceanlvrcraft... $14	Frosted Violet Midi Wid... Leetie $12	Pink Peony, 5x7 Fine Ar... CindiRessler $14.5
Giant Pink Cupcake with... PatriciaSheaD... $65	Cone Flowers Watercolor... suzannedrown $16	Turk's Head Three S... OlioDesigns $5	Set of 4 Coasters made ... LoveMyCoaster... $14
11x14 Canvas Gallery Wr... mymainemuse $160	Baby Girl Night Light -... TheOrangeChai... $16	Tree of Life With Birds... MyCraftCrayze $27	Warmie-Pink Moon and St... outofmyhead $9.95
Women's Knit Cashme... LoveYourHead $32	Girls Nursery Wall Art,... nJoyArt $125	Worm Card - Earl E. Byr... DabHands $3.5	Pink Cammo Oversized Ba... TheBestGrandm... $4.5

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

 

'Don't Get SAD When Daylight Saving Time Ends' by KarenJoyAnderson

These make me think of long, warm, happy days. No SADness (Seasonal Affect Disorder) here!

I'm Spring & I'... sallyressler $40	Tropical Abstract - Ori... LynnCyrArt $160	Citrus Color Glass Bead... maineladybug $10	Clearance Art, 11x14 Ma... CindiRessler $24
Sterling Silver and Mal... Betsysbijoux $34.95	Baby Sun Hat Turquoise ... worthygoods $36	Coral Turquoise Fusion ... atelierfrost $32	Purple Butterfly Hand P... InJoyEcoCutie $36
Main Street USA Summert... EmAnnePhoto $20	Lavender Water Lily 8x... mbracestudios $40	Hippie Chicks...er... D... SimpleCitySam $28.5	Happy Hummingbirds - Na... OberleighImag... $48
Maine Lobster Buoy Pill... CobaltSkyStud... $25	Beachcombing Series No.... QuercusDesign $25	Seaside Ornament Set (s... happycreation... $30	Millefiori Earrings Col... RoughMagicHol... $20

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

 

 

I'd like to thank the curators for including my photography in their fantastic treasuries!

Have a TerrificWeek!