Very nice...very artsy...I like very much, Amy! Same here on my Grapto p. I like the ones that grow in the shade best.

~R

I like all of them but the Grapto is my favorite. I like that 'soft' look.

Aren't these toys fun?

Al

Ohio_Green_Thumb, what command did you use to fade the background in the first picture? Did you somehow clone the background & blur it? Also, did you use lighting effects for the Kalanchoe luciae? That one, especially, looks very nice.

Beeeeutifulll, up to your usual flawless standard Amy.

Thanks, CP

I like when Amy is bored cause she keeps me from being bored. Go ahead Amy be bored, really bored :) As always I enjoy your photo's.

Dawn

Thanks for all the nice compliments folks. I do enjoy playing around with my digital camera. It's one of the best toys I ever got for myself!

Baci, I used one of the default actions that came with Photoshop 7. I'd have to dissect it frame by frame to tell you what it did to the background. The background is just a stone wall in the basement. It makes a good back drop because of its range of neutral greys.

The only lighting effect for the Kalanchoe was the strong flash from my camera at about 8" away and a 40w grow light. I'm not one for harsh lighting, but sometimes it works better than subdued light. I was going for a chiseled look in the sculptural leaves of this plant.

Off to check for flowering Mesembs,
Amy

Luminescent!

That aloe pic is very much in the pictorialist style much loved by victorian snappers, very nice!

I love that kalanchoe, its form is amazingly dynamic, but I didnt know it was monocarpic!

Great shots! The Kalanchoe is my favorite. As incongrous as it may seem given their growing conditions, there's something about it that strikes me as aquatic. It reminds me of a water lily flower among the lily pads.

Thanks for the explanation, Ohio_Green_Thumb. Your way is more efficient - your natural skill with the lighting effects is impressive. It takes some people a long time to learn what you do naturally. I look forward to seeing more of your pictures.

Great shots Amy!

I too am particularly enamored of the Aloe pix & & Rosette forms in general. Yes, I see what Jen's saying abt it having a somewhat aquatic feel to it & agree, sort of like its outer leaves are spreading out horizontally over some imaginary water. I clicked it to large size & thought, ooooo, I'd like that as a wallpaper on my 'puter (didn't do so, but hoped you wouldn't mind) if I did. Really a great visual treat, that so much for letting us in or your digital doodling!

Pirate Girl, I'd be flattered if someone used my photos as wallpaper! That's a very nice compliment and I thank you.

That Kalanchoe does sorta look like a water lily, I never thought of it that way. Interesting!

Amy