Flowers and plants and herbs in my organic garden

I am now one day behind my intention to do a blog post per day for the month of  Novemebr so you will be treated to two posts on the same day, when I get time.

While writing my column on creativity for the Rotorua Weekender I had an idea of going around my whole garden to document photographically every plant and flower.
It will be interesting to see how many plants I can identify and how many are a mystery. 
I will probably be including weeds because believe it or not they are important.

The garden is on the equivalent of a quarter acre section so there are a fair amount of specimens.

Here goes with some of them.

Yellow Climbing rose

                                                Red Rhododendron
                                              

Ballerina Standard Rose

                                                Boysenberry Flower

                                                        Camelia

                                                         Crimson Chinese Lantern

                                            Yellow Chinese Lantern

                                           Red and Yellow Chinese Lantern

                                                     White Chinese Lantern

                                                            Comfrey

                                             
                                                Fennel

                                                      
                                                         Foxglove White

                                                     
                                                         Fuschia

                                            Hebe white

Creative quote of the day 
 “The many great gardens of the world, of literature and poetry, of painting and music, of religion and architecture, all make the point as clear as possible: The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden. If you don't want paradise, you are not human; and if you are not human, you don't have a soul.”
― Thomas More

 My garden is available  during the Spring and summer for school groups, community groups,  garden groups and groups of people wanting to see the mosaics and artwork. 
An admission charge is applicable. 
 Contact me on jkeen@clear.net.nz or phone me at 07 3463435 to arrange a suitable time. 

 
   

Gardening off and on all weekend

I have a group of twenty  Garden Club women are  coming for a visit from Tokoroa on Thursday.
 Over the years I have had  people and groups  from garden clubs and bus tours visiting and they pay me for a mosaic demonstration and a tour around the garden.
This is good because it helps me keep my garden as up to date as I can manage.
It's never perfect but I like to think that its part of its charm.

I have been working all weekend  in my garden and my body feels like it.
Thank goodness I have a magnetic underlay, with this aches and pains just disappear.

                                               Clematis

                                                         Federation Daisy

                                                       Spraxia

                                           Cornflower

                                             Forget Me Not

                                                        Fuschia

                                              Aquilega or Granny Bonnet

                                                         Honesty

                                                 Jasmine

                                                          Lavender

                                                      Orange Blossom

                                                   Orchid

                                                      Azalea

These are just some of the flowers out at the moment in my organic cottage and vegetable garden.
 I have decided to document every plant in my garden and post it on here.
So if you aren't into gardens you should just tune out now.

Gardening is really creative and quite back breaking when you do it all weekend.  I love it though and never resent pulling out weeds.

Both of my Grandmothers were great gardeners. I have inherited their love of it.
I  am sure that sometimes I can feel sensatiuons coming from the flowers.

In the orange blossom at the moment a Tui is having an incredible feasting party.
 I am hoping to capture it with my lens.


Creative Quote of the Day

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
Marcus Tullius Cicero


 My garden is available  during the Spring and summer for school groups, community groups,  garden groups and groups of people wanting to see the mosaics and artwork. 
An admission charge is applicable. 
 Contact me on jkeen@clear.net.nz or phone me at 07 3463435 to arrange a suitable time. 

National Novel Writing Month, How photography has changed my life.

  On one hand  it's less expensive than ever to do photography now with digital  because you don't need to spend large amounts of money on processing.  

  Kawaha Point, Rotorua

It's more satisfactory because you can just delete the photos you don't like in camera  and take another shot. 

Koutu, Rotorua

Ohinemutu, Rotorua

Sulphur Point, Rotorua

One legged Gull at Sulphur Point

Nesting gulls at Sulphur Point, Rotorua OKareka Bird Hide, Rotorua

On the other hand the more I get into photography, the more I want to spend on camera gear, in particular lenses.

  Lone Seagull at Maketu. 

 Ohiwa Harbour

The latest version of photoshop, a laptop computer, a desktop computer,  a good tripod, spare memory cards, a decent camera bag, a new wide angle lens,  and a 24 to 105  lens for travel and all round photography. 

Not to mention attendance of Photography conferences, photography workshops, paying to study a Diploma in Digital Photography. 

And so it goes on and on.

My husband has no difficulty in trying to figure out what I want for Christmas presents and birthdays. 

If it's about camera gear, I want it. 

I figure it is money well spent.

  I  am so immersed in creativity, art making, gardening, teaching  and photography, life seems full of adventure and excitement. 

Ohiwa tidal pools

Ohiwa from top of hill.

I would love to go to Italy to see some mosaics and do a lot more travelling in general and I'm sure that day will come, if not there's plenty in my own back yard of New Zealand to be excited about and inspired by.

Ohiwa

Ohiwa

Ohiwa sheep

 

Things to look out for when you are  a novice photographer. 

  1. Composition Too Busy.

Too many things in picture frame/ taken from too far away/ subject may be unclear. 

 Reduce the number of distracting objects or confusing the message you are trying to convey. 

Move closer to the subject so that too many other objects are not in the picture.

2. Composition Lacks Impact.  Boring perspective or subject is not well arranged in its setting.

Consider unusually low or high-up perspectives and avoid boring snap-shot type photos. 

Try getting candid shots that capture natural expressions rather than staged and unnatural poses. 

Try looking at your subject from up close so the background is out of focus and using a wide-open aperture, for minimal depth of field. 

aperture and vice versa.)

3. Blurry Image.  Camera motion/ shutter speed too long/ low light.

If you are using automatic focus make sure to give the camera enough time to focus on the right spot and lock-on to its target. (Typically with digital cameras set to Auto, holding the exposure button down half-way down will activate the auto focus so that when you are ready you simply push the button fully down to take a picture)

 For long-exposure shots try using a tripod if you can or otherwise stabilizing the camera.

4. Poor Framing

Try to frame pictures to include the tops of heads and feet unless you are doing it for effect. 

If you severe a portion of the subject from your picture it can’t be put back later. Remember you can always crop it later if you think it improves the image.

5. Dirty Lens

Make a habit of checking your camera lens and cleaning your lens before shooting pictures. 

Also make sure to take care in how you handle your lens, to not scratch it with abrasive clothes.

6.  Glare

Sometimes by simply moving your camera to a different spot you can avoid unwanted glare from light sources and reflections. 

Using a UV filter is a good idea to remove unwanted glare from your pictures. A polarizing filter gives you different settings with which you can selectively remove or add glare for effect.

7. Dead Battery

Buy extra batteries and bring them with you. 

Remember to charge up your rechargeable batteries before you plan on using your camera; doing this the night before going on a photo-taking trip is smart. 

Having a rechargeable battery charged up pays off every time your camera is ready to use when you need it.

8. Out Of Memory

Being prepared means bringing all the necessary equipment,  memory cards. When shooting digital pictures being aware of the resolution you are shooting at is also important. 

Shooting at the highest available quality setting can use a lot of memory so that you run out of memory too fast.

Higher resolution pictures also take up more memory to back up and take longer to upload.

 If you are just posting some snap shots on Facebook you probably don’t need the highest settings. 

If you are printing or blowing up your pictures you may need the highest settings available. So, it all depends on what you are using the pictures for.

  “Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment. ”
― Ansel Adams

  All photographs and  images on this blog are for sale.

Email me at jkeen@clear.net.nz with your enquiry. 

Phone 07 3463435 

All photographs are copyrighted by Janet Keen and may not be used  for any purpose without written permission 

National Novel Writing Month, Todays Blogpost Appreciating the seaons.

    Spring 

I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry trees.
Pablo Neruda

 Summer

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.  ~Celia Thaxter

                       

 Autumn

 “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”
― Jim Bishop

 Winter

 We need society, and we need solitude also, as we need summer and winter, day and night, exercise and rest.
Philip Gilbert Hamerton

All photographs and  images on this blog are for sale.

Email me at jkeen@clear.net.nz with your enquiry. 

Phone 07 3463435 

All photographs are copyrighted by Janet Keen and may not be used  for any purpose without written permission 

 

Natonal Novel Writing Month..Blogpost in support of this.

Overlooking the simple and common things because they are always there.
Photography to me is about not taking any subject for granted.
Like seagulls.
How many times have you heard people make disparaging remarks about their screeching, leaving deposits in public places and their meanness to each other?.
I find them quite beautiful, especially in the early morning and late evening light.
Anythng can be beautiful if you stop and take time to appreciate it.

I am now on the hunt for cute sparrow shots.

 

Seagull Collage 1

Seagull Collage 2 

Seagull Collage 3

Inspirational Quotes.
The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
Charles R. Swindoll

 Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you.
Jon Bon Jovi

An authentic life is the most personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

National Novel Writing Month In support of this I'm positing the equivalent of a blogpost a day.

                                       Birds I have met

                       Wingspan Birds of Prey I have met

Creative Quote of the day

“The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.”
― J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird

 “In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”
― Robert Lynd

  “In a world where thrushes sing and willow trees are golden in the spring, boredom should have been included among the seven deadly sins.”
― Elizabeth Goudge, The Rosemary Tree

 

All photographs and  images on this blog are for sale.

Email me at jkeen@clear.net.nz with your enquiry. 

Phone 07 3463435 

All photographs are copyrighted by Janet Keen and may not be used  for any purpose without written permission