Our backyard continues to interest me as I photographed it yesterday. My color perception limitations are generally mitigated by photographing in monochrome, but using various color contrast filters is still a challenge.  These images were all made with a green #11 filter.  It's also important to note that this is not some wilderness scene, but rather our immediate backyard so I chose not to remove the fence or sprinkler heads... 'it is what it is' reflects my attitude about including those non natural elements since they were there. 

Our backyard offers a forest view that is often very interesting.  It has been leafing out these past few weeks, and has been subtly colorful. These images were made with three color filters...a K2, Deep Yellow, and Orange. I did not write down what I was doing, so I'm not sure which is which now, but 'post processing' allows them all to be acceptable.  I think the K2 produced the least separation, the deep yellow a bit more, and the Orange the most. 

These are some of the newest photographs I've made with an orange filter. Three of them are of a palm tree and the pine trees beside our house, and the fourth is from the beach at Little Talbot Island SP.

I've seen Clyde Butcher's photographs in person and on line. They are usually quite dramatic with rich and vivid contrasts. He mentioned that he often uses an orange filter.  Orange is made from red and yellow and creates contrast in monochrome that is not as extreme as red, but a bit more than deep yellow. I realized that I had one and slapped it on my 55mm lens for these images. I like it and will use it more often!! 

I was eager to use my new-to-me Mamiya C330 since I've barely used it at all. It had some unknown film already loaded which I assumed was completely unexposed, but turned out not to be. So, my adventure ended with only six exposures out of the potential twelve. Of those, I was only happy with these four. I've now loaded the thing with a roll of Ilford Delta 100 all ready for another foray when the weather and sky are inviting!  

This large pond in Deerwood has been a camera lure for me several times.  Today was really, really cold and not very appealing weather to take photographs, but there I was, so I did!  At least I was dressed for it with a pea coat and wool cap which I brought from New York, but vary rarely wear here in Florida. 

Here are some views from the little memorial park under the Dames Point Bridge. I photographed the memorials this park commemorates in 2023....the sinking of the El Faro container ship with all 33 of its crew, officers and captain. This visit, though, was just to enjoy the views and gorgeous light. 

I went to Cedar Point once again convinced I could see some part of it in a new way.  I did.  This group includes the road out of the boat launch area, several trees from a little distance, and the boat launch area itself and the approach road. 

I had never seen an Angel Trumpet plant until moving to Florida.  Their flowers are quite striking on a warm summer day especially when they're dewy. But, when that season is long gone and there's been a freeze, they are no  longer the least bit angelic...more bedeviled I think.😉 Here are two photographs of the poor things on a cold dreary day in January! 

If you're not familiar with the way these flowers look at their best, here is an example of one of the plants above in better days!   

I rarely take pictures with my phone, but I did this evening since I had no time to get my 'real' camera and tripod. As I got out of my car in the driveway I saw this, It's not as razor sharp as I would have preferred it to be, but hey...it's a phonecam! ;)

Last April I took this photograph and posted it here. I looked at it again today and decided to make a better presentation of it. It often seems to me that, apart from ocean views, Florida's trees and skies are it's greatest visual assets. 

I'm pretty sure these are the last of the Hiawassee trip photographs I will post here. One is, again, a view from our cabin's porch, and the other is from a park in Young Harris.  

And probably the last two images from our Hiawassee trip are of the Little Tennessee River gorge. It's quite breathtaking in person!

Another two images from our Hiawassee trip...these were of a tree at the bottom of a very steep dirt road that had a few vestigial leaves I wanted to photograph before they surrendered to gravity.

 

Our cabin in Hiawassee, Georgia had one gorgeous view that I photographed as often as there were changes that wanted to be remembered.  Here are two of those from the deck of our cabin and the dirt road that brought us there.