Just a quick post from Concan, Texas. Most of the eclipse was socked in with clouds but managed about 2 seconds of visibility during totality. So cool and so worth the trip!!

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OK, so I've already posted more than my share of crocus pictures for this year but then our lone crocus appeared. The garden is full of the purple ones and a nice grouping of white so last year when a single variegated one appeared we all shook our heads. It also decided to make its home in the middle of the lawn. Now, now, stop that snickering, I know it's now what a typical manicured lawn looks like. The squirrels were a bit messy last Fall and left hickory nut scraps all over the place, the grass will grow back soon.

All the images were shot with the Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 Macro, APO-Lanthar lens. I've posted the white one in the center so just the two on the ends are new posts.

I'm off to wander a bit but I'll probably sneak a pic in here or there as time and the internet allow, all the best!

Tags:   Crocus Purple White Variegated Lawn Hickory Nuts Voigtlander 125mm Macro APO-Lanthar Triptych

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Who would have ever thought that this old log splitter wedge would get it's 15 minutes of fame! It lives out in the woodshed and when it gets used its the brunt of blows from a sledgehammer. I've split plenty of wood with it but now I use a gas powered splitter so it pretty much just sits and collects rust. Sooo, at last, my iron log splitter wedge. The top is 2 inches square and I cropped the length to the 3 inch requirement.

Shot with: VOIGTLANDER, 125mm f/2.5 SL, MACRO APO-LANTHAR, shot @ f/5.6, 28 Layer Focus Stack Rendered w/Helicon Focus, (B,R4,S2).

Tags:   Macro Mondays Iron Theme Wedge Wood Splitter Voigtlander 125mm Macro APO-Lanthar Focus Stack 28 Layer Focus Stack Helicon Helicon Focus Warning Wear Safety Goggles

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I hope you enjoy the colors! I've been having a bit of a struggle nailing the exact white balance in the photos I post to flickr. It's nothing to do with flickr, the problem is across ACR, PS and my monitor. I was going to photograph a piece of whiteboard that I could calibrate the setting on when I remembered buying a Machbeth Color Chart back in the '80's. I dug it out and photographed it so I could better understand where the color shifts were occuring. Unfortunately, the saying, "If you can't been 'em join 'em" seems to have prevailed so I've developed workarounds to at least process out some pics. The white crocuses represent where I am in the process.

I kept looking at the chart and with a little bit of fooling around and some textures this image popped out. I think it has a colorful Mondrian and Vasarely vibe to it. After all, it's Sunday and this is a pic of the color chart with an inverted duplicate layer slid a bit up and to the left, blended in "difference", cropped to my liking, two texture layers applied and done, a Happy Slider Sunday it is!!

To all that celebrate this special day, Happy Saint Patrick's Day, just focus on the green!

Shot with the 125mm Voitglander f/2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar. Textures from Skeletalmess and Lenabem-Anna No. 173.

Tags:   Macbeth ColorChecker Abstract Color Bold Colors Fun Voigtlander 125mm Macro APO-Lanthar Texture Lenabem-Anna Skeletalmess HSS Happy Slider Sunday HSS Happy Slider Sunday

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The Voigtlander was feeling a little left out of the Crocus shoot so I revisited Marybeth's garden and took a few more. Shot with the Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar.

Tags:   Spring Signs of Spring Crocus White Voigtlander 125mm Macro APO-Lanthar Looking close... on Friday! Flora in March Coth5+

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