Aug 16
We’re heading back up to Flagstaff soon to catch the late summer wildflowers. Can’t wait! In the meantime, here’s another flower from my last trip. Wild Iris were such a treat to find because we thought they were finished blooming. Other names for this Iris are Rocky Mountain Iris and Western Iris.
Aug 15
Vignette is the name of a photography application for my Droid X. I had read in forums that shooting with some apps could result in better image quality and it’s really true. Not only does Vignette give you options for creative processing in the camera but it also allows you to adjust many camera functions not available with the default camera. Things like white balance, focusing options and scene modes. On the flip side, there are some apps that reduce quality and some won’t work with full resolution images which I found out after the fact. I’ve tried several apps so far….some free…some not…and Vignette is the best so far.
DroidX photo of Prickly Pear Cactus loaded with fruit taken during my walk this morning.
Aug 12
Lots going on so I almost forgot to post an image. Needing a quick photo, I grabbed my DroidX and headed to Javelina Cafe (a fenced in area of my yard that’s filled with yummy Javelina favorites). This cactus was captured using an app called Retro Camera. It doesn’t have as many options as the other camera apps but it’s fun and quick! Having an image processed completely in the camera is so much fun but boy can it drain your battery quickly. Guess I better order a spare 🙂
Aug 10
Prickly Pear are loaded with ripe fruit right now. Here’s a quick DroidX shot using a vintage effect. Ideally I want to capture birds and ground squirrels feasting on the fruit!
Aug 6
Fendler’s Sandwort is so tiny that my photographer companion Dave and I thought the pink you see were spots on the petals. It wasn’t until I moved in very close that I discovered the pink was actually pollen. Cool! It was captured with a Canon 70-200 (non IS) with 25mm extension tube at 72mm. (Handheld of course 🙂 ) ISO 200, 1/100the sec at f/7.1. I continue to be very impressed with this lens!
Jul 31
I see creatures in Saguaro scars and this one called to me on my walk this morning 🙂
Jul 30
Yesterday morning, I was excited to find one of my Pincusion Cactus in full bloom! Instead of the solid pink petals that I’m used to seeing, though, this one had white stripes. I’ve seen this pattern before and always wondered so I wrote my botanist guru, Steve Jones. He confirmed that they are indeed the same species as my other…..Graham’s Pincushion. I also asked for the reason they are blooming so much more than last year and here’s his response: ”
They flower any time they get water – seems to me that within a week of any good rainfall from April to September I start to see flowers. They’re opportunistic – they flower like ocotillos leaf out, in response to rain. The ASDM manual has this note (very bottom of the page):
“The flowers can be used as a monsoon season rain gauge. The buds are produced during the preceding summer growing season and usually remain dormant through the winter, spring, and foresummer. The buds burst into bloom 5 days after the first rain of the summer and last about a week. Plants produce a second and sometimes a third flush of flowers after subsequent rains.”
We haven’t been getting the rain the rest of the valley has been getting but I do give them supplemental water so that explains the blooms!
Linen Theme by The Theme Foundry
Copyright © 2024 marianne skov jensen - all rights reserved. All rights reserved.
