Invisible Woman

Horses & Hummingbirds

 

^{Photo credit: SAM, www.SaltRiverWildHorses.com}

Lately, I've spent some afternoons helping to pack & mail orders for the Salt River Wild Horses 2013 Calendar. Proceeds go the Society for the Preservation of the Salt River Horse, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (status pending) whose intent is to establish a legally protected status (long overdue!) & assist with future management of our unique Salt River wild herd.

^{Photo credit:  www.SaltRiverWildHorses.com}

It so happens that the first, eighth, eleventh and twelfth photos in this calendar are mine. Part of my Salt River obsession lies in my desire to photograph & share images of these wild horses, in hopes of earning public attention and action to ensure their future welfare.

And by the way, calendars are still available for order here. But quantities may be limited, so if you want one, order soon!

Apart from the satisfaction I've derived from contributing to the calendar project, I earned another significant reward -- an opportunity to photograph a colorful little hummingbird visitor to the backyard of calendar wizard & devoted birder Peggy Thomas.

Peggy Thomas put the calendar together & got it produced & took all the orders & headquartered the packing and shipping at her home. And so I was lucky enough to take a break from packing Saturday afternoon and get some photos of this little guy.

I suspect this tiny Broad-billed male hummingbird recognized a gentle, nature-loving soul when he saw one. These hummingbirds are rarely seen around Phoenix, but this one has recently chosen to hang out in Peggy's backyard.

Smart little guy.

layering photo filters

 

Grazing in the early morning sun, King's white mare & foal near the Salt River, 9-15-12.

So, to demonstrate the effects of the multiple filter layers, first I'll remove the copyright layer & the vignette (corner shadowing) filter layer:

  

Next, I'll remove the photo fading effect filter layer:

Then I'll remove the tonality adjustment filter layer that brings more detail to shadowed areas:

Above is the basic version I started with, not completely RAW from the camera, but with no filters -- just normal cropping, contrast and minor sharpening edits -- the standard formula for most of my photos.

Again, the final filter-layered version:

  Fun stuff to play with when you get a good subject like this. 

Daily Bird: June 9

   Male Vermilion Flycatcher at Coon Bluff along the Salt River, 6/9/12.

A lucky shot in the bright morning sunshine, which makes his head look almost golden, though it's really red too.

Or, I should say, vermilion.

  

fiddling around with photo filters

 The 100+ degree days of summer in Phoenix are at least temporarily upon us. This heat chases me inside for more of the day where I find myself at the computer, tinkering with photos -- instead of being outside, taking more photos.

This morning I've been playing with this image I took yesterday, above with the usual basic crop & edits that most of my photos get -- mainly contrast & sharpening adjustments after first cropping for a balanced image.

 

This version has a filter applied that simulates Polaroid film with highlights blown.

 

This version applies an additional filter that simulates a faded old film and adds a darker vignette.

 

This version adds a final additional filter that further fades colors other than red.

 

And this version replaces the final filter in the previous photo with one that applies a sepia/blue color-toned effect in lieu of the non-red fading.

If you're curious about what the original  image looked like fresh from the camera with no cropping or editing, here it is...

Not even my copyright ID tag added.

Playing with filters and other effects is a good antidote to cabin fever, but be careful -- it can gobble up as much time as Facebook or Pinterest or Words With Friends -- so proceed with caution!

   

Daily Bird: April 24

    Green-tailed Towhee along the Wildflower Trail at Desert Botanical Garden, 4/24/12.

Green-tails are another species that induce me to stand and watch, hoping one will finally pop out of the shadows long enough for its beautiful coloring and markings to be captured and appreciated.

This one stayed in the shade, but you can see from its surroundings how well nature has colored it to blend into its preferred foraging grounds under trees and shrubs. If not for its quick hopping dance, it might well go unnoticed.

  

Daily Bird: March 20

  
Female Vermilion Flycatcher at Coon Bluff along the Salt River, 3/20/12.

(She's not as flamboyant as her beau.)

 

Daily Bird: February 14

Neotropic Cormorants at Freestone Park, Gilbert AZ, 2/14/12.

These Cormorants have the most amazing aqua-blue eyes!

 

Daily Bird: February 12

Male Vermilion Flycatcher at Coon Bluff along the Salt River, 2/12/12.

 

Daily Bird: February 2

Rosy-faced Lovebird eating mesquite seed, Gilbert Water Ranch, 2/2/12.

These birds, also known as Peach-faced Lovebirds, have established feral colonies around the Phoenix area. Today there were eventually 7 of them feeding on the fallen mesquite pods...

but I could only catch 3 of them together in one photo.

 

Daily Bird: January 23

Vermilion Flycatcher at Gilbert Water Ranch, 1/23/12.

A sweet-looking bird whose color is very difficult to photograph.