Susan's Photoblog
Backyard at Sunset
Posted by Susan (Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States) on 27 April 2009 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
This is the view from my back patio, in the condo I live in......Unfortunately, the patio is screened in, and on the second floor, so I actually have to walk out there to get a shot like this...wish I could just shoot it from the patio!
This "water hole" is actually a "water hazard" for a golf course. The green on the far side of the water is actually one of the golf courses in the development I live in. (And no, I don't golf!!)
A PHOTO - CHALLENGE – GET – READY - AM3
JOIN IN WITH DIMITRIOS AND HIS HOLIDAY CHALLENGE!!!
With the time approaching let’s celebrate the coming of the new year.
Post one image on December 25th with a Xmas wish.
Post a second image on January the 1st 2010 and include a smile with yourself in this picture!
Get your mind working on this idea am3, tell your friends about it.
See you there, all the best, Dimitrios from Athens Greece.
Bill Jennings from Los Altos (Bay Area Northern Calif), United States
The reflection and colors are fantastic. I can't think of any way to really improve on this great image.
27 Apr 2009 5:53am
@Bill Jennings: Thanks much Bill...glad you liked it as is!!
@shroom: Thank you, thank you, thank you & thank you!
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
You poor hard done by thing imagine having to walk out your door to get this beauty. Hopong that Kaha will arrive sometime this week at Shawna otherwise I will give to Liners and she can take him to England to visit her family that will stop him getting lost in the mail. Did you see Lee's photo of Kaha on the back of a goose
27 Apr 2009 6:58am
@jamesy: Debbie, I just checked out Lee's shot....and i'm pretty sure shawna said kaha arrived the other day, but she has posted anything yet.....and right now, walking ANYWHERE is a chore, so no more shots of the backyard till i'm better!!
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
by the way 5 stars for this stunning shot and hope the sciatica improves did write the above comment before reading about your back.
27 Apr 2009 6:59am
@jamesy: thanks deb.....and above, i meant to see that shawna hasn't posted anything yet, at least as of yesterday....
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
This is beautiful, Susan, with very little evidence of Florida's drought conditions down there.
I love the colors!
PS: Have you tried taking photos through the screening of your patio? Put the camera right up to it (touching) so the sensors don't/can't pick up the screening, and see if it works. I get soft, somewhat muted shots that way.
27 Apr 2009 10:17am
@Judy: Thanks Judy.....and I'm pretty sure this was taken after a day of rain...that little "water hole" behind my place fills up pretty quick with a good rain.... I have tried to shoot thru the screen, but since the screen points south, and i want to shoot sunsets west, i can't really put the lens right against the screen...Hope you understand what I'm trying to say.!
@Eleftheria: Thank you!!
Tony Duque from Raleigh, United States
That's really a wonderful shot, Susan! Very different and interesting cloud formations and colors. I really hate it for you that you can't get around and be the active photog you are... but I know we'll all enjoy seeing some of your oldies. Now... how about you give me a quite little tutorial explaining how you preserved the green grass in a foreground that would have been pretty dark (except for the pond)!
27 Apr 2009 12:11pm
@Tony Duque: Thanks for your comments....as far as preserving the green grass, I really didn't do anything special...just set the camera on aperture value, and used the autobracketing at -2, 0, 2....got my three shots, and ran them thru photomatix!! sorry i couldn't tell ya more "tricks", but there simply weren't any on this one!!
Elora from Genoa, Italy
Wow Susan, you have a fantastic view from your home! I hope you get better soon and can go out and about shotting away! Take care!
27 Apr 2009 1:16pm
@Elora: It is beautiful....and actually, this is what's known as a "water hazard" on a golf course. The far side of the water is part of an actual golf course. Thanks for visiting and commenting!!
Lee from Fort Frances Ontario, Canada
A great shot Susan. Marvelous processing. A beauty.
27 Apr 2009 1:31pm
@Lee: Thanks Lee.....it's great when the hdr thing comes together!!
peter from new york, United States
truly spectacular hdr! so crisp and colorful : )
27 Apr 2009 4:36pm
@peter: Thanks Peter....I kind of liked it too!!!
@Linda: Thanks much!!
Graham Russon from Cape Town, South Africa
What a wonderful capture, the golden colours and reflections are remarkable.
27 Apr 2009 7:34pm
@Graham Russon: Thanks Graham.....we get these beautiful sunsets frequently, but most times, I'm too lazy to run out back and shoot them!!
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
Oh, I see what you mean in the western side isn't screened ... phooey!
27 Apr 2009 7:47pm
@Judy: Yea, it's too bad....but someday, once this back pain ceases, i'll be able to walk out back again!!
@Lylou & Roland: Thanks much for your visit and kind comments!!
Jen from St. George, United States
This is just beautiful!! We once lived on a golf course with a pond through the middle of it like this also. It was our favorite apartment! Such great views all the time, and there was a lot of wildlife - "exotic" birds, turtles, and such. Do you get a lot of wildlife there too? Anyway, fabulous shot!!
27 Apr 2009 9:42pm
@Jen: Yup, we get all kinds of birds out back, blue herons, egrets, and the ugly muscovy ducks that live here. I've only seen a few turtles, but I can tell you that the whole place must be infested with frogs, because the noise they make at night, especially this time of year, is just unbelievable!!!
B. Thomas from Arlington, Texas, United States
It looks almost like a watercolor painting. Love the soft colors. Nice.
27 Apr 2009 11:14pm
@B. Thomas: Thanks much for visiting, and commenting so nicely!!
willow from Chelsea, United States
What a view! A great HDR image. Definitely worth the walk downstairs unless, of course, you are currently crippled by sciatica. Sorry to hear you're not better.
28 Apr 2009 12:06am
@willow: I forgot, you're a doc!! Went to orthopedics guy today....they scheduled an MRI on thursday....they think it's the bad disks they saw on the mri 4 years ago...good news is, it feels much better today, so maybe it's just taking a bit longer for the celebrex to work this time..,keep your fingers crossed for me, since i'm supposed to go see James Taylor on Thursday nite, at Sunfest (big music and art festival in west palm beach, my favorite weekend each year!)
MontereyJohn from Salinas, California, United States
Wowzer, has somebody been playing with his crayons? :) Wonderful color and light.
28 Apr 2009 12:55am
@MontereyJohn: Thanks much John...yup, playing with crayons is tons of fun!!
DarkElf from Perth, Australia
sensational light and colours! this is the kind of view i would love to have from my backyard! i love the warm tones, the vivid and lush looks and feel that you captured here!
28 Apr 2009 1:14am
@DarkElf: thanks very much...it really is nice to have this scene to look out on from my 2nd floor patio....
@Chiaki: Thank You!!
Fliss from Melbourne Beach, United States
I do hope you are feeling alot better....
Awesome shot...
Will talk via Facebook...
Other then that... will see ya soon....
28 Apr 2009 3:08am
@Fliss: not feeling so good today....hope it's better by thursday nite...i'd hate to miss james taylor!!
@MOHAMMAD: Thank you!!
Jen from St. George, United States
Yeah! We had those ugly ducks too, only I never knew what they were called! They're loud and obnoxious, but all the little chicks were adorable! We had some egrets too. Seriously, you live in a fabulous place!! :)
29 Apr 2009 12:52am
@Jen: Yup, it's a virtual wildlife habitat around here.....and let me tell ya, due to this back problem of mine, at 2 am this morning, i was on my back patio, smoking a cig, and the frogs screaming where just unbelievable!!!
@dkc: Thank you dkc.....i really love it when an hdr shot works well!!!
@Anouk: Thanks much for visiting and commenting, appreciate it !!
@Lindsay: Thanks Linds....it really takes a shot like this to make me really appreciate what's out behind my building!!!!
@michelle: Merci!!!!
@zOOm: Thanks so much !!! Appreciate your visit, and nice comment too!!
Canon EOS REBEL XT
1/15 second
F/6.3
ISO 100
28 mm