Shot of the Week May 2020 - Iggy Tavares

[Iggy]

Week 20: Geraniums: Levitating down to seed.

This week’s challenge was “Not What You See”. Extra Credit: Levitation
Several suggestions were offered on the site, which I didn’t fancy and didn’t even feel like playing this week, having several other projects on the boil.
Looking round the garden, there were no flying saucers about, but I noted the deep red of the geraniums that were hard to resist.
Surely, I could come up with something involving those punchy little flowers.

I took “levitation” literally and decided on Geraniums: Levitating down to seed, having those pretty flowers flying in formation across the canvas!

[Franke07]

Nice one Iggy! The colours are attractive and it has a 3D feel to it!

[Iggy]

Thanks Frank. I learnt from your tutorial and stripped back quite a few leaves in PS to get clean images.
Images were shot on location because that was where the best light was in late afternoon.

Some time today, I am going to cheat and put on a second image when it is ready.
It actually fulfills “Not What You See” but without levitation!

[Iggy]

Here is a second image in the challenge “Not What You See”
What's eating the fern?
I could't resist!

[Iggy]

I am sure everyone realised that the well camouflaged caterpillar feasting on the fern is “Not What You See”
It is in fact an unfurled fern growing tip that fell off while receiving a heavy watering.
It was carefully placed in position to create an illusion!

[Mike Farley]

I am sure everyone realised that the well camouflaged caterpillar feasting on the fern is “Not What You See”
It is in fact an unfurled fern growing tip that fell off while receiving a heavy watering.
It was carefully placed in position to create an illusion!

Hi Iggy

I enjoyed your first shot. Well done on that one. As for your followup, I am afraid that it defeated me. Even though you have pointed out the non-caterpillar caterpillar, I am still not entirely certain that I really see it. The problem, I suspect, is that having come from the fern originally it is just too similar to the rest of the plant to stand out.

[Iggy]

Hi Mike,
It is just a bit of fun trying to get closer to fulfilling the title of the challenge “Not What You See”.
There are caterpillars that feast on ferns but they do not look like my illusion.
However, I can see a nice little pony's head on the left of What's eating the fern.

The geranium flowers did not really fulfill the challenge.

Next challenge is "Symmetry".
I have not yet thought how I am going to approach this, although they have offered some suggestions.
So another rush job on Sunday!

I had a busy morning cutting our large hedge with an electric trimmer. Thankfully, I still have all my fingers!
Iggy

[Iggy]

S-21: Symmetry Extra Credit: Double Exposure

I started with a birthday bouquet of lovely flowers that I had planned on dismantling today for individual set up.
The garden table offered a symmetrical design on which to place the flowers.
All too easy, especially as the flowers stayed in the vase for this set-up.
I did rearrange the flowers to my liking before taking the shots.

Later the flowers were shot individually for another project. And then returned to the main vase none the worse for their adventure.

Another attempt:
On the website, there was a suggestion to use a mirror to attain symmetry.
I wanted to go experimental.
So I created “Perfumes, Mirror, Blue Sky & more”
I like this result more than Birthday Bouquet as it is a lot more daring.
Makes one wonder what's going on in this image?
Double exposure?

What do you think?

[Iggy]

S-22: 50 Feet from Home Extra Credit: Shoot during "Blue Hour"

This Challenge restricted me to just ~15 metres from Home.
As if I am going anywhere during this Covid Lockdown.
I have however walked round the home and even trimmed some big hedges!

At least this challenge gives me a free pass to work on anything around the home.

I did consider the option of the Blue Hour, peering through the loft windows at the top of the house after 9pm and beyond.
Lovely blue sky most of the week with no clouds to produce a stunning sunset to follow through to darkness.

So back to what I have in hand – The Birthday Bouquet!
After 2 weeks It has slowly gone past its best.
At least the various species follow their own time cycle.
So they are not all bad at the same time.
Once beautiful pink roses now just nodding heads are a distraction and are removed.
On the other hand, the white collapsing small stock flowers are great.
A nice contrast to the alstroemeria still standing proudly but for one.
I decided to work outside and use natural light in keeping with the challenge.
That restricted my backdrops.

Here is the Bouquet Fading into ART!

[Iggy]

It will be interesting to have David Eastley's critique on Bouquet "Fading into ART".
Hopefully he might even have time to do “Perfumes, Mirror, Blue Sky & more” now cropped (David B's suggestion) and renamed as "Towards Symmetry"
Iggy