While Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I have been entertaining company, Katherine has been doing yard work and taking photos and playing with her photo software. First she wrote: There are times I fool around with an image so much I have no idea if it’s good or bad or just odd… I’m still undecided about this one, what do you think?
I, of course, think that “good” and “bad” and “odd” are by no means mutually exclusive. I am also wandering around in a heat stupor—I know many of you think that 90°F. is a fine temperature, but we will have to agree to disagree about that—and decided to forward Katherine’s question to you for thoughtful consideration.
Before I managed to get the post up, she was back with a baby bunny hiding in the weeds she’s been pulling out of the sand in front of her house. Perhaps, she wrote, you would prefer a “normal” photo. Knowing you as I do, I thought you should have them both. Too many situations where a person has to choose between chocolate and vanilla, the mountains or the shore, flowers or bunnies. It’s vacation. Feast your eyes.
Torch Lake Views 
rapidcityrecess
July 10, 2011
I like them both and think the top one is especially suited to a greeting or other card 🙂
Gerry
July 11, 2011
“Welcome to Oz,” for example.
Carsten
July 11, 2011
I’d pick chocolate instead of bunnies. Well maybe – I think. On the other…
I think that fooling around, in this case with the photo editor, gives more than taking the ordinary way.
The bunny photo is an ordinary photo from an extraordinary situation. Sweet little creature.
But the ordinary flowers came extraordinary out of the photo editior. It is odd! It is not bad! Is it good? Not quite yet. But keep fooling and have fun.
Gerry
July 11, 2011
Katherine always has fun fooling around with images, and I always have fun gazing at the results. I am especially fond of odd.
Fee
July 11, 2011
I like both pictures – the vibrancy of the colours in the first, and the natural-ness of the second.
I’ll agree with you on the heat – 90 is way too hot. I’d still be inclined to trade weather with you – given that we had two thirds of an inch of rain fall in three hours on Friday. There was a wee bit of flooding, let me say. More rain over the weekend means the city is still drying out.
Gerry
July 11, 2011
Mercy. I hope you do not mildew. May a nice hot wind blow gently across the city for a day or two. (You might consider renting some extra politicians until everything dries out. In fact, we have some we’d send you for free if you’d just agree to keep them.)
P.j. grath
July 11, 2011
Oh, my! That first image–it’s a bit over the top, almost Victorian with those dramatic, saturated colors, but I love it. Surrealist? And of course I love the bunny. Thanks for giving us both. (Now, if only you knew how much perseverance I needed to get this comment to register–assuming it’s going to this time.)
Gerry
July 11, 2011
Thank you for your patience. I think WordPress is cranky today. It took me the better part of an hour this morning to get Babs Young’s latest photo loaded and the post made. (It’s scheduled for this evening, so you have that to look forward to.) I would never make you choose between surrealism and bunnies.
Scott Thomas Photography
July 11, 2011
I like them both. The neon color and framing treatment on the first is fine though I would not have used a vignette. The bunny one is far from “normal” with the selective focus on the bunny being soft framed in the brush.
Hang in there, we do not get many 90+ days a year. Just harken back to the -30+ with wind chill of winter days when 90 sounded very good indeed. Take a dip in the lake to refresh yourself, Gerry.
Gerry
July 11, 2011
I thought that bunny was especially nice too, but I would, wouldn’t I?
The nice thing about Michigan’s weather is that on average we’re just about perfect. The difficult thing is getting from the peaks to the valleys and back again. Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I did go for a nice wade yesterday evening. If it gets that hot again today, I’ll go over and jump in Torch Lake. If it gets that hot for a third day, I’m heading north of Superior for a vacation.
Karma
July 11, 2011
I’m not a huge fan of playing with photos all that much in photo-editing software, but that’s just me. I like to get as much of it right inside the camera so I don’t have to edit much. Maybe that colors my taste for photos like the first – it is interesting and special in its own way, but I bet I’d prefer the original.
Bunny photo is darling. I don’t get the chance to get too close to one very often thanks to my duo.
Gerry
July 11, 2011
When skillful people use editing software to restore faded and damaged vintage photos I am a huge fan of the process. I’ve also seen some images that are Frankly Faux and Fabulous. In general, though, I lean toward “less is more.” As for the bunny, it would never survive in my yard because of Miss Puss, let alone the Duo, so it was a treat for me, too. The grown ones hop along with far more confidence than is warranted, but so far so good. No pictures, no dreadful deaths. Fair trade.
Joss
July 12, 2011
It’s amazing how much is in focus! I’m looking to see if the bunny’s liver and kidneys are clearly shown too.
Gerry
July 13, 2011
Um, no. No bunnies were harmed in the making of this post.
isathreadsoflife
July 13, 2011
I love the first picture and its strong colours; I can’t help imagining how they would look in a quilt. Inspiration, inspiration… As for the second one, it is just adorable. Well seen and captured.
Gerry
July 13, 2011
I think everything is a quilting inspiration for you! I can see this particular quilt with sheer silky fabrics for the water and brilliant satins for the flowers and dragonflies and butterflies. Wait, wait–that’s what I’d do if I were a quilter. You will do something utterly original and I look forward to seeing it.
Pat
July 15, 2011
Love both pictures! A postcard of both would be wonderful. Baby bunnies are just so darn cute!
And the trip to the far North would be welcome! 🙂
Gerry
July 15, 2011
Hi, Pat–glad you liked the photos. It is “supposed” to get hot again this weekend, so I may head up to Batchawana Bay yet. (Why do we say it’s “supposed” to do that? I would like to say to Mama Nature “it’s not supposed to reach the 90’s in northern Michigan!” She pays me no mind whatsoever. Perhaps she, too, is geographically challenged. 🙂 )