June 11, 2012

Yep, It's Summer ~ 100 Degrees in ATX Today

Well, it was way too hot to be pulling oak sprouts today but not hot enough to keep me inside.  There are a couple new blooms that looked so perfect and fresh, even in the stifling heat, and they practically begged to be photographed.

Things have been feeling a little stale with my photography lately so I thought I'd try a different setting.  As a challenge to move out of my comfort zone, I toggled from 'aperture' priority to 'shutter' priority. This simply means that instead of me controlling the aperture and my camera the shutter speed, I was controlling the shutter speed and the camera then determines the aperture setting. 




It made the few moments I spent taking these shots a little more interesting.  They look as fresh and cool as pressed, starched linen.  The daisy is as pretty from underneath as it is from above.  And the coneflower.  Just look at that...so soft and demure.  You would never know by observing these flowers that the barometer was swiftly climbing toward our first 100 degree day of the year.

Just a couple more shots to cool us off...





23 comments:

  1. Your first photo looks like a painting.
    Beautiful.

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  2. Looks like you dont have problems with white flowers anymore. The photos are great! Looked at my camera settings right away to see what it means. Thanks to you I hardly ever use the auto settings!

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  3. Hi Cat, 100 degrees! And I dared to whine about the heat and humidity here yesterday. Your descriptive is perfect. These images are as fresh and cool as pressed, starched linen.

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  4. Beautiful images, beautiful words.

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  5. really pretty shots! i wish i had your comfort zone! :)

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  6. I love the first photo. Well, I take that back, I love all the photos! The 1st is my favorite.

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  7. I was outside working yesterday and my husband came out and said "Did you know the heat index is 114?". No, I didn't know. But I knew it was hot! :) Of course, just knowing how hot it was made me want to go in and sit and drink lemonade! Which I promptly did!

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  8. That first shot...oooh! Makes me forget how you are boiling there...if I could send you some of our dry air to help, I would, but then again it might get even hotter...

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  9. Very cool, and pretty.

    It's supposed to get cooler later this week, perhaps these shots will help.

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  10. So beautiful - I'll try shutter priority for my next shots x

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  11. Beautiful. Love that first one, especially.
    It was a hot one. I was thinking it was really hot, really early...then saw the weather news. We were LOTS hotter last year. Guess I won't whine as loud.
    Stay cool....

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  12. That echinacea photo is absolutely wonderful. Great job 'playing' with the settings.

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  13. There now, that wasn't difficult, was it. And your next experiment - full manual ?

    ;>)

    Great shots, Cat - love that 'linen' look.

    And I admire the tenacity of those oaks (about on the same scale as dandelions here). We hit 92 yesterday and today was 68 - go figure (but the all-day drizzle was very welcome).

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  14. I do need to learn more about my camera...just fabulous shots Cat!

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  15. Whatever way you take a photo they always look fantastic. While I am not in sweltering heat I do feel much better now that I have seen these photos.

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  16. Great shots- I have not played with the other settings yet. I know- 100. Not too bad though- there was a breeze at least. Just glad it isn't like last summer!!!! UGH! That was a rough one.

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  17. I agree with the first commenter, the first pic DOES look like a painting. We haven't hit 100 yet here, but it's been disgustingly humid. Try to stay cool!

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  18. Excellent camera work! I love that first one.
    I'm sorry about the 100 degree day. May I send you some clouds...and some rain for that matter? We got a surprise cloudburst this week that wasn't even in the Houston forecast. It almost flooded the garden...not that I'm complaining. It all soaked in an hour.
    Maybe you'll get rain this week. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed.
    I like your rain guage tab. Great idea. :0) David/

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    1. Thanks, David. We'll take whatever you can send us. I saw that cell on radar the other day. It was HUGE! Missed us completely though. The rain gauge has been a really nice way to document what rain we've gotten. I imagine I'll like looking over it in the future. Just wish I had something to add to it!

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    2. As of 7:00 PM, you have a lot of rain headed your way tonight! I sure hope it holds together and makes its way to Austin tonight. Happy rains (hopefully)!
      David/:0)

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  19. Oh, your experiment was oh so successful! Please show us more! I'd say come visit us up north, but we're in for a heat wave starting tomorrow--it won't be much different up here. Time to hang out by the pool or the lake. Stay cool! Your photos are spectacular!

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  20. Enjoyed your change of setting! Lovely!

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