An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

October 24, 2011

Little Green Apples

This month's Picture This Photo Contest from Gardening Gone Wild is about filling the frame.  I didn't take any new pictures for the contest, but found three candidates from last year, all of them taken in the fall.

The first one was taken at a friend's garden, and I have been wanting to show it since I took it, but never got around to it.  My original purpose was to get a shot of a plant I covet, Senna alata.  However, when I enlarged the shot at home I was able to see how well the color from the Zinnias and Dahlias played with the Senna.  I also liked how the summer flowers seem oblivious to the impending fall, whose colors are creeping in from the background landscape.  In the end I decided not to submit this one as I was not sure it quite met the requirment to fill the frame.

Senna alata with Zinnias

My second choice was taken along the Great Dismal Swamp Canal in Chesapeake and has already been seen on this blog.  The swamp's dark waters are famous and when still are a mirror reflecting anything above it.  I thought this picture definately filled the frame, but I ended up picking another.

Canal Reflections (8)

Perhaps it was the ghost of Roger Miller singing in my head, but this is my entry in the contest.  I saw these fallen apples on the ground in varying states of decay where we camped in Shenandoah National Park.  I was tickled with how the shot came out, it immediately reminded me of a painted still life of rotting fruit and I think it does fill the frame.  The theme is similar to my entry into last month's contest, but I think this is a much better shot.

Little Green Apples (2)

12 comments:

  1. Too hard to choose! Glad I'm not a judge....

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  2. Oh, all are so beautiful. I think they all fit the bill and I hope you are rewarded. Great shots.

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  3. Eek! Hard choice. I love the colours in the first, but that second shot really hums to me, probably because I feel as if I am missing out on Autumn this year, the tress just aren't colouring up. The deep blue of the water and the glow of the trees is stunning.

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  4. Wonderful pictures. Best blog for pics that I have seen.keep up the good work!

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  5. Love the darkly mood and beautiful apples.....appropriate for this time of year!

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  6. Each would have been an excellent entry, but for filling the frame, I think you chose best!

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  7. Hi Les, All three are great images. Can you enter more than once?
    If I had to choose, I would tend to favour the second one only because the trees are coming into the frame from very angle and really meets the assignment of "filling the frame". I also like the fact that you don't know which way is up.

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  8. This is a very nice composition and much luck to you. I remember last month your entry. I thought it looked like art.

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  9. I really love the water photo! Good luck~les, you do take stellar photos. gail

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  10. i like each of the photos and especially your descriptions of them. good luck with the contest.

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  11. wow, the canal photo is beautiful. I could fall right into that water.

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  12. Thanks everyone, your comments are encouraging.

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