Another Wacky GIANT Poppy - Robin

Lori is right about the poppies we saw at Filoli yesterday. They were gigantic and gorgeous. It's always fun to discover something new that you've never seen before in nature. I wish I had my macro lens and my tripod. I want to go back next week. Anyone want to come with?

Giant Red Poppies

Ok, these Poppies were amazing! Giant balls of crape paper like ruffled chiffon magic unfurling in the golden sunlight, to expose midnight black cross centers and thousands of blueish black anthers. Like many things in nature very difficult to capture its true essence and beauty. I believe these are same type of oriental poppies that Georgia O'Keeffe captured so eloquently.

I'm hoping Rachel was able to capture the color more precisely. The color is far more vibrant and rich. Just a sign of my inexperience in photography. So much to learn...


We saw so many beautiful things in the gardens yesterday. Robin and I had a conversation about how some things must be viewed by the eyes and not the camera lens and how that makes the world magic. We gazed up at vinatage oak like trees that had been crafted and grafted for generations and stood in awe in their beauty, but I would not dare to even attempt to capture it's beauty. It"s really cool because it shows how a photo is just a photo and it is never reality. The photo is often just the shell and cannot attempt to capture the true essense of an object. Perhaps a photo is just a kernal of some of the essential parts of an object or being. The most essential most vital part of something can never be captured in a photo.

Enjoy these large orange red cups of pure beauty. If you love gardens you should really visit Fioli if you haven't already. www.filoli.org

Oh my darling, Clematis - Rachel

What a stunning day at Filoli (www.filoli.org for those of our followers who might be unfamiliar)! Anticipate flowers for the next couple days... out of 1186 photos taken, I'm sure I'll have at least one or two to share. Great day for flowers and friends! Thanks!

The Peonies! The Peonies! The Peonies! (Robin)

What a magical day for us and the the peonies at Filoli!

not so great

Ok here is a better picture of what I am working on. As I have filled in the background, I keep turning the canvas and stepping back to see where my colors are going. It is just about done in this step

Through the Prism - Rachel

Creative lens work using a child's "fly eye" prism and my point and shoot. It was a lot of fun to experiment with different angles, focal lengths and settings.

Wood - Rachel