Janet Brien's photos

Here's a mushroom I photographed back in 2012, and I got lucky with some nice light too! I have mixed feelings about this picture. I remember being so upset because you will notice that the very front edge of this mushroom is not in focus. I took about 10 different pictures to make sure I had good focus and STILL, it's not crisp along that edge. I am crazy about the bokeh, but it could be a bit softer. It's not my best work, but I am proud to display it because it does have a special glow to it that has always made me stop in my tracks to look at this picture. I processed it just a few days after I took it, so I've had a long time to sit and think about this image. :D If you've read this far, I'd love to know--would you have trashed this picture or kept it. Not hurting my feelings if you vote for trash, since it's flawed. Does it matter that the front edge--which is so important to the success of this type of image--is not in focus?

Last Saturday, Steve and I went to the Harry & David public garden with my workmate, Andy Spliethof, and his daughter. While we were there, they managed to get some super pictures of jumping spiders, and when I saw this image in my archives, I just had to share it! To show just how small this adorable spider is, that's a dog hair from our Border Collie next to it!

This gorgeous young stallion is a rare breed called a Drum Horse, which is a blend of Clydesdale, Shire, and spotted cob. They were originally bred in Britain to be used in the royal parades, where they carried the massive drums in the procession. About 20 years ago, a spotlight began to shine on these gorgeous horses were made an official breed. With the explosion in popularity, it is now possible to find Drum Horses all over the world. In fact, within 3 miles of my home! Aptly named, BH Spectacular knows his name to be Toby, and I drive past his pasture almost every day. I've watched him grow from a young colt into the still-growing stallion of today, and he is more impressive with each passing season. I'm friends with his owner, Teresa Byersdorf, and it's been fun keeping up to date with how he's doing! He's four years old now and if you'd like to see what he looks like, Teresa has a Facebook page here: Bravehart Drum Horses and Weimaraner Dogs This picture was taken a couple of years ago at a horse show for Drum Horses and Gypsy Cobs. Toby did very well in his class, I believe he got 2nd place! :)

(+3 images in notes) Have you ever seen a tree that has peeling bark? There are many types of trees that do this, and I have always loved the way the outer bark just peels off in shavings. There are two common trees in our area which have peeling bark: the tall and magestic Madrone and the shorter and scrubbier Manzanita. They share the richly toned, skin-like trunks and branches, and they also have flowers which are fairly similar, though madrone flowers are white and manzanitas are pink. I captured thes blossoms at the top of the Upper Table Rock a few years ago.

The echinacea display at the gate to Pacifica Gardens was jaw-dropping and totally amazing to see! With so many colors and types in one small area, I was like a kid let loose in a candy shop! Thanks to this archive project, I've been able to visit all the pictures I took and process many more to share! This particular flower with its pair of upward-pointing petals, can be recognized in the image which would be my Pick of the Day for my 365 Project back in 2013. If you roll your mouse over this picture, you'll see that image in the upper left! :)

Playing with a very shallow depth of field is so much fun, and is a great way to call attention to certain details. Here I'm showing the edges of the petals of an aster flower, while the rest of the flower falls away into blur. This flower was in a garden which was part of a walking tour that Steve and I went on a couple of years ago in Ashland.

One day when I was walking along our ridgeline a couple of years ago, I turned to look at the trees around me when I noticed something odd. It was a pine tree sapling, obviously young, but it was higher from the ground than it ought to be. There was an oak tree in the way so I moved around it so I could discover how the sapling could grow so tall. But, when I moved around the oak tree, the sapling wasn't where I thought it would be...so I turned my head and...HOLY COW! The sapling was growing from a hole in the oak! And it was obviously doing quite well in its strange home! I have come back to see how it's been doing and it continues to grow from this odd spot, and apparently the oak tree is no worse off from the helping hand its giving the pine! Remarkable! This picture was a very interesting challenge to me. I wanted to show the sapling and the oak, but I wasn't able to get the very busy background sufficiently soft enough for my satisfaction. So I experimented with filters and textures. Nothing worked. Then I tried black and white. Nope. Finally I thought...WAIT! Let's try a bit of both! VIOLA! I found a way to highlight this lovely little sapling without losing it in the crazy dappled background!

This is a display of daffodils that were grown on my friend's property about an hour from our home. She and her husband live on a lavish estate and they planted countless irises and daffodils everywhere. The sight is remarkable and we were so happy to spend time taking pictures when these flowers were in bloom. Elizabeth picked these flowers and created this lovely display so that I could take a picture. Isn't it amazing to see the variety of shapes and colors? They are so lovely.

(+2 in notes) A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of two mushrooms that were joined by a droplet of rain. That same day I discovered some other special mushrooms as well. These two are obviously in love and don't care if anyone knows it! The pair of identical droplets on their stems just kills me!! :) (By the way, if you roll your mouse over the picture you'll see the other picture I posted a couple of weeks ago and also my 365 image from that day!)

Now here is a flower that will hit you in the face with WOW!!! About a year and a half ago, Steve and I visited the Harry & David garden nearby in southern Medford. They are known for their roses so I wasn't prepared to see this magnificent stalk of flowers that was nearly as tall as I was! What a treat!

Steve and I were invited to visit our friend's beautiful garden a few years ago and upon entering, I was transported into photographic bliss! Not only did she have countless flowers in immaculate condition, there were lovely ornamental greenery plants as well. This is a magnificent frond from one of her gorgeous ferns.

A few years ago, Steve and I were invited to visit a friend's emmense garden which was planted with about a billion daffodils! We spent many happy hours wandering around and taking pictures. Here's a close-up of one of her lovely flowers.

Whether they are coming or going, jumping spiders are fun to look at! They often have very fancy abdomens, and I thought this guy was especially handsome! I often find these spiders inside our house, so I'll coax them into a container and then put them outside on our porch for a photo shoot before they disappear from sight. Here you see the lip of a plastic container where the spider was crawling. Thank you for the awesome leading line, buddy! :) Looks like I captured this image a day before my birthday back in 2012!

A couple of years ago, Steve and I rode our bikes past Pacifica Garden out near Williams, Oregon, and the sight at their gate had us doing an about-face so we could appreciate the incredible display of echinacea they had. I have never seen so many kinds, all in pristine condition! What a show! Explored on April 16, 2016. Last known placement #117.

This is another flower I grew in my garden, and there were blossoms in yellow and pink as well! I had some fun with the background, which was originally very busy, so I replaced it with a texture.

Back in November, 2012, I discovered this tiny, weird blobby thing on a log and I took a bunch of pictures, hoping it might be interesting once I saw it on the computer. When I looked at the images on my monitor, I could hardly believe my eyes! I have never seen any fungus like this before, nor since. It appears to be dozens and dozens of spaghetti-thin mushrooms, all clinging together...but maybe it's just one odd fungus? I don't think so though. It's certainly fascinating...if you can verify what this is I'd love to know!!

A few years ago, Steve and I went on a tour of gardens in the town of Ashland, which is about an hour's drive from our home. There are a lot of lavish gardens there and we had a marvelous time traipsing from one glorious display to the next. At one garden, I found these beautiful flower and got lucky with the late afternoon sun. With this sort of flower, the entire spike of individual blooms is appreciated, so I decided to pay attention to just a single blossom, letting the rest of the blooms fall away into bokeh. :)

Here is another wonderful flower I grew in my garden a couple of years ago. I got many colors to enjoy, it's just a shame they will not grow without lots of water, so they are gone now. I have my pictures though, which will last forever! :)