Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Willow Catkins

I had this nice little bouquet of Pussy Willow with a few forsythia stems in a vase and I was trying to get a picture of the Willow catkins with no luck. Then I read Mr McGregors Daughters blog and she had a good idea of using a colored paper as a background.
Well, I tried it and I did pretty good. I think these little catkins are the cats meow.

24 comments:

  1. Nicely done!
    I use this method of placing colored paper behind some subjects also!! Very nice!!
    You would love to be here in Arizona snapping all the photo opportunities ..I am in heaven!!
    hugs NG

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  2. I heard on the news that because Easter is early this year that there is a shortage of Pussy Willows for Dingus Day this year. Great to see some around in other places.

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  3. Oh I haven't seen any of these in such a long time. That photo brought back the softness and beauty of them. Thanks.

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  4. Beatiful shot Lisa. The colored paper is a great idea! I love pussy willows.

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  5. Good idea. I will try this method next time I take picture of my plants. Thanks.

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  6. Soooo pretty and spring like! What a great photo tip. Will try to remember that one.

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  7. Thanks for passing along the tip, Lisa. Now, if I can only remember it when the occasion to use it arises....

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  8. Lisa, your catkins look lovely, ours have just begun splitting their cases to show the fuzzies. Did you force yours inside? Great idea about the colored background, did you try others before settling on the blue?

    Frances at Faire Garden

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  9. Fab pic of the Pussy WIllows... when I was a kid we would take our dog for walks and there used to be heaps of them ... I used to live in a little village in Dorset UK and as I have been in West Australia for 20 years it's been a long time since I saw them ... thanks for sharing
    Britt :D

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  10. Thank you NG. I would love to be in AZ right now. However I don't like to miss spring here at Greenbow.

    I have never heard of Dingus Day. I will have to google this and see what it is.

    PW is an old fashioned favorite. I just planted it last year. It withstood the drought and as you can see I have plenty of stems to bring inside.

    I hope you all remember the photo tip I got from MrMcGregor's Daughter the next time you need a background. I guess if you know how to manually use your camera you don't need this tip. I use the AUTO focus almost exclusively. I have a fairly smart camera.

    Frances, I didn't force the Pussy Willow. The Forsythia I am trying to force. The Forsythia has nice big buds but haven't popped yet.
    As to the color of the background I just used what I could easily lay my hands on at the time. I have pink (other colors as well) paper but I would have to do some shuffling to get to it. The blue was out on the bookcase.

    SG I am glad you were transported back to your childhood with this shot. This is why I planted the Pussy Willow in the first place. I was facinated by the fuzzy catkins as a child and I guess I have just never grown up in this respect.

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  11. that's a lovely shot, lisa.. captures it perfectly!

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  12. Lisa: Those willows make for such a nice arrangement outdoors and indoors. I used them last year for my Easter centerpieces but I had to buy them from the florist as I certainly don't have them to snip when needed. Nicely done, Lisa.

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  13. catkins are tue signal that spring is coming, right? tra la la la!!!

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  14. Thanks for the credit, but I got the idea of using a background color from a book on garden photography, where the author used his orange kitchen walls as a backdrop. Is that a pink Pussywillow? My sister had one of those at her old house. I love the feel of the buds.

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  15. Really lovely Lisa... I love willow catkins they are so pretty.

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  16. It worked beautifully in your photo!

    I don't think I've ever walked by a catkin without touching one. Your photo shows the softness perfectly.

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  17. Very nicely done Lisa! The Pussywillows are such pretty things, aren't they? I must walk down to the river and see what ours are doing. Probably not much yet.

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  18. OH, how pretty! I agree. The cat's meow...

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  19. meems, I am glad you liked them. Do they grow down your way or is it too hot for them. I would think they would grow if it was wet enough.

    Ewa, You darned right spring is coming. Of course snow is predicted for monday.

    MrMcD, It is funny you should ask if it is a pink one. I thought about digging out the pink paper I have to highlight the pink in the catkin but was too lazy to do so. I don't know what variety of pussy I have. I bought it from Lowes and they are notorious for mislabeling plants. The label I have is very uninformative. So in answer to your question it is "I don't know". :/

    I am so happy that you all liked my Pussy willow. I think they are so sweet.

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  20. Wow, aren't they pretty with a blue background? Very nice Lisa!

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  21. Cool! And a great idea to share - thanks. My photography is mediocre at best so I am always looking for tips. Your catkins photos were great.

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  22. Great, simple but great result, good work such a nice photo.

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  23. Wow... so pretty. And that blue paper behind--I love the color!

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