Wildflower Book Project

Last year, I shared the beginnings of a project with you,  a book documenting the wilflowers that grow at a local buisiness park.  Since I there is not much opportunity to create new wildflower images between November and March, I had planned to begin the book layout in December.  Now February, I am finally piecing together the book layout.

In the past, I have used book layout software provided by the book printer (Mpix, Blurb, PhotoBook America).  This time, I am using Adobe InDesign.  This being the first project of any significant size for which I have used InDesign, I have found that the learning curve was not particularly difficult.  I quite like InDesign.

Pokeweed

Here are a couple images that I am including in the book.

The first is a relatively common weed, but I find it very interesting because it looks like small green peppers.  I really like this image because it shows two slightly different stages and because the background is very soft, not distracting from the foregound subject.

Common Verbena
 
Click on either image for a larger view.
 
 
 
 
The second image is Common Verbena (which is not particularly common in my experience).  The flowers begin at the bottom of the flower spike and progressively bloom toward the top of the flower spike.  I really like this image because of the somewhat unusual background, which I think is not readily obvious.  There is a pool of water, with trees reflecting in it, and a grassy embankment.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

River Reflection

When snow covers the landscape like a white crystal blanket, it is an undeniable visual transformation.  But when the deciduous forests are not blanketed in white, they are dominated by greys and faded browns; it can be photgraphically challenging.

Lumix G3 - ISO 400 - f 7.1

The warm light of sunrise and sunset adds a burst of color to an otherwise bleak pallette.  And reflections in the river add an ever-changing texture that is unpredictable and full of surprises.

Somedays, I happen by the river and see something interesting.  On other days, I anticipate a visual image, with the sun low on the horizon or the changes in the ice.

Lumix G3 - ISO 1600 - f 7.1
 
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(Click on either image for a larger view.)