Today's photo is a blade of grass with raindrops. The images inside the drops are from the flowers in the background. Although you can't tell in this photo, the images inside the drops are reversed. The drop of water act as a lens and refracts (bends) the light causing an object just out of the focal length of the camera to appear upside down and backwards inside the raindrop. 
​

Today's photo is a blue moon. The color isn't real, of course, but there is something about the possibility that tickles the imagination and brings out the child in all of us. Most of you are probably aware that we will experience the first blue moon of 2018 on January 31. 

A blue moon has nothing to do with color. It is the term used to refer to the second full moon in a month. Originally it referred to the third of four full moons in a season. Either way, a blue moon is rare, giving rise to the phrase "Once in a blue moon" meaning something occurs very rarely, but is not impossible.

Even though the astronomical blue moon is not actually blue, it is possible for the moon to appear blue. This can (and has) happened when ash, dust or smoke fills the air and causes the moon to appear blue-colored. This can happen with a forest fire, but most commonly happens from a large volcanic eruption. Because the dust particles must be very small, and atmospheric conditions just right, it is rare to see a blue-colored moon.

​

Teatime with Butterflies is not a photo. It is digital art created from several different images. I've wanted to learn to create this type of image for a long time. It has taken months of practice with Photoshop to learn the techniques to combine images in a meaningful way. I'm not sure of the destination for this image, but I think it will find a home in a children's book someday.

Today's photo is more digital art than photo. The subject is a purple iris with some texture and color added. The background was created using the colors of the original photo. I love the softness of the background in contrast with the textured flower.

Today's photo is a winter sunset shot through a crystal ball. When light goes through the crystal ball it refracts and causes an inverted image inside the ball. Some photographers use the ball and then invert it in a photo editing program so the image in the ball is upright, but I liked this one the way it was. If you are interested in trying crystal ball photography, you can purchase the ball on Amazon for a few dollars. It may be listed as a crystal ball, a lens ball or a photography ball. They are all the same thing. You don't need any special equipment, other than the crystal ball.  

Today's photo is of an Eastern Chipmunk in an old hand well pump. Although he did not eat my geraniums, he did take the time to smell them to see if they would make a tasty meal. This is one of the two baby chipmunks that arrived in my yard two summers ago. One of them has set up permanent residence and is the subject of many of my photos. She is hibernating at the moment, but I'm sure she will return as soon as spring arrives and the weather warms.

Today's photo is what I like to think of as a hybrid between photography and digital art. While the original is a photo, some special effects have been applied to create interest. It adds more depth to the photo and gives the illusion of stepping back in time.

Today's photo is of two dewdrops balancing on a blade of grass. You can see the reflection of the blades of grass inside the dewdrop, but what I love about this photo is the starbursts in each drop. These are naturally occurring and have not been digitally altered. This photo was taken in the early morning last summer.

Today's photo is a hover fly found in my garden last summer. These tiny flies may look like some sort of bee or wasp, but they are not. They cannot sting. They are beneficial in the garden, as the larvae eat aphids and the adults help with pollination. They earn their name from the habit of hovering near flowers and then darting to a new location. According to the Texas Master Gardener Program, the hover fly can also do something most insects cannot do. It has the ability to fly backwards. As a gardener, I love hover flies because they help control insect pests and help pollinate my flowers and veggies, but as a photographer I love these tiny flies because they are so bright and beautiful.

Today's image was created in Photoshop using a photo of Dog Roses I took this summer. I loved the play of delicate pinks and soft greens in this image as it evokes a sense of peace and tranquility. I think the globe creates a bit of magic, drawing the viewer into a secret world that lies just behind the flowers where anything is possible.