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Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
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Monday, July 27, 2009

Congratulations Gardening Gone Wild Winners


Congratulations to the winners of the Flowering Tree Photo contest! I enjoyed clicking around the complete list at Gardening Gone Wild seeing flowering trees from other places. Who knew so many of us love redbuds?

For everyone who entered there was something special - renowned photographer-judge Rob Cardillo was kind enough to comment on every entry.
The March 2009 photo that I entered wasn't taken for a contest or for the blog but to help me remember what the front yard looked like in spring. Rob's comment about the composition made me resolve to pay attention even for these kinds of "mapping shots", but some of his words made me laugh:

“I like the off centered redbud and how the house line works but this choice view might look even better on an overcast day.”

Frankly Rob, not only the photos but all life in Central Texas might look better if we had more overcast days!

12 comments:

  1. Funny Annie. I am sure you need some more overcast days and the rain that the clouds would be holding. I like you photo too.

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  2. Is it okay if i have redbud envy, Annie? I haven't tried growing one here, so I loved looking at the various photos on GGW, plus your pictures here. I'm tempted...I'm tempted...

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  3. Hee, hee! I like the way you think, Annie.

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  4. I totally agree. Bring on those overcast days!!

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  5. I hear you, Annie! The sun has been relentless and I find myself fantasizing about cool gray days.

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  6. Amen, Annie! This is the time of year I just try to hang on until October! This year has been exceptionally brutal.

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  7. If Rob had only known that you would have loved an overcast day:) I missed this contest, but I'm glad to know I have lots of company in loving the redbuds in spring.

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  8. Well, he is sure an interesting fellow. He thought my picture taken in the rain should have been made lighter somehow, so I guess what he really wants is redbuds that are on a sunny day but not too sunny. I tried making it lighter the way he suggested before I ever posted it, but it just looked all wrong after digital manipulation. I think he got sick of looking at all the redbud pictures, actually.

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  9. Sorry you didn't win Annie but it is a beautiful picture. With the little grey leafed tree on the right reaching toward the reaching limb of the redbud it does make your eye scroll the picture, seeing the different blooms. However if you had waited for an over cast day you probably would have missed the dead line.

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  10. Hilarious - and I love when something I do is analyzed like that, since generally I'm not aware of what I was doing in the first place! I need to go and take a look at the other images.

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  11. Hi Lisa at Greenbow, Linda/Patchwork, Cindy, My Corner of Katy, Morning Glories in Round Rock and Prairie Rose - waiting for an overcast day could probably be a valid suggestion for other places - but not here this year.

    Jodi - I had redbud envy when we lived in Illinois...they grow okay in some parts of Chicagoland, but my neighbors' redbuds died ugly deaths.

    The heat and drought was not quite this bad when you had Rob Cardillo photograph your old garden, Pam/Digging -but it was still summer in Austin! How did he handle the light?

    Maybe he did get tired of redbuds, Healing Magic Hands! For one thing they are closed flowers, not revealing their interiors, as magnolias do.

    Thank you Bob. Actually what looks like a grey-leaved tree is the Whitebud. It really isn't very showy! But I love it and hope it will survive to bloom again.

    Glad you got a laugh, Pam from SC,! It's interesting to see the analysis, because it gives you an idea of what is considered beautiful photography.

    Sometimes I like the idea of the glamour shot, but sometimes they are fricking annoying! If you want to find a photo of a flowering shrub to help ID it, you have to wade through image after image of the flowers in open-mouthed, petals only, come-hither mode, but good luck at finding one where the stem structure and any leaves are both in focus and visible!

    Thanks for the comments,

    Annie

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  12. That tree is such a great burst of color. It may be skinny but it adds so much. great shot!

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A comment from you is like chocolate - maybe I could live without it, but life is more fun with it. I'll try to answer. If someone else's comment piques your interest, please feel free to talk among yourselves.