Silhouette of Stillness

Sunburst Chairs

Silhouette of Stillness © 2011 Bo Mackison

There are moments when you absolutely need someone to show up like magic, not because you need something nice, but because you need your world view transformed. You need some hope to be born in you. You need to know in one moment that someone believes in you. You need a kindness midwife to hold the space so you can show up like magic for someone else the next time around.  ~ Jen Leman

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.

A Bit of Enchantment

Behind the Green Curtain?

A Bit of Enchantment © 2011 Bo Mackison

I do not understand how anyone can live without one small piece of enchantment to turn to.
~ Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Another visit to the botanical gardens, another morning with time enough to notice textures, patterns, colors. The sunlight’s reflection on the large leaf of the elephant ear plant, the sun still strong, still a summer’s sun although its strength wanes each day as we add a few night minutes onto out 24 hour allotment, subtract a few light minutes.

I sat on one of the many benches in the gardens, closed my eyes, and noticed the many ways I am aware of the sun without opening my eyes. Warm on my arms, warm enough to cause me to break into a sweat under my hat band, a glowing feeling, a feeling of well-being. All is right my my tiny garden world when the sun shines.

I found a small piece of enchantment today in the garden.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Loving the gardens these days, prime garden time in Wisconsin,  and the gardens bring out so many beauties.

Visions of Poppies Dance in My Head

Poppy - Tonal

Poppy – Tonal Contrast © 2011 Bo Mackison

I’m experimenting with my favorite flower from last spring – the pink poppy. I am slowly exploring a few post processing techniques. For several years I refused to try any pre-sets, instead choosing to do everything one step at a time. Every change in a photograph was a small change I chose. And I did many behind the scenes changes, but always with the intention of maintaining the look of original as I had visualized it.

Then I met Mike Moats at the Leeper Park Art Fair (South Bend) in June, and as we each looked at each other’s booth and art, Mike told me about the Nik software he is using almost exclusively for post processing. He invited me to attend a webcast he was giving on Using Nik Software.

I penciled the webcast in on my calendar, and then watched Mike demonstrate the Nik software, making tiny change after tiny change. The part that surprised me was that he often made the changes that I thought would be good changes to make. We were, if not the same wavelength, perhaps on neighboring wavelengths.

I was quite impressed with the software, and realized that the presets were only the jumping off stage — once you choose a preset, there are a million opportunities to individualize each photograph.

The above macro photo of the pink poppy did not have as much detail as I had hoped for at the focal point where the two rain-soaked petals overlap. I used the Nik preset called Tonal Contrast, and the raindrops suddenly popped off the screen. It provided a boost in the detail and I was able to get the abstract look I wanted.

So far, I’ve experimented with three different pre-sets on this poppy, plus many more on other photographs. I’ll post the original poppy plus the modified photos later this week.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is experimenting with Nik software this month — exploring and testing and comparing, and having great fun with her photos.

 

“Sunset” Coneflowers

"Sunset" Coneflowers

“Sunset” Coneflowers © 2011 Bo Mackison

A visit to one of my favorite gardens in Madison proved disappointing last night until I rounded the last corner of a small enclosure and found a patch of hybrid coneflowers. (The garden is under going major renovations and the atypical heat we have had has taken a toll on many of the summer gardening projects.)

I am not a fan of most of the purple coneflower hybrids, which are no longer purple, but instead they are white, yellow, orange. I don’t think I mind the change in color as much as the change in the prickly cone head center of the flower. Many of the hybrids have a flowery center and it seems they lack the character of the original prairie flower.

Most of these have not undergone much testing so the hardiness of the flowers is unknown. I thought the “Sunset” coneflower was one of the nicer varieties and still had the typical center. A bumblebee seems to like it fine, too.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is experimenting with a new photo techniques with the huge variety of flowers in bloom as her willing subjects.

‘Kathy McCain’ Water Lily

'Kathy McCain' Tropical Water Lily

‘Kathy McCain’ Water Lily

Water Lilies

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

My whole life is mine, but whoever says so
will deprive me, for it is infinite.
The ripple of water, the shade of the sky
are mine; it is still the same, my life.

No desire opens me: I am full,
I never close myself with refusal-
in the rhythm of my daily soul
I do not desire-I am moved;

by being moved I exert my empire,
making the dreams of night real:
into my body at the bottom of the water
I attract the beyonds of mirrors…

Translated by A. Poulin

I photographed these beauties at the lily ponds at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I also photographed the identification sign of these bright magenta lilies, but I can find no information about this specific variety. Perhaps they are a relatively new hybrid.

I do think the color is quite intense, more so compared to the other tropicals that were in these gardens. I also love the lily pads with the variegated colors – adds a touch of pattern to the simply shaped flower.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.