jeangenie's 52 for 2009 - Week 26 Night

Another theme that teases with so many different interpretations.

I decided on Monday on a 'Highlight of the week' - an event, a place, something like that. That was clearly a good way to put a curse on the week! Lowlight - lots of them. By this morning I was thinking: Highlight - well, there are only 7 days in a week it had better come soon.

And it did ...

Some of you know that I'm doing battle with the most prolific set of weeds in the south of England on my allotment, and with lots of help on the digging from Mr JG, I've managed to get a few rows of crops in this year.

After a very busy week I knew the highlight would be the week-end on the allotment - physically energetic but mentally relaxing. Surely a photo opportunity somewhere?


YES :banana::banana::banana:

We have crops ready for eating:




Potatoes, runner beans, broad beans, onions and garlic. I'm so chuffed.

Then a neighbour looked in. "Oh!" he said. "You've got Scapes!"


Errrrr...... oh dear, is that the vegetable equivalent of Swine 'flu ....

No - apparently not! Scapes are the curly, not-quite-flower tops on the garlic bulbs. There are hundreds and hundreds of websites devoted to Scapes - which have a very short season and are highly prized. Apparently. :D

So for good measure - here is a Scape:



If you'd never heard of them either - here is a link

:http://moscowfood.coop/archive/scape.html



Lessons learned:

1 Well - obviously Scapes isn't some horrible veggie disaster - they're edible and tasty. :thumbs:

2 The tide in the allotment battle is turning.

3 I still mess up composition - the vegetables have too much green on the right.

4 Taken in very bright sunlight, the colours, especially the greens, were overly bright so I tried toning them down a little in Hue/Saturation and I think it helped.

5 Trying to take the scape on a piece of white card was difficult and I decided that the shadows would have to add artistic interest, since I couldn't get rid of them. :bang: Well that's my excuse, anyway!

6 I'm still struggling with the tripod in some situations and ended up taking the scape handheld. :bang:

7 Well, we're in the second half of this challenge now, so I'm more optimistic that I'll get through to the end. (fingers crossed, here!)

All C&C welcome, as always, and thanks to all those people who look in on this thread week after week. :)

Jean
 
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Major catch up time...

Freedom - I feel your pain re washed out sky's, would love to know if there is a good way of dealing with them myself. I like the composition but agree with a few of your points. More sense of movement would have helped and it's a shame about the cribbing collar. I do think you have been too hard on yourself though ;)

Night - Lovely shot full of atmosphere. You get 10/10 from me just for managing to get a sharp shot at night with no tripod. Nice thinking on your feet too bump up the ISO and get the shot you wanted :clap:

Highlight - I disagree with your comment about the composition. I think the wodge of green on the right helps to give the shot some structure. I like the composition of the scape shot but it would be improved if you could get rid of the shadow. Glad to hear scapes isn't some hidious disease though! :D
 
The first image is very good, but for me the simplicity of the second one is stunning.
Educational too. I'd never heard of scapes before either.

Well done on your first crop as well as a great photo :clap:
I have some space set aside by the greenhouse at the side of the house. Every year I promise myself that I'll get round to putting some raised beds in and growing my own veg . . . and every year I get side tracked with something else. Maybe 2010 will be my year for it.
 
Scapes eh, whatever next :lol:

Here in Spain they harvest young garlic shoots called ajetes which look like spring onions. I only found out they weren't after I'd chopped them up and put them in a salad. Interesting taste :eek:

They use them in omelettes and as a lightly boiled veg, which tastes much better than chopped up and raw :D

I like both the shots and think you are being way too hard on yourself on the composition of the first one as I think it's spot on :clap::clap:

As for the second one I think the shadow aids the composition, what I would have liked to see though is all of it in focus as I find the blurry bit on the left a little distracting and it is drawing my eye away from the focal point.

Well done on your first crop and glad to hear you are winning the battle with the weeds :thumbs:

My crop is much easier to manage, figs, olives, mandarins and a 'herbal alternative' to painkillers :naughty:
 
SarahLee said:
The first image is very good, but for me the simplicity of the second one is stunning.
Educational too. I'd never heard of scapes before either.

Well done on your first crop as well as a great photo :clap:
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Couldn't have put it better :) that scape shot (in landscape format I note) is wonderful - although both are good and obviously #1 repesents a personal highlight :)

Nice and I've just realised I missed a highlight opportunity myself - more later :)
 
Toothie said:
i love the second image, the background really works and the image is stunning simplicity
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Thanks Ruth - I'm blushing. :)

SarahLee said:
The first image is very good, but for me the simplicity of the second one is stunning.
Educational too. I'd never heard of scapes before either.

Well done on your first crop as well as a great photo
I have some space set aside by the greenhouse at the side of the house. Every year I promise myself that I'll get round to putting some raised beds in and growing my own veg . . . and every year I get side tracked with something else. Maybe 2010 will be my year for it.
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Thanks Sarah. I hope you get your veg plot for next year - if you start planting this autumn you'll get crops nice and early! :)

Bruja said:
Scapes eh, whatever next

Here in Spain they harvest young garlic shoots called ajetes which look like spring onions. I only found out they weren't after I'd chopped them up and put them in a salad. Interesting taste

They use them in omelettes and as a lightly boiled veg, which tastes much better than chopped up and raw

I like both the shots and think you are being way too hard on yourself on the composition of the first one as I think it's spot on

As for the second one I think the shadow aids the composition, what I would have liked to see though is all of it in focus as I find the blurry bit on the left a little distracting and it is drawing my eye away from the focal point.

Well done on your first crop and glad to hear you are winning the battle with the weeds

My crop is much easier to manage, figs, olives, mandarins and a 'herbal alternative' to painkillers :naughty:
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Ajetes sound interesting ....:thinking:

Glad you like the veg show, Jill, and I'm still doing battle with dof with the macro lens - it has more control than I do. :bonk:

Your crop sound delicious and .... errrrr .... :naughty::naughty:

Dark Star said:
Couldn't have put it better that scape shot (in landscape format I note) is wonderful - although both are good and obviously #1 repesents a personal highlight :)

Nice and I've just realised I missed a highlight opportunity myself - more later :)
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Thanks John. I'm curious to know what highlight opportunity you've missed. :thinking:

Jean
 
Jean, the second is a corker, If the lower left part of it was in frame, it would have been perfection.

Even as it is, its an extremely good shot.

Well done.
 
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Hyster said:
Jean, the second is a corker, If the lower left part of it was in frame, it would have been perfection.

Even as it is, its an extremely good shot.

Well done.
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Thanks Hyster. :)

The shameful secret - the rest of the garlic bulb was limp and discoloured - ok in the crowd in the first one but not up to a starring role on its own and cutting it just left ugly edges. :eek: But I see where you're coming from and agree. Thanks for taking the time to comment. :)

Jean
 
Hi Jean, the second shot is more arty, but I think the first shot meet the highlight theme better.

I have just finished harvesting some of my own veg, and think I may now take some photos!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
adrury said:
Hi Jean, the second shot is more arty, but I think the first shot meet the highlight theme better.

I have just finished harvesting some of my own veg, and think I may now take some photos!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Thanks Angela.

Congrats on your harvest - it's very satisfying isn't it, and having some home-grown veg makes cooking much more of a pleasure. :D

Jean
 
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