Picture This!

Picture This Photo Contest is going on at the blog Gardening Gone Wild until Januari 24th, and the theme is Macro in a Mason Jar. I found this out a few days ago when reading Lona's blog post "How not to take photography in a mason Jar" at A Hocking Hill's Garden.

I got started right away.

Here are some star anise at the bottom of the jar, sitting on top of a farm sign.

Kind of fun and unexpected, but the seeds made the bottom of the jar

dirty-looking and there is too much going on outside the jar besides the sign.

I had just had a dinner party on Saturday, so the house was filled with tulips.

Had to try them out, put them on top of water and the jar sits on

top of tulip greens.

Kind of nice, but nothing to write home about.

This was harder than I thought.

The contest asks for pictures of

"seeds, feathers, plants, flowers, insects or textures in ways that are

fresh and unexpected"

and I can't say that any of the above was either.

I looked around for other flowers or seeds and found my dried wheat.

In the first picture, the jar sits on top of a loaf of bread.

I found it extremely difficult to get the focus right.

In the second, I put the jar on top of a plate of oats.

And in the third wheat picture I tried placing the jar in a pair of hands.

Still not completely happy with any of my pictures

(and there is about a hundred of pictures that I decided not show you).

Today, the weather was beautiful, the sun was shining,

and the garden had a coating of fresh snow.

I was outside with my boys when I decided to try tulips again,

but outside, in the snow, with natural light.

Aaahhhh....

Good light sure makes a difference.

I like how the light falls on the top leaf and makes it dance.

The last shot was taken of the side of the jar as the sun started to set.

I like this one too, but I think the contest asks to take

the picture in to the jar from above.

So, I think I'm done taking pictures and I will enter the second from the bottom.

Good Luck to self!

And, Good Luck to all of you who also decide to enter the competition.

I do encourage you, it was fun and mind opening.

But, hurry up.

There's only four days left.