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Pin Cushion Proteas and Alstroemeria

The protea is South Africa's national flower. These ones are called pin cushion proteas, because they look like pin cushions. They last a long time once cut and placed in water, but they are not fragrant. The bright yellow flowers and the almost red ones are called alstroemeria. They are very fragrant and beautiful too.

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The roses and lavender are from my garden. I took lots of pictures of them, trying different backgrounds and focusing on different aspects of them. Do you see the wire bicycle? We bought that from kids on the side of the road in Zambia.

My favorite part about the roses was the darker shades of pink on the outer petals. I've done a series on them named after the type of rose they are, Simplicity. The Simplicity series gives tips on using a variety of photo editing tools.

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Flowers from My Garden

I like these flowers, because they are imperfect, simple and sweet. They have a real country feel about them. The background is also imperfect with a rustic look. Always keep in mind your background when taking that special shot.

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These hydrangeas were from my garden at our last house. So were the white roses on my previous post. Using a mirror in your photo can be very effective. The trick is to not get your image in the reflection unless you are purposely taking a photo of yourself. Another thing that can mess up a mirror photograph is if you use a flash and it reflects.

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This was my entrance hall at the last house we rented. My son’s room was directly opposite and didn’t have a door. We think it was originally an extra TV room, but we needed to make it a bedroom.

I’m posting two shots of the same white roses. The first one is my favorite. It was taken in the direction of the natural light, which adds its own whimsical mood. The second one was taken pointing away from the natural light and shows the roses in all their beauty.

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Roses and Irises

One thing these photos have in common is that I used a flash. My advice when using a flash is to be aware of what effect you are wanting and to try different things. Often people will tell you to make sure the flash is off when you’re taking a photo. This is because it tends to wash out the natural colors in the image, especially when taking pictures of people up close. However, it can also create an interesting effect as in these three pictures of flowers. Another good use for flash photography is when there are unwanted shadows on your subject. By using the flash, you can eliminate those shadows. But, if your subject is near a flat surface like a wall, then you can end up casting shadows, which doesn’t usually look nice.

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These roses are called double delight. 

I think the name is fitting.

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Miniature Roses and Agapanthus from My Garden

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To learn how to make a collage for free, read my post 3 Sisters - 6. 

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Bouganvilla from my garden.

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"The earth laughs in flowers."

by e.e. cummings

If you're like me, then flowers brighten your day. I got these flowers on my birthday a couple years back by my mother-in-law. They are also on my Google+ profile.

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Flaura – earth friendly coffins and ash caskets

Recently we were driving on the national road when we spotted this pick-up truck. I used my husband’s mobile phone to capture this shot. I always admire new entrepreneurial small businesses, but this takes the cake.

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Hexrivier Mall, Hex River Valley, South Africa

My husband and I took a drive into the farmlands when we came across this shop. We thought “mall” was a lofty name for such a humble place.

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Amanda had something to do with this picture. She got creative and decorated one of our balcony plants. Thankfully, this time it was my husband who thought it was worth taking a photo of and I’m so glad he did. Otherwise, this series would only have had three funny photos and not four! If you haven’t met Amanda yet, then I invite you to visit my parenting blog Amanda’s Books and More. She is a real darling!

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My new series is all about the funny side of life. I hope to add a little humor to your day. This first one is a funny sign that I saw while on holiday a few years back. Usually I get heckled by my family for taking pictures of just about anything, but if I hadn’t walked up to this sign and taken this picture, I wouldn’t have been able to share it with you today. Since I began this blog, I wish that in the past I had put in the effort to take more photos. Now I’m taking pictures often and I’m glad about that. I’ve even seen my husband taking more pictures than he ever did before. Today’s photo needs no explanation. It speaks for itself.