Sunday, June 8, 2014

Purple Pickerel Rush

Venturing out yesterday, yet staying close to Louisville, I decided to visit Bernheim before the dry, scorching heat of long Summer days sets in. I love visiting the Arboretum as Spring gives way to Summer while the vegetation is still rich and lush. I discovered Purple Pickerel Rush blooming along the banks of Lake Nevin. For those of you who aren't familiar with this plant, its actually an aquatic plant that gardeners commonly use in gardens and plant containers, as its hardiness can easily withstand full sun. Blooms vary from vivid blues to various shades of purple. If I had a Life List for flowers, this plant would go on it as I had never before made its acquaintance.



After driving the main parameter of the Arboretum, I parked near the gatehouse to walk back to Lake Nevin to photograph a Heron standing in the shallow water of the lake. Given 'Take a Kid Fishing Day' was in full swing, a father and sons had scared the Heron as they approached the lakefront and off he flew to the far side of the lake. I turned to walk back to the car but spotted some bright color peeking through the trees. I crept down to the water's edge to find this beautiful Pickerel Rush in full bloom. As I snapped a few images, several Silver Spotted Skippers flitted about on the blooms making lunch of the pollen there. Does this butterfly remind you of parchment paper. Every time I see it, that's the thought that comes to mind. Just saying.



In closing, I recently purchased a discounted full version of Adobe Lightroom 5 photo editing software. Lightroom 5 is the last full version you can purchase. Sadly, Adobe has reverted to charging a monthly subscription in lieu of purchasing full software packages after each update. I hate paying monthly subscriptions to anything, and definitely not for photo editing software. I had used Beta versions of Lightroom 3 and 4 in the past. Beta software versions are free to download and use for a limited time. The Beta version stops functioning when the final version is released. I never purchased 3 or 4, but knew when Lightroom 5 was launched, I had to have it as Adobe had added features to this new version that I had been waiting for.

Being familiar with this software already, I dropped these images into it today to see what enhancements I could bring out in the images and I'm really impressed with the outcome. I especially like the sharpening and clarity tools. But all of the various color, exposure and contrast enhancement features are far superior than my Paint or Picasa software. While Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite offers a great deal more features and enhancements, having used it on an old laptop that crashed and the software was lost to me forever, I think Lightroom 5 is perfect for my needs and recommend it as it is fairly inexpensive. You can still find it in full versions on eBay at a discount right now. Have a wonderful Sunday. ENJOY!

5 comments :

  1. Hi Carol, I came by to get a taste of your springtime in Kentucky. It's due to go into the 20's again tonight so I still haven't planted anything or put my container flowers out. There is still a small drift of snow in the back garden. So, enjoy all that color and those "parchment" butterflies for me, will you?

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    1. Absolutely Barb. Glad you can enjoy all my color. Hopefully Summer will set in in a few weeks in Colorado.

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  2. Looks like summer with those purple blooms. What a bargain with Lightroom5, I ,too, totally do not want to go down the monthly rental path, what was wrong with the original way of purchasing it ? Maybe more money for Adobe, or are they upgrading so fast, this for the professionals is easier? Cheers,Jean.

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    1. Jean, I think Lightroom 5 is great for all serious photographers with Creative Suite more for the real professionals. I think you are right, definitely make more money on subscriptions down the road. Especially if you wish to get updates. I paid under $100 for my full version that was mailed box unopened from a reputable eBay source. I am glad I bought it.

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  3. Very beautiful photos Carol. I hope you had a nice weekend. Enjoy the week ahead. Pam

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