Picture 281

So...it's Spring.
And things are....springing.
People slowly start coming out of their bungalows and clean up the Winter mess.
I have helped my Grandmother a few times cleaning up her yard.
It's a lovely time.

The brutal winter is over.
I wanted to celebrate it again, but not as silly as Picture 279 and 280.
While walking the dog, I look around a see life again.
Not just people out and about, but plants as well.
It's getting greener and the trees are budding.
I wanted to focus on that.
I looked around and then I saw on the ground some little plants starting to pop up.
Then I noticed they were everywhere.
So, I looked around some more to find the perfect spot.
I wanted to be down low and up close, but I didn't want to be to close.
I wanted it to be zoomed in from a far.
After ten test pictures and ten more failed attempts, I got it.
EXACTLY what I wanted.
I went home and in Lightroom, I didn't want to go to crazy.
I added just a bit of contrast.
Then, I did a lot of saturation but brought down the orange colors.
It made me look really orange and other things, so I tuned it down.
After all that, just ten minutes, it was all done.
Let's compare.

Hover your mouse (the computer one :-P) over the original before editing picture and see the after editing one. 

AMAZING!!
Not too bad, I'm happy.
Now, time for a story.
I don't have a BTS video because I made this too fast and I have another video in its place.
We were going to walk to the store.
But on the way out, there was this bird on the ground.
We thought it was dead, but after a nudge it woke up.
So, we took it with us to see if we could get it to fly again.
We tried for a while and then canceled the going to the store to help the bird.
We sat there with him, trying to get him to fly.
Gave him rubs and nudges.
We went back home to our patio because we look weird and suspicious.
We kept trying, then it happened!
He started hopping around after a nudge on his belly.
He didn't hop or fly away, he just looked around.
We kept moving him back and having him hop around more and more.
Then, my sister put him on her hand and after a bob up and down he took off.
A happy moment.
I saw where he went and zoomed in on him to get a better look.
Yes, I was recording everything.
He sat there for ten minutes and then we left to go to the store.
We got back a bit later and he was still there.
We went back inside and waited about fifteen minutes.
My sister went to check on him and he was gone.
That was that.
We were happy, I should have left my camera out there and got him flying away.
I didn't think enough.
However, I did get everything else on video.
It was 40 minutes uncut, but I got it down under 25.
I wanted to include it all as I usually do.
The video is having an issue processing. 
It's taking longer than normal, but it's moving.
I'll start working once it's done.
You can CLICK HERE to see the video or watch it below. 

Well, wasn't that exciting.
A good picture and a good video with a good story.
Fun times.
Anyways, COME BACK NEXT WEEK!