One Filter, One Vision

With all this politic talk floating around in the US, it got me thinking. How 'bout I unify my recent pictures? And what better way to make them one than to use a filter.
I delved into a search for one filter I liked, and this one is called "marine". 

Freshly planted garden flowers 

I was playing with the every aperture setting... settled on this.

A small version of a curry leave plant in the dark. 

A tiny baby cucumber sprout that, one upon a time, grew indoors.

Frozen oranges... that's all. 

Coriander leaves on its way to becoming a side dish.

That precious time when the flowers bloom in our front yard.

I drove on the highway for the first time on the way to this picnic by the lake. 

This dahlia was harvested in those perfect flower farms, a show flower for a day, and finally ended up in our flower pot. 

Thing is, I'm guilty of avoiding filters that are commonly used, like "process", common on the iPhone with blue and green tints. Those filters just drown the impression of the picture. Although, gotta love black-and-white filters; they look stylishly retro and possess a dramatic look.

Past my opinion, here's photo-filtering 101

Pick the photo that best represent the mood and story of the picture. Keep an eye out for light, which is the most important aspect of your picture. Make sure the filter brightens your pic well and doesn't conceal any details. Keep the colors bright and balanced because pretty much all pictures mess with the color and tone. But more or less importantly, let the filter bring out what you like most in that picture. It'll work even if it's not an A+ picture.

I've read that the most popular filters out there are those that turn up the warmth, exposure, and color. And if you're one who routinely uses a filter on social media, it's been said that using the right filter will get you almost 40% more attention. Fact is, the general population likes filters.

Just be wary. People typically look for a natural look, even with a filter on. So too much saturation and light doesn't look pleasing. Just be wary.

Weed a Wish

Weeds are huge inconvenience; a disgrace to the garden. It makes your yard look like a car that's been trashed with popcorn. And the car becomes dirtier every season, just like the family of weeds spreading every season. They're the grasses' worst nightmare. 

And these weeds, these dandelions, may just be the worst. You see them everywhere, around the mailbox all the way to the vegetable garden. I think they just can't compromise with us... We try to put 'em out, day after day, spending money on weed killers time after time. But they're just being lazy bums. Why can't they turn off their lights?

These weeds have secrets, some we've discovered. They have a way to get around the yard as well. After the flowers come, these little furry puff balls appear and take over. With the help of the wind, there's no end.

But these stubby fuzz balls are more commonly associated with those wishing superstitions. Kids make a wish and blow the seeds away and well, their wishes supposedly come true. I may, sorta, possibly, have blown a wish on this one...