Friday, October 29, 2021

Don't forget it is Giant Pumpkin Weekend at New York Botanical Garden this weekend! Here is a Video Journey with major #Fall and #Pumpkin Vibes! #HalloweenWeekend @NYBG

This month, I have been sharing my experiences at the Kusama: Cosmic Nature exhibit at New York Botanical Garden, here is the link to my last post: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2021/10/catch-kusama-cosmic-nature-at-new-york.html

and a fun one from 2017 that gives you more Halloween and Pumpkin Vibes: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2017/10/check-out-giant-pumpkin-weekend-this.html

The artist, Yayoi Kusama utilizes polka dots to cover and conceal people, animals, the environment and pretty much everything around. She uses the polka dots as a metaphor of giving up identity, abolishing uniqueness, and becoming one with the universe-or "self-obliteration".

One of the most striking pieces on exhibit is called "Starry Pumpkin". A 2-meter tall sculpture whose surface is composed of a shimmering mosaic of blue and white squares that are neatly aligned in parallel rows, the iridescent blue tiles sparkle and gleam and give off colors fluctuating between shades of violet, emerald, and indigo according to the available light.

As I mentioned last week I have been using the On1 Raw 2022 Photo Editing Software program to breathe new life into my photos. Travel and Photography are my passion and while I am happy to spend hours editing one photo, I know most people don't have the patience for it and want an editing software that will allow them to achieve a desired look with ease and in much less time.

Last week I posted a picture of the sculpture "I want to fly to the Universe" this is the very first piece you see when entering the garden through the main entrance (this is assuming you don't veer off to go straight to the Enid Haupt Conservatory instead). I posted my original un-edited photo and then another using On1's AI which auto formats the photo for you.

I wanted to do the same this week focusing on the piece entitled Starry Pumpkin. I compiled the shots into a video so you could view them with more ease and a bit less scrolling. I take you through the sculpture as you first see it, hidden a bit behind the plants and flowers, then as you approach it and another from a third angle. I don't want you to think you are going nuts, you will see my original photo, then one where I use the AI and Noise Removal AI on each photo and a third photo of each angle using a preset called "Golden Autumn" - I stuck with preset 'G6' for all of these - and with the exception of one where I made minor edits to the final outcome of the preset - I wanted to give you an overview of this particular piece and one very happy 'accident'! On the final slide of the video slideshow of photos I use one of my photos to make a Halloween Card. I got nit picky and wanted to edit some of the blemishes on the pumpkins where I planned to place text, apparently a slip of my clumsy hands  and not paying attention to which tool was selected, turned some of the pumpkins a bit of a teal hue - it wasn't on purpose but I really liked the result and left it in!

Also 1 of 13 children have allergies, if you see a teal pumpkin when you are taking the kids trick-or-treating it means that home is offering allergy free options that are safe for children with allergies. I'm kind of glad I ended up with some teal pumpkins in the final edit.

NOTE: PRESS THE SQUARE ON THE LOWER RIGHT HAND OF THE VIDEO TO MAKE IT FULL SCREEN HD. (JUST HIT ESC KEY WHEN YOU ARE DONE AND YOU WILL COME BACK TO THE POST AUTOMATICALLY)




My Take:

Unfortunately with Covid very much still being a buzz 'kill' this exhibit didn't get the foot traffic or word of mouth it truly deserved, it was a feast for the eyes and it was fun seeing the art on exhibit in the library as well. I even met a 'camera twin' - in this age of every photo being taken on a cellphone I am always excited to see a photographer shooting with a DSLR. I met one shooting with my same exact camera (Nikon) and someone shooting with my former camera (Canon) although I hesitate a bit to say former because I still like shooting with it, it is just a bit heavy for me these days.

I wish my surgeries this summer and one this fall didn't keep me from seeing the exhibit sooner.

This is Giant Pumpkin Weekend at the New York Botanical Garden - so if your Instagram feed needs a pop of fall color and pumpkin goodness (no not just a photo of your pumpkin spice latte) then you need to hit up the Garden this weekend. And even though I didn't snap any pictures of  them (because not cool), I love seeing families taking photos of their babies with the pumpkins!

I am not the greatest with step-by-step tutorials, but I am trying to get better at it. However, I will tell you something very contrary to popular photographer opinion: "The AUTO Setting on your DSLR camera is NOT the devil". Not everyone has the luxury of setting up every shot they take, not all public spaces are easy to navigate with a tripod or don't allow them, not to mention carry full on lighting. While I am trying to get better at memorizing exposure speeds and shuffling quickly to get the light right, I want you to know getting a photo that means something to you is getting what I call 'life' from it - yes even from plants or flowers. Your technical skills can be on point but if you don't have an eye for it, they won't take you very far. And Photo Editing software is your friend. It's obviously more complex than your social filters, but I found On1's AI gives you the feeling of using a filter but with richer results with more detail and depth.

By all means continue to improve your skills, but there is nothing wrong with the Auto setting and post processing either! ;)

And stay tuned Butterflies, your chance to win your own copy of On1 Raw 2022 Photo Editing Software is coming up very soon! This year my Holiday Buying Guide will be focused on thoughtful gifts for (aspiring or pro) Photographers!  Get your photo on!


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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. All opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. On1 Photo Editing software and passes to the exhibit were provided for Editorial Purposes but no monetary compensation has been received.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Catch Kusama: Cosmic Nature at the New York Botanical Garden + Giant Pumpkin Weekend at @NYBG THIS WEEKEND!

On a super cloudy and overcast day I finally got the opportunity to check out the Kusama: Cosmic Nature exhibit at New York Botanical Garden. I had been wanting to catch this exhibit all summer, but with a surgery early in the summer and some smaller procedures following, I needed time to heal.

Description: Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is one of the most popular artists in the world, drawing millions to experience her immersive installations.

Exclusively at NYBG, Kusama reveals her lifelong fascination with the natural world, beginning with her childhood spent in the greenhouses and fields of her family’s seed nursery. Her artistic concepts of obliteration, infinity, and eternity are inspired by her intimate engagement with the colors, patterns, and life cycles of plants and flowers.

My apologies to my local readers, as this post is normally accompanied by a ticket giveaway, I will work on something hopefully for the holidays. I am ramping up slowly and working on some fun surprises for our annual holiday gift guide which will have some gift suggestions that are sure to please!

The interconnectedness of things is a theme explored in this exhibit, and I was first greeted by this installation: I want to fly to the Universe (I took tons of photos as usual, but I plan to space them out!)



ABOVE: Original, un-edited Photo, I want to fly to the Universe by Yayoi Kusama, October 2021 taken at New York Botanical Garden. Photo Credit: Tracy Iglesias

I am partnering with a very unique Photo Editing Software this year (hint, hint - stay tuned for something fun for YOU very soon!) I am testing out the software and after photo editing this shot, I was able to add some brightness and make the photo appear less overcast.













ABOVE: Same Photo edited using On1 HDR 2021 software

The enhancements are slight but make a world of difference, especially on the tree on the right hand side. My blog template is a little weird, so feel free to press on each photo individually to make them larger, you can hit escape to get back the article after you have viewed the photos. My template accepts JPEG photos so I have to convert the RAW files. I find the RAW files show more detail, but you can see the difference that the Photo Editing Software On1 made with this photo. (I will feature more photos from this exhibit counting down to Halloween). 

If you hit the New York Botanical Garden THIS weekend, you would get a chance to enjoy final days of the Kusama: Cosmic Nature Exhibit and also Giant Pumpkin Weekend. It would literally provide all the fun photo opp goodness you need in your social feed life right now! Here is me dorking out the last time I visited during Giant Pumpkin Weekend, check out this post HERE. (I was so focused on catching the different elements of this exhibit and the Farmers Market that I forgot to visit the Pumpkin Patch while I was there!)

NOTE: You must provide proof of vaccination along with your tickets upon entry. For a completely contactless experience have your app with proof of vaccination (yes you can show the actual card too but the app saves you time checking in and provides a more 'contactless' experience) and have your tickets handy on your phone also ready to be scanned. You will be given a time to visit the Kusama exhibit which means you won't have to worry about too many people around you, which I have to secretly admit I greatly appreciated! I also was asked to show my tickets to the exhibit to enter the gift shop so please note that just in case so you are not caught off guard.

Readers Sound Off: If you are visiting this weekend, please tag me on Twitter or on Instagram so I can see your cool photos! (@Ascending1 on both Twitter and Instagram and also use the Garden Hashtags and tag them as well @NYBG) Which photo above did you like best, the raw un-retouched version or the one I edited using On1? Also, what Photo Editing software are you using? (Did you know you can utilize On1 on both your computer and your phone, both Apple and Android? and the latest version also plays nicely with software you may already be using like Lightroom or Corel - for full disclosure I use multiple software!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. All opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. On1 Photo Editing software and passes to the exhibit were provided for Editorial Purposes but no compensation has been received.

Monday, October 4, 2021

Guess who is finally on linktr.ee? Keep up with all things @Ascending1 (Ascending Butterfly) via @Linktree_ #MakingMovesMonday


I like that Linktr.ee organizes all your links in one place, and if you have an event you can add it to your Linktr.ee and it makes easier to highlight, the PRO version of course gives you more benefits, but what is included in the free version is a great place to start. I opted for the free version to start. Once I see how frequently I actually use it I will have an idea whether or not I actually need to upgrade to the Pro version.

I used my photo editing software to merge the URL into the page a bit so it looks slightly different when you actually load the page:

Ascending Butterfly Linktr.ee Profile





















If you are currently in the job market you will notice that applications tend to ask for your LinkedIn Profile if you are applying via LinkedIn and your URL. If you don't have a specific portfolio website, this is a perfect substitute for that as it keeps all your URL's in one place that highlight your work and your social. and you can put your LinkedIn profile address as one of the URL's which saves you time on your online job applications. Also, if you use the free version you don't have to worry about the expense of paying monthly site fees just for a resume/portfolio site. And the pro version allows you to password protect it, but that does have a monthly fee, as of the time this post goes live is $6 USD/Month.

Question: Does anyone that has the Pro version know how you use it to accept payments and how that process works?

By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post. When a brand sponsors a post I always let you know!

Readers Sound Off: How many social profiles do you have in total? If you created your own Linktr.ee link how many URL's would you add?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, all opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway & Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. Things that lure this butterfly out of her cocoon: Technology, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, Spirits (Sparkling, Champagne, Prosecco, Sake, Bourbon, Tequila, Craft Brews), and Foodie Fun - really, I'm such a *simple girl*.

Friday, October 1, 2021

Friday Funny: The Hello October Meme that breaks the internet every year! #FridayVibes #FridayMood #FridayHumor #Meme

As a horror movie fanatic, this meme never fails to make me laugh:


I am so happy Fall is here! Leaves are changing color, it's not too hot or cold during the day, cozy sweaters are coming out of storage and soon I will have all the excuses to put on cute booties and boots! While I was born in April and technically am a "Spring Baby" - Fall is definitely my favorite season!

Hopefully you will be greeting October with a giggle after having viewed this silly meme!

Readers Sound Off: What are your Fall Plans? What is your Favorite Horror Movie? (I still have all my original - now probably considered 'vintage' Freddy Kreuger Posters!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, all opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway & Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. Things that lure this butterfly out of her cocoon: Technology, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, Spirits (Sparkling, Champagne, Prosecco, Sake, Bourbon, Tequila, Craft Brews), and Foodie Fun - really, I'm such a *simple girl*.