129. TA-DA!

I ran to the bank this evening to make a quick deposit and as I drove by my neighbor Mytra's house. She is a wonderfully nice lady, but her yard is always unkept and her trash cans, always out front, are the first thing I see as I drive down the road. Today, for the first time I was taken back not by the trash cans, but by the fantastic jacaranda tree that graces her front yard.

I was in a rush and didn't stop to take the shot - the missed photograph started to eat at me instantly. I drove as swiftly to the bank as I could. Silently cursed the people in line in front of me for not being smart enough to operate an ATM and raced back to our neighborhood. Every red light got a second round of cursing for good measure. When I returned for the second drive by Mytra's house the light was still just right. I got so lucky.

I took the shot with my iPhone... I really need to start carrying a decent camera in the car for just these occasions. My friend Frank asked me how I take such great shots with a camera phone. Some of it is just basic composition. Good composition is possible with any camera  - even a point and shoot. The rest? Is a little magic with PhotoShop. A magician should never reveal her tricks... but I will provide a before and after.