Bok in Bloom

I thought it might be fun to display some of my before and after editing shots.  This is my first photo shoot with my new Canon Rebel.  I don't know how to use the camera yet, but the auto focus modes made it easy to still get some good pictures.  The after photos are edited using Picasa.  The before shots have such vibrant color that they didn't really need tweaking - however, I liked the idea of turning the photos into surreal snapshots.

 

I took these pictures at the Bok Tower - it is about 3 weeks from the full peak bloom season, 

but already the flowers are so beautiful.   The scent of camillas and jasmine and the sun shinning 

brightly made it a simply lovely afternoon. 

I can't get over the detail visible when I adjust the tuning to include deeper shadows, it makes the flowers pop.  I am taking a class in a few weeks and I can't wait to have a little more knowledge of my new camera.  I am also scouting out places with great architecture so I can get some interesting shots.