End of summer

There is no doubt about it, the end of summer is near. Yet, our small wildflower garden is still abuzz with activity. Bumblebees can't seem to get enough of our lobelias, zinnias, and primroses. We also detected at least five monarch larvae so far this summer, more than we ever had before. All day long, they feast on our butterfly weeds that I planted years ago. Goldfinches eat the seeds from our many purple coneflowers and ruby-throated hummingbirds drink the nectar out of lobelias and zinnias. That goes to show: If you plant it, they will come! My husband and I are becoming more and more aware that planting native plants will increase the amount of wildlife in our backyard. While there is no shortage of birds on our property, we attract many more insects than our neighbor's wildflower-free yards.
Today, I set up an exhibit at the Sewickley library where I show my bird and autumn photographs. The first person who looked at my display asked my if my digital photographs are manipulated. People seem to have the strange idea that all digital photographs are "photoshopped." As if there has never been any manipulation done in a darkroom! If I doctored every photo I take, I would not have time for anything else. And a photograph that isn't sharp when I take it will certain not get any better with Photoshop. There are many reasons why I shoot birds digitally (Number One: it's cheap!), but doctoring is not one of them. Sure, I like the fact that I am able to check the exposure right when I'm at my location without wasting entire films only to find out later that all my photos were too dark or too light. And, I want to see my results immediately after I return home.