09/22/16

World CML Day, Celebrating Life

World CML Day – A Reason to Celebrate

World CML Day celebrates the beauty of life.

World CML Day. Rose ‘Misty Moonlight’

The rose is ‘Misty Moonlight,’ my registered (2004) large-flowered climber.

CML – chronic myelogenous leukemia – is a blood cancer and a Rare Disease; by definition, less than 200,000 in the US living with it. Today, slightly less than 50,000 in the US live with CML, with around 5,000 diagnosed each year. CML is caused by a translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22, which is how 9/22 came to be recognized as World CML Day. This leukemia is the first cancer to be successfully treated (not cured; that has not happened yet) with targeted therapies, in this case the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, TKI’s for short.

How the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Came to Be

This progress required the work of many people in many seemingly unrelated fields over many years. The Watson-Crick double helix model for the structure of DNA, published in 1953, was the great scientific discovery of the 20th Century.

The first direct link between chromosomal abnormalities to any malignancy came with the discovery of the Philadelphia Chromosome (the 9/22 translocation) in 1960 by Peter Nowell at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and David Hungerford from the Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Institute for Cancer Research.

Janet Rowley in 1972 discovered the Bcr-Abl oncogene produced by the translocation, which produces the tyrosine kinases thought to be responsible for the uncontrolled growth of white blood cells in CML.

In the early 1990’s Dr. Brian Druker began working with Dr. Nicholas Lydon, of what is now Novartis, for the development and testing of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. By the late 1990’s, one in particular, now known as imatinib (Gleevec) showed almost miraculous results for Dr. Druker’s patients, many of whom are still alive after beginning the drug in clinical trials. Novartis did not want to bring the drug to market because they didn’t think there would be enough demand for the drug to be profitable. Dr. Druker led the fight to make the drug available to his patients (and today fights against price gouging). He will forever be a hero to CML patients and their families.

Timeline for development of TKI’s.

PCR Testing

Drug resistance can occur, along with new mutations. A variety of TKI’s have been developed since Gleevec was FDA approved in 2002, helping to address the problem of drug resistance.

Patients are followed closely for evidence of resistance and recurrence through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) monitoring. This process for rapid DNA replication was discovered by Dr. Kary Mullis, and in 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for it. PCR is used for many, many things, and any of you who have had your DNA tested, looking for where your ancestors began and how they migrated, etc., had PCR testing.

I share this video once again, because it proves that science can be fun, and can be presented in a way interested people can understand.

9/22 – World CML Day, my second year not only to observe it but to even know what CML is. I post with respect and gratitude to everyone who has contributed to changing CML from a short-term death sentence to the potential for an essentially normal life, well lived.

09/13/16

Old Photos

Going back through old photos can be a bit of a challenge and also an interesting reminder of what once was. These images were made with the first digital camera I owned, a Nikon Coolpix 4300. Everything was on Automatic, including the flash. 🙂 That camera died after years of good use, and shortly after these images were made. I had purchased it for the sole purpose of photographing roses I judged at rose shows.

This slide show is made of images taken in June, 2008 at an ARS Rose Judging Seminar in Palm Springs, California. A lot of the same people are around today, but the overall atmosphere, goals, principles, and values of the District where this was held are palpably different.

If you prefer looking at individual images rather than a slide show, the Gallery is here.

This post will ultimately scroll off the front page, so I have also posted the video on the “People” page of this website.

09/12/16

Late Summer Flowers

The Earth Laughs with Flowers ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Late summer flowers in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico are magnificent.

Cosmos in Corrales

Visiting with friends Tim and Laurie is always fun. Visits usually include Tim and I photographing, and Laurie sketching. This weekend was no different. Our “photographic expeditions and excursions” are on temporary hold. However, we make the most of what is locally available. Their property always has great photo ops, but their Lively Meadow is especially lively in late summer.

A forest of sunflowers greets the arriving visitor. As I was driving into Corrales, I almost stopped to photograph some sunflowers growing along the highway. I laughed at myself as I drove into their property. I was also glad I did not stop along the highway!

Sunflowers

The tall sunflowers provide a natural backdrop for the cosmos.

Sunflowers and Cosmos

Cosmos are a riot of color. The little blue flowers are morning glories.

Colorful Cosmos

Laurie sketched while Tim and I photographed.

Laurie Sketching

Later, as we always do, we went back to the house and deck.

Tim and Spunk:

Tim and Spunk

On the deck and outdoor kitchen:

Tim Relaxing

Laurie

I don’t know how or why, but something a little special and always unpredictable seems to appear at just the right time. I love this beautiful, sparkly little damsel fly that visited the butterfly bush as we were enjoying conversation on the deck.

Damsel Fly

A beautiful late summer day with friends and flowers.

09/9/16

Rose Blooms Not of Exhibition Quality

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Rose Photography for Rose Shows

Rose Blooms Not of Exhibition Quality – Can Photographers Do Anything with Them?

Great Form! Major color faults and not disbudded!

Rose blooms of less than exhibition quality sometimes have some features that photographers enjoy and/or find challenging. Photographs of such rose blooms are not a problem outside of ARS (American Rose Society) shows. However, in the horticultural photography classes in ARS shows, photographs of imperfect specimens are no more welcome than the actual specimen would be. Does this mean the photographer should just “walk on by” and not “stop to smell the roses?” Each person has to answer that question for him/herself. I would like to suggest some ways to enjoy these roses, and perhaps also create an image people enjoy and can be entered in ARS shows.

First and foremost, photographing any and all rose blooms is one way to work on photography skills. You can try different camera settings, explore different lighting conditions, learn if you personally prefer photographing cut specimens or specimens growing in the garden. For entry in ARS shows, all specimens must be outdoor garden grown. Photographs for shows may be of either cut specimens or specimens still growing in the garden. The more you photograph roses, the better you will become as a photographer and the more you will know your own preferences. You will develop your own “style.” Other people may recognize it before you do.

First Example

ARS members may access the Guidelines for Judging Rose Photography here.

One Class is

One Spray: Two or more blooms, any type of rose of Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Miniature, Miniflora, or
Floribunda classifications of roses. This class does NOT include collections.

Photography judges not infrequently encounter collections of roses, rather than sprays. When detected, these are not judged.

When I plan to show a photograph of a rose spray, I usually try to show the origin of the entire spray. That is personal preference and certainly not required. For illustration, this is a spray of ‘Dream Weaver.’

Spray of ‘Dream Weaver’

Not too long ago I was photographing Veterans’ Honor. At first glance, what I took to be a spray, turned out to be a spray of two blooms and a stem with one bloom. I liked the flow and the rhythm of the collection but could not enter it as a “Spray.”

One of my favorite Classes is

Creative Interpretation
The photograph should evoke a sense of originality and a new and different way of imagining the rose or roses with the mind’s eye. This may include processes used to alter the original image such as colorizing, texturing, dodging, burning, dithering, painting, shadowing, blurring, layering, cloning, filtering, merging, cropping. Color, Black & White, Sepia, or combinations of these are permitted in this class. Photo enhancement software is permitted in this class.

In this class, pretty much anything goes, which is one reason I like it. The collection of Veterans’ Honor could be shown in this class, no problem. My personal preference in my own work is to try to maintain the beauty of the rose when I make alterations using software. That is by no means a requirement for this class, but it is what I personally try to do.

I decided to create a black and white image. Those of you who work with digital black and white know that there is no single “Black and White.” I wanted something soft and gentle, almost with an old fashioned look. Although the roses may appear to be in a vase, I photographed them on the bush, growing close to the back wall of my house. I was satisfied with the outcome.

A Collection, Not a Spray

Second Example

Another Class is

One bloom.
One bloom, no side buds, of Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Miniature, Miniflora, or Floribunda classifications of roses.

These are the exhibition form roses people tend to think of when they think of “rose.” Judges have specific guidelines for judging specimens in the horticultural portion of a rose show, and those same judging points count for 40% of the score of a photograph of one bloom of a rose. Form is extremely important in this class. This is a rose with great form, but it has just a few problems. 🙂

Roses are on the market that are visually similar to the one at the top of this post. However, this bloom should be solid red. The pink/white is a color fault, a major color fault. Judges would severely penalize this bloom. As if that were not enough, this rose has not been disbudded. You can clearly see the side bud in the lower left. The color fault and side bud are the two biggest problems here, but some judges would also deduct points for the rain drops. Rain drops personally do not bother me, but knowing how some judges view them, I tend not to enter in ARS shows images of roses with rain drops on them. In spite of all of those problems, it is a beautiful rose with great form. But, you wouldn’t show the specimen in a rose show, and if you want to show it photographically, you need to get a little creative.

As I have mentioned before, I am not fond of one-click photo editing filters that detract from the beauty of the rose. Creative Interpretation is the only class in which this image could be entered. But, I would have to change it in some way.

I spent a significant amount of time working with this image to achieve an effect I liked. I settled on this crimson/silver, which made the raindrops look like ice. This may be my Christmas card.

Digitally Altered for Creative Interpretation Class

Summary

If you see something visually interesting in a rose that you ordinarily would not enter as a specimen in a rose show, photograph what you find visually interesting. Then consider what you can do with it to be able to share it with others. The Creative Interpretation class allows plenty of options for showing the beauty in a bloom or rose blooms that otherwise might never be seen.

Post Script

Will I show these images as entries in a rose show? Probably not, given that I am showing them here for teaching and illustration purposes. But I would like to add that when working with rose images, I nearly always begin by cropping the digital image from the most usual digital camera ratio of 3:2 to a ratio for an 8×10 print, a 5:4 ratio. Prints ranging from 5×7 up to 8×10 are allowed by the Guidelines. For me, the 8×10 is large enough for the details to be seen the way I like for them to be seen.

Additionally, as I have pointed out previously, mounting and matting per the requirements of the Guidelines can be done by purchasing sets for this purpose in multiples of ten or more. These are available in a variety of places, but these are the ones I use:

I print my own images, and the cost to prepare an image for entry is around $3.00. Cost should not be a prohibiting factor for exhibiting your images in a rose show.

I have explained elsewhere how to easily and quickly mount and mat your images to meet specifications. For those who would like that info handy on a mobile device, it is available in Kindle form for $0.99. That is the lowest price Amazon would allow me to charge and still offer it there for convenience.

Above all, when you see something visually interesting in rose blooms, photograph them. Then consider what you might be able to do to share that with others through a photograph. And, enjoy the process!