Here in the Hills

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

flowers - 1979

Here are some more incredible flowers from my dear old friend Ron Rifkin's English Garden. He had planted all these seeds in the yard of his Hollywood Hills Home......
And when they all bloomed I thought they were magnificent......Beautiful, in every way. So I asked him if I could come over and take a bunch of pictures of these incredibly gorgeous flowers It was fine with him.

So.....one beautiful sunny afternoon I went over and took a huge amount of pictures----maybe 200 or more......

I don't know the names of any of these flowers----I'm sure Judy will know----But I just thought they were all incredibly stunning!

These pictures were all taken in 1979---I cannot believe that was 35 years ago.

As many of you know from having read my blog for a long long time, I love to get in close on plants and flowers.

Back then, I was using a Pentax SLR with a close up lens and with extension tubes as well, some of the time.......

I love seeing things in extreme close-up. Like the picture above---where you can see all the little fuzzy hairs one would never notice or see, unless you can take it all in, in a very very close way---what they now call Macro.....

Back then.....I just wanted to get in as close as I could.

I love seeing these flowers in the 'abstract', so to speak.....the colors in the picture above just knock me out! I have said it so very many times-----you cannot beat nature and the colors that nature produces.......

The simplicity and yet, the complexity.....it's all magical, isn't it?
These are all slides for which I finally got a fantastic piece of equipment that allowed me to download them onto my computer......talk about magical......

I met Ron and Iva back in the 1960's here in Los Angeles, so here is another lovely long long friendship that means a great deal to me......
Below, a photo I took of Ron in Hawaii, in 1974......What a special time that was.......

He and his sweet dear wife Iva, eventually left Los Angeles and went back to live in Manhattan----Ron is a Wonderful actor and works on the stage as well as in film and television, and New York was the place for them to be, though he continued to work out here, too.....
Below, a picture of Ronnnie's beautiful wife, Iva, at a dinner party in New York that Lee Grant and her dear husband Joey Feury gave for me in May, of 2001.

Ron was working in Los Angeles so he couldn't be there.
Starting from left to right, that's Lee and Joey and Iva......That was the last time I was in New York.

It's funny how that works sometimes----people move back to New York, and then they get a series, which shoots here in L.A.!
That's Show Business!

And below....Iva and Ron at my 75th Birthday in 2006......

That was the last time I saw them.....but we do talk on the phone......I love the phone! There is nothing like hearing a dear loved ones voice on the phone.....

And just one more picture of Ron's truly Beautiful 1979 English Garden...........

More To Come.........

16 Comments:

Shammickite had this to say:: Those closeups of the beautiful flowers have stood the test of time... amazing that you took those pictures back in 1979. I wonder who lives there now, and if the garden is still as lovely?; Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 9:12:00 AM PDT
Arkansas Patti had this to say:: I've said it before but your close ups are like lovely paintings. Any of those could grace a wall.
Hadn't thought about it but you are right. It does seem actors go to NY then get a series that is filmed in Ca. I see them mention that very fact on talk shows.What ever works.; Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 1:05:00 PM PDT
DesLily had this to say:: you can always see your "artist" even in the photo's you took back then! But you have always taken great photo's of flowers and birds and of course your cactus garden...

great post Naomi... xoxoxoxox; Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 2:42:00 PM PDT
colleen had this to say:: Flowers make me swoon. They really do perk up life. And now we can crop close in on our flower photos in Adobe photo shop.

And guess what? I think of you when I'm in the flower section of the grocery shop!

I forgot to change the link to Liam's birthday photos to public but just did so here it is: https://www.facebook.com/colleen.redman.56/media_set?set=a.10152264846031642.1073741862.713101641&type=1 There is one of him having a meltdown!; Friday, October 17, 2014 at 6:33:00 AM PDT
sonia a. mascaro had this to say:: What a wonderful post, dear Naomi!
I love always seeing your macro pictures of flowers! Ron Rifkin's garden is really incredibly stunning! I agree with you, to got in close on plants and flowers we can see all the details like these amazing little fuzzy hairs of the flowers.
Love the pictures and I remember well the post you did on your 75th Birthday in 2006.
I am looking forward to see more of your gorgeous, stunning pictures of flowers and plants!
Wishing you a lovely weekend!; Friday, October 17, 2014 at 9:22:00 AM PDT
colleen had this to say:: So sorry on that link, Naomi. Try this one: https://www.facebook.com/colleen.redman.56/media_set?set=a.10152264846031642.1073741862.713101641&type=3

If this one doesn't work I'm lost on how to make the album public, which you're supposed to be able to do.; Friday, October 17, 2014 at 2:58:00 PM PDT
kenju had this to say:: I hope you know how much I love your flower posts!! You have an artist's eye for the right angle. I see snapdragons, asters, and the last one is foxglove, one of my favorites.

I am sorry I have not been able to call. I will have heart surgery in the middle of Nov. and maybe when I recover from that, I will not be so short of breath and able to talk more.

I hope you are feeling better!!; Friday, October 17, 2014 at 3:20:00 PM PDT
Diane J Standiford had this to say:: Flowers everywhere thank you.; Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 4:56:00 PM PDT
VV had this to say:: Beautiful! I especially like the white flower, it reminds me of wrinkled skin, or the wrinkles in handmade Paper. I recognize Ron! I don't think I ever saw Pictures of him when he was young, but I've seen him in so many shows. He's an awesome actor!; Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 9:01:00 PM PDT
LL Cool Joe had this to say:: Just so you know, you have some strange graphics that at are saying something about "Imageshack" in them, with just blank black boxes. It may just be my computer but I'm not sure.

I love all your close up shots of the flowers. It's hard to think of them as being 35 years old as they look timeless.

I'm not a great fan of the phone, but still I do know it's a wonderful way for loved ones to stay connected. Even if my mother sometimes takes that "Connection" a bit too far!; Sunday, October 19, 2014 at 9:50:00 AM PDT
Lynn had this to say:: Such gorgeous flowers and your friends are like gorgeous flowers, too.

So nice that you can keep in touch on the phone.; Monday, October 20, 2014 at 3:24:00 AM PDT
Jojo had this to say:: Thank you for sharing these beautiful photographs.; Monday, October 20, 2014 at 6:47:00 PM PDT
Riot Kitty had this to say:: I can't believe those pictures are still so beautiful! Amazing.; Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11:37:00 AM PDT
Jeanie had this to say:: What beautiful flowers, Naomi. You do have an eye. I've always loved the tight shots on the flowers -- they reveal so very much.

I remember Ron Rifkin -- haven't see him do anything in quite some time but always found him to be a most credible and convincing actor, one who "takes you along." Sounds like he and Iva are also very good friends.; Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 7:35:00 PM PDT
Lee had this to say:: I've always liked Ron Rifkin as an actor...he always has seemed like a very genuine person to me.

I liked Lee Grant, too...she was quite unique...in her own special way.

Love your flowers pics. I have a Pentax (as well as Canon digital) - but the Pentax were great cameras. My ex swore by them and he was a very good photographer...much better than I am! I'm a "point and shoot"....I'm still referring to taking photos! :)

I hope you're feeling fine, Naomi and are taking good care of yourself. Hugs from Down Under. :); Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 7:39:00 PM PDT
Pat had this to say:: Stunning photos of those beautiful flowers an I love seeing the photos of your friends over the years; how gracefully they have aged. Could be something to do with living a creative life.
1979 - the year when MTL and I were reunited.; Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 3:21:00 AM PDT