Still Life: An October Photo Challenge

Hello friends, I hope everyone has had a good week!
Linking up to Donna's Personal Photo Challenge is something I really look forward to.
It's interesting and fun to see what others will be sharing on any given month.
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This month's challenge is all about still life photography.
I so appreciate all of the great information and links she gives us to prepare for it.
For instance...
...did you know that there is such a thing as a found still life?
I didn't!
This would be a scene that you would just happen on to...
...something that you would find set up, usually in nature, all by itself...



...like the day I came across this leaf in the driveway with these lovely water drops.
I was out walking with my boys (dogs) and just had to hurry and go inside to grab my camera!
It was taken back in late summer, shortly after I upgraded my camera to the DSLR.
I just shot it with normal automatic settings and as you see, it had been raining.
I brightened it up just a smidge in Picasa and Picmonkey.
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I couldn't very well do this post without including "The Watch".
This is an example of created still life...where you set up the scene using whatever.
I have taken so many photos of this watch, a family heirloom, set up in many different ways.
It was hard for me to decide which photo of it to use for this challenge.

There were other backgrounds that I preferred but I really liked the shadowing in this one.
This was actually taken last year with my trusty little Sony point & shoot,
on macro setting, edited to black & white, then warming up the temperature using Picasa.
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As long as there is life in that little camera, I will keep it handy.
It has a permanent home in my purse :)
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Lastly, I sat this scene up last weekend and took MANY shots, re-arranged in different ways.
I love this old enamelware bucket that I had up at the cabin.
But I have a confession to make...
...I only had two apples left and one of them is fake.
You can probably guess which one, now that I've told you.
I do like the contrasting color of the faux Granny Smith though :)

This was taken with my zoom on automatic settings.
I really need to take some time and experiment with the different settings...
...so I actually know what I am doing!
I used the cross process edit and gave it some softness, also in Picasa.
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Well, that's it for me, although I was tempted to add a fourth photo.
 But Donna is such a sweetie... and I didn't want to break the rules :)
Thanks again, Donna for hosting this fun challenge!
And have a great weekend everyone!