Yesterday was a wash as far as photographing the garden, and I missed quite a few good ones. The family visited relatives upstate, though, and it really was a very nice day despite missing out on:
- The FFOs of Hemerocallis ‘South Seas’, ‘Desperado Love’ and ‘Hazel’s Stitchery’
- A lovely double bloom on the elusive ‘Daring Dilemma’ (not that it’s all that illusive, other than that it always seems to bloom on days I can’t get out there with the camera)
- ‘Primal Scream’ putting forth several really nice blooms
- My Wisest of Wizards x Outrageous seedling again blooming along side its pollen parent
- ‘Designer Jeans’ really nice trio of blooms
- and more….
Today, however, I’m making up for it, and will plague my visitors with several dozen photographs. Some of them are from the 25th (up to and including the shot of the two ‘Watermelon Moon/Kid’ blooms), but most are thanks to my decision to take my Sigma tele-zoom/macro lens out and see what it could do. It’s a new lens for me. I’d saved up to buy this lens several times, and each time wound up having to spend the money on dumb things like bills and emergency vehicle repairs. So, not long ago, after having heard about the lens and its ill fortune, my dear friend Wes surprised me with a very special gift. I’m determined to get stable on my feet and get over to the farm with it again, to add to his photo-journal of wildlife rescue. I’m looking forward to Oscar the Bobcat’s graduation to his outdoor enclosure, in fact … maybe I can finally get some decent shots of him (without having to get close enough to make him grouchy).
So, all shots from the 27th are taken with this lovely lens. It’s not a hugely expensive one as photographic glass goes, but I think it does a fine job. I hadn’t really messed with the macro features before now … and, as you can see, they appear to work just fine. Several of these shots (‘Emperor’s Dragon’, ‘Siloam Double Classic’, and others) were taken before I’d even left the front porch, in fact … close-ups without being anywhere near the plant. I’m particularly fond of the macro shot of the heart of ‘Primal Scream’. Well, I’m particularly fond of ‘Primal Scream’, anyway.
So, enjoy!
Do you have a collection of flower photos online you’d like to share? Leave a comment with a link!
