09 Aug 19 Little by little we are growing a poppy section in the front garden. This year was the first in which we've had growth resultant from the plants self propagating and we are quite hopeful on seeing a lot more next year in that we have perhaps 20 stalks with seed heads on them each of which holds hundreds of seeds. In addition to that we keep adding new varieties so perhaps in another 5 or 6 years we'll have a nice section devoted to these beautiful flowers. I've been shooting them for years always trying to get that perfect shot although I don't really know what that is as my ideas keep changing. That said, here is a shot from the garden I took a few weeks back that comes mighty close to being the perfect shot for now. Next year I have a feeling it will be something slightly different. This is straight from the camera. Perfection Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f / 16.
30 Aug 19 Among our favorite flowers, and "our" includes Jan, me, and our eldest granddaughter, are calla lilies. You've likely seen them in white, yellow, and purple, and we have all three in the garden, but this year one sprung up in vibrant orange. We have no idea from where it came, but it has been blooming - a single flower - for over two months. Over that time the color has changed from a very bright orange to a deeper orange, but it has remained orange throughout. This shot really shows off the color but unfortunately is missing an insect or arachnid. You are welcome to practice your image manipulations by adding same. We will be departing on the 16th for Yellowstone returning on the 30th so there will be no mailings the last two weeks in September. I'll remind you again next week and on the 13th. This is straight from the camera. Atypically Colored Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 200; 1/1250 sec @ f / 9.
23 Aug 19 No mailing for yesterday; overdid it apparently on Tuesday and the bug came back to say gotcha. Today was sorta play it by ear but things seem to be returning to quasi-normal. Perhaps a weekend make-up. As you are all aware I'm always looking to capture that perfect bee photo and I've yet to accomplish such, but the shot for today is the closest I've come to date at getting a good in-flight capture. In the front garden flower section is a row of Cosmos and while I was shooting some dahlias I noticed a bit of insect activity with the Cosmos so I turned my attention to them both, Cosmos and bees. In this particular capture I was following a single honey bee from blossom to blossom and managed to snap one frame as it was thinking about landing. It didn't, and so this was the best shot of the group, but it does capture the bee almost sharp, its motion across the flower, and its shadow on two of the petals. So getting closer but not quite there yet. This is straight from the camera save for some cropping of unnecessary green plant on the left. Touchdown Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/2000 sec @ f / 9.
