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Cheri’s Garden

Friday, June 26th, 2009
Flower Cluster

Flower Cluster

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting my sister in Waterloo, Iowa. And while visiting, we took a walk around her backyard.

If you’ve read this blog much, you know I take a lot of pictures of flowers – I love the infinite ways that nature puts them together and the vibrant colors of the petals.

While there were many vibrant flowers in Cheri’s garden, I wanted to show a few of the other interesting things that reside in her backyard. Because there are interesting things in everyone’s backyard.

The picture above is a cluster of small flower buds, with purple and yellow buds emerging from the green leaves. I took these pictures in the morning light, using a tripod and a telephoto lens to get in close. This picture was taken for 1/13 second at f/11 (ISO 200) with a focal length of 300 mm.

The pictures below show just a few of the subjects that can be found with a little bit of looking. The first is a dragonfly sitting on a leaf. Early morning is a good time to take pictures of dragonflys, since the cooler weather makes them less active. Next is a picture of a decaying flower bud – no vibrant colors, but a very different look at a flower. And finally, looking down at my feet – small mushrooms popping through the grass.

Take a look around your backyard – I’m sure you can find a lot of interesting items – whether you decide to photograph them or just look at a bit of nature.

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Farmers Market

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

A little early in the year to think about Farmers Markets in the midwest, but they’re prevalent in other parts of the country – and offer a great opportunity for pictures with lots of different colors and textures.

These pictures were taken during a driving trip out west last year, specifically at the Farmers Market in San Francisco on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Using close ups on the various types of produce can create vibrant colors that stand on their own, but also display well in a collection. Lighting conditions on this day were varied, with some of the produce in bright sunlight (requiring a shutter speed of 1/1000 second at f/11 using ISO 200), while others were in the shade requiring a much slower shutter speed – as slow as 1/20 second.

I was able to shoot at such a slow speed without a tripod because I was using a lens with vibration control (Tamron 28-300 mm VC). I love this lens because it is so versatile. If I can only carry a single lens, it’s this one. I always feel comfortable that I’ll be able to handle any lighting condition with a great choice of focal lengths.

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