Autumn Rose

Autumn 2015 has been particularly great for roses here in Cambridge. My garden was full of roses in their second blooming flush this year and some are still in bloom (in November). This particular english rose has heavy blooms that almost bend the thin branches to the ground.

This photograph has a natural black background generated by the use of a off-camera slave flash at right angles combined with a small aperture f/11 and exposure time of 1/250. Click on the photo for options to view this in larger size on Flickr.
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Technical Details:

Nikon D7000, 105mm f/2.8 Sigma macro lens
f/11, 1/250, ISO100
Post-processed with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC

Joys of a revived one!

My pot bound Chinese rose (Hibiscus rosa sinensis) almost died last year due to a nasty mealy bug infestation. In desperation I chopped the branches down till I was left with a few stalks and no leaves. I left it undisturbed over the winter in the conservatory with minimal watering. This year the plant is back and has set buds like the one shown below. Needless to say, I’m extremely pleased!
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Best appreciated in large size.  Shot with a Nikon D7000 and a 105mm Sigma f2.8 macro lens. ISO 320, 1/250, f/4.5.

Flaming Tulip

As most everyone else my visit to Keukenhof Tulip gardens 3 years ago resulted in the purchase of tulip bulbs. Many of these lasted one season only but the one below has been a repeat flowerer. The is the Estella Rijnveld Parrot Tulip with bright red and creamy wavy petals. They are indeed spectacular, are they not?
_DSC5645Click on the picture for a larger version on my flickr page!

The future is…Orange!

This a Ranunculus plant I found growing in a weed patch and rescued! The plant has settled in nicely in a pot and has provided me with these large glorious bright orange flowers.
_DSC5654View in large format by clicking on the photograph. Shot with a Nikon D7000 with a 105mm f/2.8 lens. 1/125 f/11.

Wicken Fen #1

Wicken Fen is the oldest nature reserve managed by the National Trust. The nature reserve preserves some of the last remaining wetlands in Europe and is home to many species of plants, birds and insects. The following picture is of the Wicken Fen wind pump, the last surviving wooden wind powered wind pump used to drain the Fens. Click on the picture for a larger version on Flickr, and best appreciated in large size!

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Nikon D7000 with a Sigma 105mm, f/2.8 lens
Bracketed 3 shot HDR merged in Photomatix Pro and processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom