Gardenfall №4
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Panasonic DMC-FZ40; f5 @ 1/160 sec, ISO 80 (handheld);
Focal length: 26.8mm (155mm EFL)

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Gardenfall №3
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Panasonic DMC-FZ40; f5 @ 1/160sec, ISO 80 (handheld);
Focal length: 26.8mm (155mm EFL)

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As in the previous post, these were photographed through a glass “waterfall wall” at our local garden center.

Gardenfall №1
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Panasonic DMC-FZ40; f4.5 @ 1/125 sec, ISO 100 (handheld);
Focal length: 26.3mm (159mm EFL)

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Gardenfall №1
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Panasonic DMC-FZ40; f4 @ 1/125sec, ISO 100 (handheld);
Focal length: 23.8mm (144mm EFL)

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Just the other day…I had great fun at our local garden center. These images were photographed through a “wall of water” fountain, capturing flowers in the background. There’s no manipulation involved, other than typical enhancement of the RAW file during post-processing.

At a price of $1,900 we won’t be buying one of those fountains! But maybe I can rig a hose on a storm window in our own garden…

Spring Light
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Nikon D300; f11 @ 1/350 sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 220mm (330mm EFL); focus distance 1.68m

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Prairie Fire
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Nikon D300; f9.5 @ 1/125sec, ISO 3200 (handheld);
70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 165mm (247m EFL); focus distance 1.68m

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“Dappled light” sounds pretty, doesn’t it? But high contrast and hard shadows have led me to dismiss it in favor of photographing subjects under soft, even lighting…

Until last month, during the Callway Gardens workshop, when a participant opened my eyes to possibilities I’d been ignoring. She was photographing the color and reflections of azaleas along a riverbank, playing with impressionist ripples in the water. What especially struck me, however, was the way she’d been drawn to one particular mound of blossoms spotlit by sunshine through a break in the surrounding trees. Ah-hah.

Thank you, for showing me the light!

“Have a seat…”  (№1)
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Nikon D300; f6.7 @ 1/60 sec, ISO 3200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 105mm (157mm EFL); focus distance 5.96m

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“Have a seat…”  (№2)
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Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/60 sec, ISO 3200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 62mm (93mm EFL); focus distance .6m

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“Have a seat…”  (№3)
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Nikon D300; f11 @ 1/180 sec, ISO 200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 90mm (135mm EFL); focus distance .8m

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Just the other day… I went downtown to visit with a friend, and spent some time wandering around before and after with my camera. Returning home, I was surprised to discover how many photographs had this theme—without conscious intent! (All three were captured on that outing.)

The last one is for Andreas.  :)

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Photographed in Callaway Gardens, the variation below was shot just one minute earlier.

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Nikon D300; f11 @ 1/125 sec, ISO 400 (handheld);
70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm (450mm EFL); focus distance 1.68m

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Last week, I had the great pleasure of assisting Marti Jeffers during her Callaway Gardens and Warm Springs workshop. The area is wonderfully rich in photographic possibilities—from landscape through macro to vintage architecture—and it was inspiring to work with all of the participants.

Photographed in the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, I was struck by the peaceful quality of this intimate scene.

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Nikon D300; f8 @ 1/125 sec, ISO 3200 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 200mm (300mm EFL); focus distance 1.33m

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A friend recently pointed me to this hidden gem of a location just 5 miles from my home, and I had a wonderful time exploring one morning in the rain and fog.

Photographed from a bird watching platform during a brief downpour, this image gave me an opportunity to try out my new Brella Bag—which actually kept the camera dry while I worked handheld!

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Nikon D300; f11 @ 1/60 sec, ISO 320 (handheld);
18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 36mm (54mm EFL); focus distance 10.59m