364: Glow

The other day while I was at the gallery I accidently used a photography trick I had forgotten all about, but hadn't really had the chance to test out yet. 

Creating a creative blur by simply zooming the lens in or out during exposure. So I popped out and bought these lovely bright flowers to be the subject of my photo and got the camera set up on the tripod (the camera really needs to be as still as possible and it's handy to have both hands free, one for the lens and one for the shutter button). Then I just played around with the ISO, shutter speed and aperture. My best results ended up being an ISO of 400, shutter speed of 1"3 and an aperture of 16 for this particular setting.

I love the result of focus in the middle of the photograph and the motion and colour created outwards by adjusting the lens during exposure. 

241: Flower power

Found these gorgeous flowers on a late afternoon walk today. Haven't seen many flowers like this before! I have no idea what they might be called? Ideas anyone? I love the way they all cluster together at the top of the stem. They are so white and clean, it's pretty how the newer buds above aren't as open yet and a slight tinge of green and this gradients down into the white ones that are in full bloom. The bumble bees were zooming around collecting pollen from inside these little flower caves.

217: Carnival rose

While it is a slight disappointment that the blinds in our new building still don't work and the result is piercing afternoon sunlight blinding our computer screens and has us peeling of the winter layers. It does mean that for 10 to 15 minutes in the late afternoon beautiful (well placed) light spills across my desk. I tried capturing some of it here, by taking a photo of the sole decorative item on my desk. A bright and fuzzy towel/felt rose won by my friend at the carnival adventure we shared earlier in the year. Now if only it was real and lived in a little pot, with all this sunlight I'm sure some kind of photosynthesis process would be happening and it would be a wonderful bloom.

190: Focus

I'm so excited to be learning more and more about my new camera and ways to use it more effectively. While I've been shooting in manual mode I've still kept my lens on auto focus and getting a little frustrated when my camera wouldn't take a photo of something that was too close or it was unable to focus on. But hello manual focus. I'm in love all over again. I assumed I'd be getting ahead of myself by trying to focus the camera while getting all the other settings just right for a shot but turns out it's great fun. This lovely little dried flower, artificial flower combination sitting on our dresser made the perfect practicing subject.

I'm having a little weekend away from tomorrow, but I'll still be taking photographs and be back on Monday with them ready to post. Until then everyone have a fabulous Friday and weekend. Take care.

169: Vintage flower

Check out this pretty flower that came on my new top. I just love it! It was great getting up close with the new lens and trying to figure out the best settings. I was going for really soft edges with the detail being much clearer on the petals.

120: Bumble Bee

I was outside snapping some pics of these little flower buds and and some of the flowers that have already bloomed, when to my delight a bee flew in and landed on this bud. He was still for long enough for me to capture a few shots and I was quite pleased with how they turned out. It may have been just the right time for the warm afternoon light.