I recently got a new camera and have been taking a lot of pictures as I learn the new capabilities of the camera. So, I don't want to limit myself to just pictures from one day. In my reading, one of the suggestions is to take time in post processing to capture the best image, much like it would have been done with film, in judging the exact time in the chemical baths o set color, contrast, exposure, etc. I am taking more time and do not want to rush through a batch of snapshots when I already have a collection of images of the same subjects. So, I am going to expand the concept of bloom day to include images of what is currently in bloom, but that might have been taken before the 15th of the month.
So, on to the early bloomers in the garden this year.
Cherry Blossoms
This is iconic in the Washington DC area. The Cherry Blossom Festival is a perennial rite of Spring as the weather finally starts feeling warm and people come out to the national mall for weeks of events celebrating the cherry blossoms. I have two ornamental cherry trees and these pictures are from my trees; I did not go downtown to face the crowds when I could just enjoy my own yard.
Forsythia
Some other early bloomers are the forsythia bushes. The sun is reaching the west side of the house and the forsythia bushes are sending out their own bright beams of yellow. I have memories of forsythia at my parent's house, so I really enjoy seeing the forsythia in bloom at my house now.
Daffodils
The third messengers of spring in our yard are the daffodils. They were the first green we saw as we were trying to get over the late snows this year and a late ice storm. We were looking for some sign of growth and saw the tips of the daffodil leaves breaking through the brown. The daffodils are up now and we are beginning to see sprouts for the irises, buds on the dogwood, the red maple, and the lilac. They're coming, but right now I'm enjoying the early bloomers.
I am not planning on repeating last summer's project of semi-monthly garden panoramas. I have the pictures from last year printed out with a diagram of the yard in a binder for reference purposes now. I might try again in a few years as the garden changes and grows in the future. This summer will be close enough to last year that I don't think I'll need a new set of images.
Daffodils and Forsythia just shout 'Spring is here!'
ReplyDeleteYou have a point about not repeating previous years' same views. I tend to forget what's coming next and use them as reference. Over time, a garden does change some.
Thanks Jean, after the cherry blossoms, the daffodils and the forsythia are the greeting party for Spring. I started the panoramas with the intention of using them as a reference guide in coming years, so that's what I am doing. They are printed out and bound in sequence so that I can look and see what's coming next as I tend the garden.
Deletenice Blog Jim best of luck with it Some Great pictures already you are a fast learner . You sparked my interest back into it again as well . I just started taking lot more also reviewing my manual again to play with my settings again . I went got a cheap combo macro/wide combo also for mine to take some insects around the yard when cannot get to the zoo
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob, I can usually find something in the yard (or the dogs) when I want to get the camera out.Good luck with the macro lens. And reading the manual is one of the best ways to learn what the camera can do, other than taking it out of the case and actually trying what you are reading about.
DeleteWell that new camera seems to be working a treat! Lovely photos of fab plants. Here's to a wonderful spring!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah, I'm having a lot of fun with the camera and trying different exposure combinations so that I can get out in different weather conditions - as long as it's not actually raining. I don't want to take the camera out in the rain. The cherry blossoms pictures were taken on a sunny day (the first two) and a cloudy day (the second two.)
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