Last week, I published some pictures that I took for a "Wordless Wednesday" post. I whined about how, in retrospect, I rushed the work and there wasn't much I like from the session. I still got some pictures that were decent, and my style, but I still wasn't happy.
So, this past Sunday, I went to the Missouri Botanical Garden with my daughter Rachel and two friends visiting from India. This time, I was determined to think about what I was doing and pay close attention to shutter speed, aperture, focus areas, color, backgrounds, composition, etc. a LOT more! While I don't know if the resulting pictures are that much better, I'm happier - by far - with them and instead of struggling to find a few to post, I have MANY that are post-worthy instead of just a couple of marginal shots. In fact, this week's "Wordless Wednesday" post was from the same trip. I just looked at those pics again (click here to do the same), and I still like them!
Here are some more. All taken with Nikon D60, 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 kit lens, natural lighting, no flash!
Unfortunately, I didn't keep track of what each plant was that I was taking a picture of, so I don't have more info for you. Click on this to see a bigger version. I love the wispy petals and color.
I was tempted to make this one black and white, but in the end stuck with color, due to the soft tones and I think the selective focus is more evident on the color version. Click this one for a larger version, too!
I don't even remember what the background on this one was - perhaps a small pond area. Whatever it was, it turned out looking like a painting to me! I took several of this to make sure I got it right, and it was hard to pick between them. That's a good problem to have!
If you are interested in playing around with depth of field, what better subject than a plant that has leaves radiating in all directions, with an interesting focal point? This one looks really great full-size, but I'm still nervous about posting full-resolution pictures online.
This is VERY similar to a shot I took last winter (click here for comparison), but this time in color. This is "The Climatron", which is a large dome which contains a mini tropical environment. You can click on this photo for a slightly larger version, too!
Most of the pictures this week were taken inside this building and the adjoining "Temperate House" which contains Mediterranean plants. I liked the interesting clouds, and how the glass of the building is slightly reflecting the sky. I'm also a pattern person, so the exoskeleton of this building is almost as irresistible to me as the Arch is to Bob Crowe. Bob is a St. Louis lawyer, and excellent photographer. His other website is the St. Louis Daily Photo website mentioned in my sidebar. I suggest you check him out!
Also, if you are new here and like the photos, click on the "Photo of the Day" categorie listed on the top left of the page to see a lot more.
Have a great weekend.
That selective focus shot of the white flowers is just beautiful. (You should post hi-res so I can print it out large for myself or maybe set as my desktop wallpaper--oh, is that maybe the reason you don't post full size? understandable).
Lovely photos all around, but those white flowers are simply gorgeous. I love MOBOT :)
Posted by: Claire Marie | June 05, 2009 at 12:33 PM