Tag Archives: gardens in summer

My Sunday Photo: 12 August 2018

Begonia in the RianRain at last! This begonia plant looks grateful, doesn’t it? We all love the sunshine, but sometimes, nature shows us that we need the rain as well. Somehow, this simple view across my garden table seemed to epitomise peace and gratitude. There is something incredibly calming about looking around outdoors just after the rain has stopped, especially if there is little background noise. It was just what I needed, today.

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My Sunday Photo: 5 August 2018

Surfinia on blurred backgroundOn impulse, I just decided to experiment a little. I enjoy finding the line where photography meets art. Now, often, depth of field – or lack of it – can be a problem, but here I have deliberately used the widest aperture possible, in order to blur the other flowers behind the surfinia. This is the result, without any editing. I think this is art – almost!

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My Sunday Photo: 29 July 2018

Rain on Apples on TreeI have always loved the effects produced by raindrops in nature, such as in this shot taken today. This time, however, the rain was in any case so especially welcome after a long spell of hot dry weather! A gentle breeze was also very pleasant. Oh, and I still hope we get some more sunshine before autumn sets in!

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My Sunday Photo: 24 June 2018

Orange LilyIt seems rather fitting to herald the arrival of summer with a picture like this one, showing the vibrant colour of this species of lily flowers. Although they don’t last long, one plant can have several buds that open in succession. They also have quite an intriguing scent – but watch out for those stamens, because the pollen can stain clothing quite badly!

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My Sunday Photo: 10 June 2018

Rose - Not PerfectThis shot is one of several that I took yesterday. I love the wonderful shape and line, colouring, and all the features that make roses beautiful – including, of course, the scent, which sadly I can’t send to you over the internet.

But as I viewed this little set of pictures, a train of thought came into my mind: the roses I had photographed were not perfect. They would not have won any prizes in a flower show. One or two petals, as you can see here, were damaged and turning brown at the edges, or a little bit shrivelled. But wait – does that mean that these roses weren’t beautiful? Indeed, might they be even more beautiful for not having been sprayed and snipped to within an inch of their lives?

By now, many of you will have guessed where these musings are leading. We have an industry that depends, for its very existence, on convincing people, women in particular, that they must devote lots of time, effort, and most importantly, money, in the quest for bodily perfection of a kind that isn’t actually attainable without photo-editing software.

Ladies – and gentlemen, too – take care of yourselves, by all means, but don’t set out to be what you’re not, because an original is worth far more than a cheap copy.

Thank you for reading.

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My Sunday Photo: 30 July 2017

Honey Bee on BuddleiaIt’s a while since I’ve managed a bee photo, but I had a go this week. In macro, focusing is very critical and depth of field is minute even at small apertures. Also, it takes a high shutter speed to ‘stop’ the movement of a bee! However, I thought this was quite an interesting picture, showing the proboscis of the bee which has just been sucking (or is about to suck) nectar from the tiny buddleia flower!

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My Sunday Photo: 24 July 2016

Campanula in GardenI took this photo only yesterday. It seems to show how I was feeling; it’s as if summer is already flying by. For many schoolchildren, the holidays have only just begun, yet many flowers are almost over. Thankfully, there are more following! The ‘bell’ of this campanula flower seems to be looking outwards at the two seed-heads. But hopefully there are still many good things to come.

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