last days of winter in the garden

Last week I took the macro lens out into the garden for the first time in a while.  Spring is certainly upon us.

macro photography – bees at work

Bees in the lilly pilly tree.

macro photography – lilly pilly tree

Morning light, in which the ant was more cooperative than the bees.

new toy for the camera – a lens adapter

I think the package that arrived in today’s post may turn out to be the best $21.00 plus postage I ever spent. I’d seen them on sale for closer to $90.00, so was pleased to take a chance on this for the price.

It’s an adapter (FOTGA brand) that attaches to Sony E-mount lenses (eg NEX and A6000) to enable the use of Canon EOS lenses. The other factor contributing to the future success of this gamble is that another person in my household happens to own a Canon EOS and assorted lenses.

Within a couple of hours of receipt of the adapter, I’d put it through its paces in the garden. It was not the most suitable day to attempt using the 60mm macro lens. Another storm is brewing and the wind is rising up in micro gusts. I’ve also got to get lots of practice with the shallower depth of fields and, short of using a tripod, find a way to stablise a hand-held Sony A6000 which is being asked to carry the additional weight. The wind was a huge factor in missing the mark on some spider and web shots today.

Here’s what came out of the new combination on the first pass. The only editing that’s taken place is cropping.

The Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens near Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada are hugely impressive. On our visit today, the dahlias, begonias, fuschias and hydrangeas were the heroes.

fuschia haiku

 

mission: exposure

to attract a passing bee

petal skirt unwraps

floral forms

These flower shots lent themselves to more pretty treatment than the gumnuts that called for more robust colours and a bit more ‘grunt’.

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