“He imagines a necessary joy in things that must fly to eat.”
― Wendell Berry
A final look at this fleabane plant and accompanying wildlife. The Crescent butterfly, now satisfied, flies off to its next destination, while a small bee arrives to repeat the cycle.
I like the movement in this image. It nicely illustrates the activity that goes on, even around a single plant, all day long. Each visitor, in its turn, partaking of what the plant has to offer; in return, the plant sends its pollen along to neighbouring plants, a hitchhiker tagging along with the hungry visitors, anther cycle. It’s quite a thing to watch, and much of it is missed, since the smaller flies and bees are so small and fast, that they are merely blurs to the naked eye, frozen here, to enjoy and wonder at.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500sec, f/7.1 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Silence
It has a sound, a fullness.
It’s heavy with sigh of tree,
and space between breaths.
It’s ripe with pause between birdsong
and crash of surf.
It’s golden they say.
But no one tells us it’s addictive.”
― Angela Long
I’m revisiting a Crescent which posed on a clump of Fleabane. My previous post had the butterfly drinking nectar from the flower, with an accompanying bee. In this image, the butterfly simply sits, its wings spread wide, warming in the sunshine. The image also serves to illustrate that even slight changes in a composition can change the whole feel of the image.
While the prior post was filled with activity, this one is quite serene and just pretty to look at. It brings a sense of calm with the pink flowers and the soft green background. Plus, there seems to be something about butterflies at rest that invokes that same restfulness in the observer.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500sec, f/7.1 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
“Zaragoza 20 – San Jose del Cabo”
These weather worn doors are the entrance to La Panga Antigua, a restaurant in the Art District of San Jose del Cabo in Baja California, Mexico. See here for what lies behind these ‘rustic’ doors. You’ll be surprised. I was and now will have to return to sample the interior. I’m also including a Streetview link so you have some context of the neighbourhood.
When I made the image I was simply intrigued by the chunk of wood suspended above the door. It just seemed odd and out of place. Now, as I look up the address and the name of the establishment, it all makes sense, sort of. A Panga, modern derivation traditional dugout fishing boat. Generally, if you say panga, it’s simply interpreted as ‘boat’.
Now it makes sense, La Panga Antigua means “the old boat” and the chunk of wood is actually a piece of an old wooden dugout. Anyways, that mystery is now solved and I can reflect back on the numerous interesting and unique doors in this area of San Jose del Cabo, the Art District. Each vendor trying to differentiate themselves from others, often through the use of doors.
Nikon D800
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF- @ 112mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6 ISO 200
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The miracle is that the brilliance of the miraculous can live in the blandness of the mundane. The greater miracle is that we have enough brilliance in our own blandness to see it.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough
I’m finding even common items fascinating lately, as I get ‘close’ to them. The image above is of a common wildflower, or to gardeners, an invasive and prolific weed. I’ve seen entire lawns infested with this plant, yet along a hiking trail, it’s lovely. When composing this image, I realized that it reminded my one of those hugh Georgia O’Keeffe paintings and I think it would translate nicely from photo to painting, something I may do when the snow flies once more. But, for now, I think I’ll set the brushes aside and take in all that nature has to offer my lens and me.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500 sec, f/7.1 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“You lift your head, you’re on your way, but really just to be walking, to be out of doors. That’s it, that’s all, and you’re there. Outdoors is our element: the exact sensation of living there.”
― Frédéric Gros
By far the most common of local meadow butterflies are skippers. Once you spot one, you suddenly see dozens. The name skipper is so appropriate too, as they move quickly from flower to flower. They do sit still long enough to snap a photo or two, then they are on the move again.
Like I said, once you see one it seems the meadow is filled with them. If I stand and carefully observe, there are time where a single plant may have two or three on it at any given time. I’m not sure of the precise species and have not done an exhaustive study of them. They have become a fallback when the dragonflies are too active.
As in previous shots, this is my first foray into outdoor macro photography of insects and I have to say it’s a lot of fun, yet has its own challenges. When I photograph butterflies with my 70-300 zoom, I don’t have to be overly close and depth of field is not such an issue. With the macro, I have to move close and hopefully, not disturb by subject. I’m sure other insect photographers are smiling at this point. It’s not as easy as it seems, but I’m learning and loving every minute of it, especially when processing the images and noticing all the fine details.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/11 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Like all sweet dreams, it will be brief, but brevity makes sweetness, doesn’t it?”
― Stephen King
Much of the conservation land surrounding my home, including parks and hiking trails, was, at some not too distant time, farmland. It’s difficult to visualize, as I walk through now forested areas. Every now and then though, evidence of former use makes itself known.
On one particular site, many perennial sweet peas can be found at the perimeter of meadows, especially now that they are beginning to bloom. They are quite lovely and I thought worth sharing.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/7.1 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“There are 365 days in a year and you will meet all the colours of life throughout the year: The blue, the black, the pink… Only blue is not a life, only pink is not a life, only black is not a life! Life is all the colours!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
The outdoors is filled with unexpected gifts. As I set out to photograph the Lady Slipper Orchids last Saturday, that was my only goal. I had no intention of stopping on the way in, nor on my way out of the forest where they grow. I suppose such is the nature of a fixed agenda, no room for anything else.
As those who follow this blog on a regular basis will have noticed, there has been a recent shift from flowers to insects. Fear not, I will continue with flowers as well, but there have been great opportunities presented to photograph some of the local wildlife, primarily insects as well. I photograph because I enjoy being able to share my experiences and learn new things along the way.
One of those learning opportunities occurred when I photographed this “Blue”, or more precisely, a Spring Azure butterfly. These tiny, quick moving, and skittish butterflies are often sitting on the trail, but seldom stick around long enough to photograph. This one was considerate enough to pose on a blade of grass, long enough to get this image, as well as a side shot, which helped me identify it when I got home.
The learning piece of the story comes from having a clear macro image of the butterfly, revealing the fine blue hairs on it’s torso and being able to see the tiny, blue, iridescent scales on its wings, which give it that slightly metallic look. If I had to do it again, I would have narrowed the aperture a bit more, but I was also fighting a breeze that day, which limited me to a higher shutter speed and I did not want to bump the ISO much more.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500 sec, f/11.0 ISO 400
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“She glitters like she walked out of a Klimt painting”
― Jandy Nelson
I came across this Emerald Jewelwing, who was resting briefly on a leaf just below eye level. There are time where they just sit and pose for long periods, but not today. This brief pause lasted only a few seconds and it was fluttering madly about once more, in the warming air above me. It also provided me a challenge, as half of its body was shaded by a leaf, a common problem when doing nature photography, and it was not about to be moved, nor could I move the leaf over without disturbing it. So, I ended up with a less than ideal, partially shaded image, which is better than nothing at all
With a motion a bit like a butterfly, random and seemingly without direction, the jewel wings float and dart among the branches. This leads me to wonder what the purpose of this haphazard motion is? Since they are not quick, like dragonflies, I wonder if the random movement protects them from predators, it certainly makes it difficult to photograph them in flight.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive.
– Jack London
You never know what you may come across while doing macro photography. I had stopped to make a picture of this bladder campion, but was a bit disappointed in its advanced condition. As I reviewed the shot to verify focus and exposure, I noticed this sneaky crab spider lurking on the bladders. I’m seeing these spiders a lot lately, it seems almost every plant has one hiding somewhere.
This image shows the spider in its typical attack position, sitting above the bladder, waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting insect. It’s quite the effective predator. This one is quite large, with a pea sized abdomen.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Time is for dragonflies and angels. The former live too little and the latter live too long.”
– James Thurber
Here’s another companion from my orchid hike. A beautiful yellow dragonfly, sunning itself in the warm trailside sunshine. If someone could help me out with its identification, that would be appreciated.
I’ve had varying luck photographing dragonflies, and this is my first shot of one using my 90mm macro lens. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. The light was just right to highlight the veining in its wings.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
High Resolution Image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about and don’t understand. […] There are always new things to find out if you go looking for them.”
― David Attenborough
There are moments in our lives that leave us breathless. For me, one of those moments occurred last year, when I came across this small cluster of Showy Lady Slipper orchids. They are native to my region and seem to be fairly scarce, as I have not seen them anywhere else, but here. The ‘grove’ currently consists of five flowering plants and two non-bloomers, all tightly grouped around a rotting balsam log, right next to a trail. I’m encouraged in that I spotted a few new plants, just in leaf, popping up nearby and I’m hoping this expansion continues.
I wrote about my discover around this time last year and my anxiety that someone might pick them or dig them up before they bloomed. The plants are quite stunning, being almost a half meter tall with large, intricate blossoms. As I photographed them this year, I was dismayed, as someone had picked one of the blossoms and another had been trampled down, likely by the same person, in their quest for the largest flower. Unfortunately, the plants grow quite close to the trail and are easily visible, if you are looking for them.
I’m getting better at picking up on the cycles of these magnificent wildflowers, based on other companion plants, saving me numerous trips back to this locale, which is also a haven for mosquitoes, which hungrily buzzed around me as I squatted low to get my photos. Oh, the joys of nature photography. It’s all worth it for even a single image like this.
One final challenge, bugs aside, is the poor lighting conditions. The orchids grow in a heavily wooded lowland, thick and dark and green. So it’s a real challenge to set white balance. To get the desired details, I also had to push my ISO higher than I like to get good detail. It was also windy, adding unwanted movement and limiting my exposure time. All in all, a good lesson on lighting and adapting camera settings, since I did not want to blow this opportunity to capture a good image. A return trip is unlikely till next weekend.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/15 sec, f/18.0 ISO 1000
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
― Joseph Addison
Yesterday morning, my son and I went for a hike to see how a patch of Showy Lady Slipper orchids were coming along. More on that in a future post. On the way into the forest, the wildflower lined path was abuzz with nectar seeking insects, crowding onto the blossoms dining and sunning themselves.
We’ve had yet another wave of rainy days and I’m sure the wildlife is also feeling the effects of wind and downpour. So, when the day dawned bright and clear, the opportunity to feast opened up.
In the image above, a Pearly Crescent butterfly works its way around a fleabane blossom, a small bee dines next door, the the next visitor arrives from above, to share in the bounty of this single plant. The pattern repeated throughout the meadow as the world eagerly greeted the sun once more.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/500 sec, f/7.1 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Waiting for you
is as delightful as
waiting for sunset.”
― Kamand Kojouri
Hey, will you look at that, a flower that is not pink for a change. The seasons are turning, and as my lovely peonies fade into memory, yellow has returned in full force.
This flower, which we mistakenly named ‘moon flower’ when we first got it from my mother-in-law, who also called it that, because it opens at dusk. It’s a fascinating plant to watch, though with foliage that very closely resembles dandelion, some do not survive till summer. I’ve pulled a few before realizing the error.
In any case, the flowers start as elongated pods with pointed ends. You can actually sit and watch them twitch before they open rapidly. Yes, they actually move from the energy of their opening. Then, in the blink of an eye, the pod bursts open at one seam and the delicate yellow petals unwind, yielding this wonderful, bright yellow blossom. The split pod can be seen below the flower in the image above. As the plant gets bigger, it may produce three to five blossoms in one night. The blossoms are short lived though, shrivelling up at dawns light, having been pollinated by moths and other night flying insects.
I have yet to watch one open this year. This one was already fully opened when I saw it.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.8 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Everyday can be extraordinary
And ripe,
Like a flower burst,
If the will is there.”
― Scott Hastie
As a follow up to yesterday’s post, I revisited the bud I photographed the day before, titled “Opening Soon“. Well. it did open and I’m still amazed at how all this pomp and frill can fit inside such a small bud.
The peony season is beginning to wind down and we had a torrential downpour yesterday, which did not help them much. Yet, some survived and keep providing us pleasure through their soft and intricate blossoms.
This was, however, my only peony image of the day, as it was bright and sunny today, so I ventured out to see how the wild orchids were fairing. More on that tomorrow.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“You get peace of mind not by thinking about it or imagining it, but by quieting and relaxing the restless mind.”
― Remez Sasson
Alas, the next wave of peonies is upon me. All the varieties are now in full bloom, some already spend and the buds of the second generation of flowers is beginning to open. These secondary blossoms tend to be a bit smaller but no less beautiful.
I spotted this blossom, just starting to open this morning, and as a write, it’s already opened to twice its size. Once more, it rained, yet the blossoms are surviving and the water droplets add a certain ‘freshness’ to the image. That combination of life and newness brings a sense of peace to me, as the day and the blossom opens up to its potential.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Ants always eat sweet food … but none of them haven’t diabetes ?”
― Ali Ghasaby
Among the residents of peonies are, of course, ants. Ants of all sizes and shapes thrive on the sweet nectars the peonies offer from bud to blossom. It would be a rare occasion when I bring a peony blossom indoors that an ant does not emerge at some point. It’s a given.
As I photographed my post-rain peonies, I took the opportunity to try my hand at photographing the ant as it clung to the edge of a leaf. Since I was shooting handheld, I had to adjust my aperture up a bit, which meant I sacrificed depth to get an acceptable shutter speed. If I had to do this again, I would have bumped my ISO, and closed the aperture a bit more, but this is how I learn. There will be more ants.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/320 sec, f/5.0 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
“322 Dundas Street West” – Toronto
In this image, it’s the doorway, not so much the doors that draw my attention. Along this stretch of Toronto heritage buildings, and across from the Art Gallery of Ontario, this one really stands out, with its fuchsia columns and yellow brick. I had to go through my media library to verify I had not posted it previously and it turns out that I have not.
I found that odd, that I have not yet posted an image of doors that I have enjoyed for several years. As it turns out, my oldest daughter’s friend lived here for a few years. It is a small world.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/300 sec; f/1.8; ISO 80
“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
― Pablo Neruda
As I came outside yesterday, I was filled with the sweet aroma of Peony. Our walkway is bordered by two enormous peony plant. They stand nearly five feet (just under two meters) tall and are now so big that an extra large peony ring will not hold them. I’ve taken to using rope to hold them in place. Each bush has close to fifty blossoms open at any given time and, being heirloom peonies, the fragrance is beautiful.
It rained on and off most of yesterday, yet they did not flop over too badly. The flowers, though plentiful, are not huge, so that may be a saving grace. Because of the rains, the blossoms were completely dew covered and I went inside to grab my camera to make a few photos of this morning delight.
As I was making the images, I became aware that I was not alone in enjoying these blooms. Ants, spiders and flies were active as well. This little green fly caught my eye and did not take of as I got closer to make the image. I have no idea of what type of fly it is, but it made for a pleasing image, posed on the pink dewy petals, basking in the early morning sunshine, the first day of summer.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/800 sec, f/5.0 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“As I leave the garden
I take with me a renewed view,
And a quiet soul.”
― Jessica Coupe
This lovely purple flowered plant was given to me by my grandmother many years ago and is well established in the garden. For years I called it Bee-Balm, being uncertain of what it really was. It always reminded me a bit of nettle or overgrown Creeping Charley.
One of the joys of photography, which I have mentioned before, is that it allows me the ability to look at things more carefully and to use internet tools to search images. So, I now know that this plant is called Henbit or Henbit Dead-nettle. That explains my perception of it being some variety of nettle. Honestly though, I’m a bit disappointed in the name. It seems so dull for such a beautiful plant.
The plant is a great attractor of bees and hummingbirds, though a bit unsightly till it puts up flowers. The flowers are quite long lasting and we enjoy them through most of late June into July. It’s also quite photogenic and has given me a break from my peonies, which continue to provide their enjoyable fragrance and beautiful blossoms.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
May you understand my love–because it is the only thing I have that is really mine, the only thing that I will be able to take with me into the next life. Please allow it to be courageous and pure; please make it capable of surviving the snares of the world.”
― Paulo Coelho
A simple title that describes my first impressions of this single, rain speckled, white peony blossom. Yesterday rained heavily and quite steadily, less than ideal conditions for peonies. So, I spend some time early in the morning salvaging a few of them to photograph and remember, before they get battered too badly.
Needless to say, this has been a spectacular year for my peonies and I’ve enjoyed photographing them at their peak. The raindrops are just an added bonus.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.8 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“It’s so curious: one can resist tears and ‘behave’ very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer… and everything collapses. ”
― Colette
Here’s an assemblage of several of the peonies I’ve shared over the past few days, placed in a convenient mason jar. I do have a few more formal peony vases that my grandmother used, but I have not done a large blossom harvest yet. It’s been more of a select and cut as individual plants began to bloom, which has been a daily activity for the past week or so.
Though casually placed, I think they make a nice bouquet, showing the different colours and sizes in a single image, and the aroma is absolutely wonderful. The half quart jar also gives a reference point to gauge the size of the blossoms from. Some are quite large.
As I write this post, I can see several more ‘subjects’ ready to open. And, when the rain hopefully stops later today, I can get out and harvest them for the studio.
Since many came from my mother-in-law’s garden and her health is not great, I plan to document them all in a photo album. All that will be missing is the scent.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
A heavy sort of beauty,
yet delicate to the eye.
The peony welcomes the late spring sunshine,
and bears the burden of its rains.
Nourished, yet strained,
she bows to the beginning of summer.
– Ed Lehming
The peonies keep coming, and despite the rains, they are holding up quite well. As I’ve said before, how they hold up their heavy flowers is a real marvel. As I clip blossoms to photograph them, I am challenged to find a way to hold them up to photograph them. They either droop or pull the supports over. They are that heavy.
The blossom above is probably one of the heaviest so far. It’s thick magenta blossom is much larger than the earlier varieties which have been blooming in my gardens for the past few weeks. As you can also see, there are sub-blossoms ready to bloom as well, but they will yield smaller flowers.
This is my first year of really paying close attention to my peonies. Probably because they are all blooming around the same time. Since they are almost all from my mother-in-law, some have taken a few years to establish enough to come to full bloom. I had not realized that similar coloured blooms are actually different varieties. Such is the joy of gardening and learning.
My next challenge will be to figure out the names of these heirloom peonies.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1.6 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Now a soft kiss – Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss.”
― John Keats
What more can I say, I am enveloped in pink. It is the colour theme of the season, the transition from whites to pinks and purples.
Our peonies, are redolent in pinks and magentas. The gardens, filled with pink ruffles, brilliant white ecstasy, and magenta glory.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Everything passes. Joy. Pain. The moment of triumph; the sigh of despair. Nothing lasts forever – not even this.”
― Paul Stewart
The ‘fancy’ pink peonies are blooming at last. The flowers this year are massive and I frankly have no idea how the weight of the blossoms is supported by some of the stalks. Were it not for surrounding vegetation and a fence, they would surely collapse under their own weight.
I’m hoping to enjoy them for at least a few days, before the heat of day takes its toll or a rainstorm adds so much weight that the just fold over. Perhaps it’s the brevity and uncertainty of their beauty that makes them so precious?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/36.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“The long roots of the peony strike deep into the past.”
– Alice Coats
Today I’m sharing a peony that I have many of and I don’t believe this is the first blossom either. Several blossoms opened a few days ago, so it’s hard to know. The plant itself came from abandoned (expropriated) farm near my home. The family who used to live there (Spangs) were close friends with my wife’s family and are distant relations.
The land was expropriated (taken by the government) back in the nineteen seventies, with plans to build an international airport. Those plans never materialized and many families were displaced for nothing. Over time, houses and farm building were rented out or simply abandoned to rot. Many of these farms also had beautiful gardens at one point, now overgrown with grasses and thick shrubbery. I noticed the bright pinks of these peonies from the road, as I drove by and asked permission to dig them up. Permission was granted and I proceeded to recover some twenty plants, some of which went to my gardens and others were given to friends, as well as planted in the gardens at my kids’ school.
I have no idea how old the plants are, but peonies can live for close to a century and these have roots the size of yams. I have a touch with peonies and most plants bloomed the next year. These are also prolific bloomers, with each stem producing up to three flowers (you can see two more buds in the photo), making for a terrific display.
As I enjoy them, so do others and I’m often asked about them. It’s nice to be able to tell this story, give a bit of local history, and simply enjoy the lasting beauty of these deep pink blossoms, as they fill the air with their rich fragrance.
This richly fragrant, deep pink relic is one of the oldest peonies of all, and yet, writes expert Martin Page, it’s “still one of the best.” Introduced in France soon after the first lactiflora peonies arrived from China, it has been cherished ever since for its “good form, strong color, and delightful fragrance” (Boyd, 1928).
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Spiders are anti-social, keep pests under control, and mostly mind their own business, but they somehow summon fear in humans who are far more dangerous, deceitful and have hurt more people. Of the two I’m more suspicious about the latter.”
― Donna Lynn Hope
Finding a ‘visitor’ should not have come as a surprise. As I was making photos of one of my peonies, a spider, variety unknown to me (I’m not a big spider fan), popped out of the petals and chose the base of one of the outer petals as its perch.
Once it found this spot, it did not move and presented an opportunity to make an image of it. Like I said, I’m not a big fan of spiders, but I do enjoy looking at details and this one certainly has some interesting markings. He’s really quite small, but the macro treatment makes him look big in the photo.
Generally, I like to leave peonies on the porch for a few hours before bringing them and all their hitch-hikers into the house, mostly ants, but I expect this guy would have come in regardless.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.4 sec, f/18.0 ISO 100
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“She was pure, it was true, as he had never dreamed of purity; but cherries stained her lips.”
― Jack London
In this year’s theme of ‘firsts’, here’s yet another. The first white peony made its appearance in my gardens this morning. These white peonies hold a special place in our family, having been passed do from my wife’s grandmother.
It’s an interesting blossom, being a beautiful pure white, with a tiny red fringe on the inside petals. I have yet to discover the particular variety. We also have another variant, similar to this one, but with splashes of red in the interior petals rather than the fine fringe.
I love these heritage peonies for a number of reasons: they are extremely hardy, once established, they have an intense wonderful fragrance, which fills the morning air, the blossoms are long lasting and make beautiful floral arrangements for indoors. Finally, once flowers are shed, the foliage is lush and green and changes to a deep crimson in the fall.
Late spring and early summer is a great time of anticipation in the garden. Watching blossoms going from bud to flower overnight is almost magical. Knowing our family ancestors have also experienced these moments makes it even more special. Common expressions among my family generally have a theme like, “Oh, look! Grandma Fretz’s peony is blooming, just in time for Fathers Day.”
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
“Beverly House Doors” – Royal Ontario Museum
Doors in a museum? Imagine my surprise.
On a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum a few months back, I entered a section of the museum tucked away from most of the traffic and discovered an entire section dedicated to the history of Canada. Why was I not previously aware of this?
Among this collection, I was surprised to see several historic doors on display. This was quite a surprise, that someone cared enough about doors to preserve them.
The above door , circa 1822, belonged to Beverly House, the residence of Sir John Beverley Robinson (1791 -1863), Chief Justice of Upper Canada, was one of the most impressive residences in early Toronto. It was located at the northeast corner of John and Richmond Streets. Robinson, the son of a Loyalist from Virginia, was one of the most powerful men in Ontario in his time. The house was demolished around 1913.
The door was a gift to the museum from the Ursuline Religious of the Chatham Union in Toronto.
Thank goodness someone had the foresight to preserve this door for generations to enjoy.
iPhone 7 back camera @ 4.0mm
1/7 sec; f/1.8; ISO 80
“Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, “What else could this mean?”
― Shannon L. Alder
One of the great joys of macro photography is how it changes how you see things. Common flowers, or objects, take on a whole new look and feel when you get real close. Previously hidden details and textures emerge with clarity. The components of colour are separated and made visible.
Sometimes, the resulting image looks completely otherworldly, even unidentifiable. I left this image moderately zoomed, so that it can still be identified as a clematis bloom. But have a look at the centre. Imagine seeing the yellow stamen with just a touch of magenta around them. It would look like some strange sea creature reaching out with its tendrils, no longer a flower.
It certainly is fun, when editing my photos, to do these extreme zooms and let my imagination run free.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
3.0 sec, f/29.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“If today is not your day,
then be happy
for this day shall never return.
And if today is your day,
then be happy now
for this day shall never return.”
― Kamand Kojouri
I wanted to revisit this first peony blossom today. The image is made from a slightly different angle. When I shoot in the studio, I almost always set the subject up intuitively and stick with that shot. A few days may pass till I shoot it again, but I rarely, if ever, change the initial composition. Except this time.
I don’t spend a lot of time setting these shots up. I just ‘know’ that a certain composition will work. As I experiment, I may make changes from the original setup, but am usually not happy with it and don’t even make an image.
In the case of this wonderful peony blossom, however, the first shot, which I shared yesterday, was my go-to, yet this view is equally pleasing and shows the full face of the blossom. Nothing else was changed, just the shooting angle. I think both work and am now stuck with which one I like better. Perhaps both?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0 ISO 100
High Resolution image on 500px
for more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Ed Lehming Photography 
Recent Comments