Jenny's April Flower Challenge

I had a very unsatisfactory day today. I tried lots of outdoor shots but none of them worked, mainly because it was a bit too windy and I could not get any sharp enough. So, I have had to resort to another indoor shot. This is a very eye-catching primula.

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Jenny
 
MWHCVT said:
I love the water droplets on the Cuckoo's Pint :thumbs: that works really well :clap:

Congratulations that's the half way point :clap:

Matt
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Thanks, Matt. I can't believe I am only half way. I think I'm running out of steam (or flowers) :(

michael23 said:
Cuckoo pint is really nice Jenny, the lighting is excellent. Nice primula too, and as Matt said, well done on getting to the half way point.
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Thanks, Michael. It tends to be easier to take the photos indoors where there is more control over the elements. I think there will be more indoor shots this week. The weather forecast is not good.

Jenny
 
After my failure to get the shot I wanted yesterday due to the wind, I went out before breakfast this morning in the hope of capturing it before the wind got up. The wind beat me to it, but it was better than yesterday.

These are Oak Tree flowers. Strange little things. I find them quite intriguing.

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Comments are very welcome.

Jenny
 
Don't worry, I'm sure your going to make it and it's the downward slope now before you know it you'll be at the end of your challenge :thumbs:

I don't remember ever seeing oak tree flowers before so that makes for an interesting photo :thumbs:

Matt
 
Haven't posted on this thread before, but been looking in from the beginning and will continue to the end. Some lovely shots. Will make a great calender and perhaps a lovely collage. Keep up the good work.
 
MWHCVT said:
Don't worry, I'm sure your going to make it and it's the downward slope now before you know it you'll be at the end of your challenge :thumbs:

I don't remember ever seeing oak tree flowers before so that makes for an interesting photo :thumbs:

Matt
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Thanks, Matt. I didn't even know that oak trees had flowers until I noticed them a few years ago. They are different to the usual run-of-the-mill type flowers.

On the Huh said:
Haven't posted on this thread before, but been looking in from the beginning and will continue to the end. Some lovely shots. Will make a great calender and perhaps a lovely collage. Keep up the good work.
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Thanks, Nige. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Glad you are enjoying the photos.

Jenny
 
Wind, sun and heavy showers. Typical April weather today.

Today's offering is, I think, Blackthorn. It is not exactly in my garden but hanging over the garden fence from the field on the other side. I was rather pleased with this shot. It is amazing how different these blossoms can be. This one is quite delicate but I love the red-tipped stamens.

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Jenny
 
Mentalblock said:
What a nice challenge, well providing you don't have hey fever like myself!

I love the flower shots and your little right ups with each.

Thread now book marked so I hope the of the month is just as good!

Oh, and it's national gardening week this week apparently!

Neil
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Thanks, for visiting my thread, Neil. Your comments are very much appreciated.

Luckily I don't get hay fever, but when I looked at my dandelion shot, I was surprised that I don't get it.

I did not know about National Gardening Week. I will go and find out what it is all about.

Jenny
 
Hello Jenny, I have enjoyed all of the shots you have taken so far this month and as a newby I have a lot to learn, however the only pic of my own that I have been happy with was a flower so I will be keeping a keen eye on this thread for tips and tricks.
Keep up the great work!!!!

Brian
 
MWHCVT said:
Snap, I did blossom today too, though not totally happy with mine I think I need to get used to the DoF on my new camera :bang: but your's has come out well :thumbs:

Matt
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Thanks, Matt. There is a lot of blossom around and it is always tempting to snap it becuase it is so pretty.

Tonks4x4 said:
Hello Jenny, I have enjoyed all of the shots you have taken so far this month and as a newby I have a lot to learn, however the only pic of my own that I have been happy with was a flower so I will be keeping a keen eye on this thread for tips and tricks.
Keep up the great work!!!!

Brian
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Hi Brian,

Thanks for visiting my thread. Your comments are much appreciated. Flowers are a great subject to photograph with a wide variety of colours, shapes and textures. The problem is that you usually need decent weather to photograph them outdoors.

Jenny
 
Bad day :(

The weather was lousy - wind and very heavy showers. The barometer is lower than I have seen it in a long time. I went out to try to pick a flower to photograph indoors, but most were tightly shut!

I am almost too embarassed to post today's photo because it is not good. But, this is a challenge and I have to post something whether good or bad.

My subject was a tiny little flower called Moschatel or Townhall Clock. The flower head is about half a centimeter diameter, so I could hardly see what I was doing. The flower head consists of 5 flowers, 4 of which point in opposite directions - yes, like a townhall clock. The 5th flower points upwards.

It is an ugly little flower but quite fascinating to look at close-up. This photo was taken with the 60mm macro lens, a 25mm extension tube and the Raynox. Taking photos with this setup highlights all the dust on my sensor - so much that you could grow potatoes in it :( Note to self - get sensor cleaned at the end of the challenge.

So, apologies for this effort . . .

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Not happy with the background so I also did a B & W version, but I think the colour version is best.

:exit:

Jenny
 
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Hi Jenny, I really like the Townhall clock plant, it certainly is a nightmare to photograph isn't it. So tiny, but so amazing and certainly not all that common. I like the coloured background as I think it works well with the green.
 
michael23 said:
Hi Jenny, I really like the Townhall clock plant, it certainly is a nightmare to photograph isn't it. So tiny, but so amazing and certainly not all that common. I like the coloured background as I think it works well with the green.
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Thanks, Michael. It is an intriguing little flower that you just cannot see without magnification. That's what I love about macro - you would never know something like this existed with a normal lens.

The background came out a horrible brown colour so I tweaked the colour of it and I think I improved it.

Jenny
 
I was out most of the day so unable to shoot anything when the weather was reasonable. By the time I got home, the rain had started again and I was forced to cut a bit of cherry blossom to photograph indoors.

Once again I love macro. I love the intricacy of the stamens and the delicate nature of the petals of this little piece of blossom. It is not the best shot in the world but all I had time for.

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Jenny
 
MWHCVT said:
That is stunning Jenny, I think that you've got me back hook on my flower bug from last year :bonk: as I've had flowers in my last three photo's :suspect:
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Thanks, Matt. If you've got the flower bug, then this is a good time of year to indulge :)

Jenny
 
Seriously lacking in time to do a decent job on these photos. The blustery weather does not help. There were some very heavy showers today. Good for the garden but not for photography.

Today's offering is another weird tree flower that most people do not notice - ash. The strange motley white stuff in the background is a huge cherry tree in blossom behind.

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Jenny
 
Love it!
 
I was out first thing this morning before the rain set in trying to capture some wider shots rather than close-ups. I was not happy with any of them :(

So, when I got home this afternoon, I dashed out between the showers and got this one which I am quite happy with. I wanted to wait a few days before shooting the tree peonies because they are spectacular blooms when they open completely. This one has only just started to open but I loved the rain drops on it.

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Jenny
 
A couple of years ago, I bought this flower as an experiment. Because most of our flowers are eaten by deer, I am always trying to find things they don't eat. I had noticed a few years ago that there was some Yellow Corydalis growing wild which they did not eat. When I saw a blue variety in the garden centre I thought I would give it a try.

Well, it has not been eaten yet, so I will probably go out and buy some more. So, my flower for today is Blue Corydalis, which, when you look closely is rather attractive.

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Jenny
 
Defeated by the weather today :shake: It has rained virtually all day and is still raining. Not even any opportunity to pick something and bring it indoors as everything is drenched.

I am therefore posting one of my backup shots that I took between the showers yesterday. If you look closely at these cowslips, you will see some of the raindrops.

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I am hoping that things improve tomorrow.

Jenny
 
The weather was a bit better today but still a bit breezy for decent flower shots. I managed yet another blossom shot. This time it is Wild Cherry which is different from the pink blossom of the Japanese Cherry that I posted the other day. I find it amazing that these blossoms are distinctly different. This one is quite delicate with yellow/orange anthers on the tip of the stamens.

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Jenny
 
Torrential rain and gales today but the sun broke through on two short occasions around lunchtime. Definitely April weather.

Two shots for the price of one today. I tried a close-up of a daisy with the Raynox again. It is okay but I find it rather lacking. The lighting is not really clever enough. So, I tried another shot with a bit of PP. I very rarely do much PP except for removing blemishes, tweaking the levels and sharpening so I would appreciate feedback about whether anyone thinks it works or whether it is a load of rubbish.

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Constructive criticism is very welcome.

Jenny
 
Not been here before Jenny, but let me tell you I am glad I found this post. I am not a flower kind of guy or should I say I wasn't a flower kind of guy. You have got some fantastic shot in your collection. I fell like rushing out and trying my hand at shooting florals.
Keep up the good work.

Darren
 
Hi Jenny!

I can see what you mean about the lighting on the first but having said that it's not a bad effort. #2 is so freaky Ive just done the same PP on one of my photo's, how weird is that? :eek:

I really like the effect but maybe a little less central. Also, it would look good too as a B&W conversion.

Graham
 
uniquegardens said:
Hi Jenny!

I can see what you mean about the lighting on the first but having said that it's not a bad effort. #2 is so freaky Ive just done the same PP on one of my photo's, how weird is that? :eek:

I really like the effect but maybe a little less central. Also, it would look good too as a B&W conversion.

Graham
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Thanks for the feedback, Graham. I saw the #2 effect when I followed a link on a mailshot from another forum, so I thought I would give it a go. Maybe you saw the same mailshot?

#2 was originally portrait format with the daisy in the top third. I thought it might look better with a square crop and I moved the daisy up very slightly out of the middle.

I very rarely think about B/W. I must try that more often.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Jenny
 
Gale force winds and heavy showers interspersed with short sunny intervals. Not good weather for outdoor flower photography :(

The Lilac bush was getting a hammering in the wind, so I cut off a branch to photograph indoors. I am reasonably pleased with this one.

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Jenny
 
michael23 said:
Hi Jenny, very nice pics again, all of which I like. I really like the Lilac picture, great lighting. Well done for doing so well.
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Thanks, Michael. It is a pity to have to take these shots indoors, but the current state of the weather makes it impossible to shoot outdoors. At least it gives me more control over lighting and movement!

Jenny
 
I am longing to get out to do some outdoor shots, but the weather is against me. Very heavy squally showers on and off all day today and just too windy.

I rescued this Greater Stitchwort from a very heavy downpour. Happily the rain did not wash off all the pollen. This is one of my favourite wild flowers - so small and delicate.

I could not make up my mind which shot to post today. I have a rather nice close-up shot of the flower head, but I think the lighting is more interesting on this one. I just wish the flowerhead was pointing downwards slightly towards the camera.

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My husband has just come in and said he prefers the other shot, so I thought should post that one too. Here it is. Any takers for this one?

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Jenny
 
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Your doing so well on this challenge Jenny, and to think that you had doubt's about making it though, you've only got a few days to go and you've done so well :clap: all the images are of a very high standard and you should be proud :thumbs:

Matt
 
MWHCVT said:
Your doing so well on this challenge Jenny, and to think that you had doubt's about making it though, you've only got a few days to go and you've done so well :clap: all the images are of a very high standard and you should be proud :thumbs:

Matt
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Thanks, Matt. Yes, I am nearly there but struggling :help: The weather is making it very difficult. There were various types of shots that I wanted to try but they are just not possible when it is really windy.

Jenny
 
I definitely chose the wrong month for this challenge. It's official, the wettest April for many, many years! Today was no exception - rained almost all day and when it did stop, it was so dull that (flower) photography was impossible.

Yet again, I had to pick something to photograph indoors. I am a bit fed up with low key photographs so thought I would try high key which I have never attempted before. Not sure whether it worked but here it is, a floret from a beautiful bright pink Rhododendron.

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Constructive criticism is very welcome because I really did not know what I was doing with this and do not have the right equipment.

Jenny
 
On the home straight now . . .

If anyone had said today's weather was going to be worse than yesterday, I would not have believed them. I was wrong :( There has been torrential rain for most of the day. In the late afternoon, there was a bit of brightness, so I rushed out to try to get today's shot but it was quite windy.

This is a shot that I was hoping to get. This Azalea has been in bud for some time and I have been waiting for it to open. When it is fully in bloom it is a mass of yellow flowers and the scent is amazing. I could wait no longer. Here it is just starting to flower.

The purple/blue in the background is actually a carpet of bluebells.

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Jenny
 
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