Spring Flowers

I'm watching the rain. It's just what we need to make the wildflowers really "pop." The Highland Lakes area of the Texas Hill Country is smack in the middle of the spring wildflowers. The bluebonnets are blooming. They are "okay" but not really spectacular. A good soaking rain will give the bluebonnets a boost and ensure another great wildflower viewing season.

I was mowing the lawn this morning, hoping to finish ahead of threatening rain clouds. Just as I was finishing the lake-side lawn, the light changed. It became brighter but very soft; that beautiful, pre-storm light. I parked the mower and ran for my camera equipment. Following is a few pictures that I was able to get before the downpour.

These bluebonnets are wildflowers but cultivated by my wife in her "brick garden." She made the brick garden by placing bricks in a checkerboard pattern around a bird bath. There are several varieties of flowers growing in the empty spaces in the checkerboard pattern. The purple in the background is mountain laurel.

This photo was made with my new Nikon D80 and the 18-135mm lens. As a continuing comparison of my Nikon and its predecessor the Panasonic DMC-FZ30, this image was shot at ISO 800. I enlarged it to 200 percent without obvious grain or digital noise. I'm thrilled with the Nikon's performance.

While focusing on the bluebonnets, I noticed this monarch on the mountain laurel. With the ISO still set at 800, I managed to get close to the butterfly and snapped several photos. This one seems a bit soft. I think, however, it is because I was not using a tripod. I took this shot handheld at 1/60. The tripod may not have made a difference. The wind was moving slightly. Still, I am pleased with the color and clarity. The D80 is a keeper. :-)

I was in a bit of a hurry. Rain was imminent. It began to sprinkle while I was still concentrating on the butterfly. I quickly gathered my equipment (two cameras, a tripod, and carrying case) and made a dash to the carport just as the sky opened.

I love the feeling of standing in a protected area watching the weather deteriorate. It is a safe, secure feeling, protected. As it rained, I setup the tripod and focused the Panasonic on Jane's columbine. The FZ-30 is no slouch. With a Leica 35-420 (35mm equivalent) Vario-Elmarit lens and macro focusing, you can fill a screen with the smallest of images. And it produces some seriously sharp images. I think it may equal the Nikon dSLR at the lowest ISO. This photo was taken at ISO 100. I was worried about a slight movement from the wind. It was very slight, however, and the 1/15 second exposure doesn't seem blurred. The image, however, would probably have been just as sharp with the Nikon set to ISO 800 for a faster shutter speed.

But I didn't test that. I changed the Nikon's ISO to 100 for this image of splattered raindrops on the columbine. Click on the image to see the detail. All the images here can be enlarged by clicking on the one you want enlarged. Though I don't have macro focus capability with this lens/camera combination, the tight pixel structure of the image makes it possible to enlarge and crop it in Photoshop. Even cropped and enlarged, it does seem just as sharp as the Panasonic image. It is really difficult to make a choice of cameras for closeup photography. I think I will continue using the Panasonic for the really closeup work. I got the Nikon because I need a faster focusing capability for my action photography. Having it be so good at closeups is a bonus.

Speaking of Photoshop, I finally figured a way to ease some of the embarrassment of being beaten so badly by the humming birds. The following is a Photoshop Elements-manipulated humming bird image. It certainly doesn't make this a better photo; just more interesting ... to me. :-)

So, I've managed to ease the tension of being overly serious. And, sharing some of the natural beauty around our Hill Country Home.

The lawn isn't finished. The mower is under the house. We're expecting much more rain; maybe all day tomorrow. The lawn will gradually work its way up the priority list. Meanwhile, I have a grandson arriving next weekend. He has issued directives to make sure the bikes are in good shape and will run well throughout his visit. So much for lawnmowing ... and playing around with cameras and Photoshop. :-)

l8r