Author Archives: Mike

Blending In

Posted by Mike on

Macro Monday
Columbus Botanical Garden

Saturday was the Daylily Festival at the botanical garden (I almost wrote “my botanical garden”). Last year I was in the beginning of decline with photography but not this year. I hadn’t fully decided if I would be going (you all know, me and crowds don’t always see eye-to-eye). Mother Nature hadn’t decided if she was going to cooperate either.

I attempted to visit the Market Days in Uptown but the rain definitely kept a lot of vendors, and people, at home. That didn’t stop me from a quick stop at Veri Best Donut Co., we’ll keep that between us, before finally calling it a morning and going to Sam’s Club for a few supplies. After returning home it looked like I might be get clearing skies, so I didn’t bring the camera into the apartment. I quickly put everything away and headed back out (the cats look at me like I’m crazy when I come and go so quickly).

As soon as I parked the car it started raining. Figures! I resisted the urge to return home and waited about ten minutes in the car. Only a few raindrops continued and I decided I definitely will not melt, so changed the lens to the 85mm macro lens and walked over to the entrance. Ten minutes after getting into the garden the sun was shining bright and I could feel the humidity start to bear down on me. No worries, plenty of trees to offer shade.

There were quite an assortment of vendors, organizations and displays. I’m glad I fought my natural urge to avoid crowds, and to be honest, there were not a lot of people (yet!). I spent some time exploring everything on display. I bought a honey lollipop from one local vendor, was in awe at the amount of plantings for sale and avoided buying the beautiful ceramic flower pot (Milo would try to eat any plants I bring home).

Eventually, I walked around looking for the daylilies. The lens I was using was the Lensbaby Velvet. It produces a dreamy vignette depending on the aperture. To say it challenges me is an understatement, but I wasn’t going to improve without practice.

Look closely at the daylily. I didn’t notice as I was capturing the image but there is a ladybug enjoying the shade…

Blending In
Nikon Z6 III, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8, 1/640s, f/4, ISO 100

From the Bench

Posted by Mike on

Silent Sunday
Columbus Botanical Garden

Daydream
Nikon Z6 III, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8, 1/60s, f/2.8, ISO 100

Calm the Mind
Nikon Z6 III, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8, 1/100s, f/5.6, ISO 280

Dancing

Posted by Mike on

Haiku
Columbus Botanical Garden

I’ve been all over the place with this one…

The original image is very vibrant, but I couldn’t see past the color. The ethereal tone was lost, at least to me, with the bold assault on my senses. So, I simplified it. And then the words started forming…

It has been some time since I wrote a haiku. Hopefully, I haven’t forgot how to do it…

Dancing To Be Me

Not floating, dancing
Not isolation, freedom
Learning to be me

Dancing
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/1000s, f/4, ISO 100

As part of that learning, I’m over at the cafe again this morning. I decided to be part of the community as I write this post. Still on shaky ground, as it is so far out of my wheelhouse, but, I’m learning. Maybe learning isn’t exactly the right word. How about embracing this experience? Still probably learning… 🙂

Lily, Entrance Me

Posted by Mike on

Columbus Botanical Garden

You can’t walk past a reflection can you?

Me? No! Why Should I?

It’s a mirror, nothing special.

Are you sure? Each one holds something different.

What?

A reflection can be the mirror image of what you are looking at, but it can also show you a different side.

Stop playing with me!

I’m not. Take this lily, the image in the water is not a mirror image but a highlight of the unseen parts. It’s showing the hidden.

Uh huh. So? What are you hiding?

Nice try…

It is probably good that only one lily at a time is making an appearance at the botanical garden. An observer can immediately tell when I spot one. My whole focus changes. I’m not seeing anything else until I have grabbed a few views of the floating princess. Tuesday was no different.

Well, maybe a little different. Although it was early in the afternoon, I was at the garden between the raindrops. The light was filtered through the clouds and I didn’t have to fight the bright white. Made it a lot easier to show the detail in the flower.

Lily Reflecting
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100

Of course, I couldn’t leave it alone. Lily was calling to me to ‘electrify’ her. I didn’t want to disappoint her.

Electric Reflection
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100

Working It

Posted by Mike on

Columbus Botanical Garden

I think it is fascinating how this photography thing works for me. I know I have made this comment in the past (of course, I couldn’t find the post), but deciding to learn photography changed how I travel through my day. I was almost oblivious to my surroundings. Now, “I see”… the pattern of light, the shapes, the little details, the incongruities, the shadows, etc. At times, I’m amazed I’m able to get where I’m going.

It generally isn’t what I am looking at that captures my eye, it is the light or shadow, the brief movement of a critter or the splash of color on the periphery that draws my attention. After finding the little frog in yesterday’s post (Shelter Me Susan), I was wandering the garden walkways waiting for that unexpected “thing” to stop me in my tracks (hey, it happens, sometimes). Lately, it has been the bees.

This one was focused on the pollen to even notice me…

Working It
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/2000s, f/4, ISO 100

Shelter Me Susan

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
Columbus Botanical Garden

Shelter Me Susan
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/125s, f/8, ISO 200

Something New

Posted by Mike on

The Brick and Mortar Cafe
Chattahoochee Riverwalk

I’m trying something new today!

I took today off to give myself a long, four day weekend. I had no plan other than an extra day to the weekend.

The something new, you ask… well, I’m sitting over in my favorite weekend coffee shop writing this post. The coffee shop is part of my Sunday habit (ritual, if I’m being honest). I go for my groceries and stop on my way home to get a coffee. This last Sunday I really broke with my routine. I had forgotten my coffee mug (they allow you to bring, even encourage, your own cup), so I went home dropped off the groceries and returned. Rather than walk back out I sat down at one of the tables to enjoy the atmosphere. I liked it.

This morning, as I was working on a few images, I decided I would take my Microsoft Surface over to the coffee shop and write this post while I enjoyed some coffee. If you are curious, check out The Brick and Mortar Cafe (it is a FB page). The proprietor is really nice and I like supporting a local business.

Also, another part of the something new is seeing how this “not working” thing is. I have really had retirement on my mind for quite a while. My brother-in-law retired a couple years ago and he is a year younger than me. And then my Mom informed me one of my friends growing up retired a couple months ago. Those thoughts start to worm their way into my brain and I have a hard time turning them off. I could get use to this… 🙂

Anyway…

I mentioned in my Sunday post that on Saturday, as part of my Market Days adventure, I walked the Chattahoochee Riverwalk again. I went in the opposite direction then I did a couple weeks ago. I walked along Front Ave. until it met up with the river trail, and then I headed back toward Uptown. I found a few interesting views along the way. The first that stopped me in my tracks is this reflection.

Reflection
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/160s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100

Frequent visitors know, I can’t pass up a good reflection. The water had collected in a low spot on the trail and getting the camera practically into the water allowed me to remove most of the ground. I had to dodge a few cyclists but it was totally worth it.

A few steps further along the trail I spotted this view of the train bridge over the river. This bridge is the continuation of the tracks I captured in a post about a week ago (From 9th Street). I liked the split in this view, the water and bridge on one side with the tree lined path on the other.

Respite
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/200s, 47mm, f/8, ISO 100

And then we come to the bridge proper. I wasn’t so much interested in the bridge but was trying to capture the blossoms in the tree while using the bridge as a backdrop. Not too sure I succeeded, but hey, I gave it a try.

Tracks
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/160s, 49mm, f/8, ISO 100

Although the image above didn’t turn out like the one I had in my head as I was capturing it, I did grab a view of the blossom. From what Google Lens tells me, the tree is a Persian Silk tree, or also called a mimosa tree. After reading about this tree, I’m not so sure I’m happy to see one (they are highly invasive)… 😦

Mimosa
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/640s, 70mm, f/5.6, ISO 100

Now we get to the different section of this post, or maybe better, different images. These remind me of the images I captured more of as I was learning photography. A little abstract. Eventually I had to pass under the train bridge. I remembered to look up.

Look Up
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/100s, 29mm, f/8, ISO 100

Cross the Sky
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/125s, 28mm, f/8, ISO 100

We are almost back to the waterfront in Uptown. The day was heating up and it was almost time for lunch. I grab one last image of the trail before heading to Waveshaper Island and the post with the herons (Saturday Ritual).

Up Around the Bend
Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/320s, 38mm, f/8, ISO 100

Back to my something new… I probably should not have done this! The rest of this week will be tough at work after enjoying my morning, relaxing with a cup of coffee at the cafe. Yeah, those thoughts of being done with work are going to continue…

Edge of a Dream

Posted by Mike on

Monochrome Monday
Columbus Botanical Garden

Edge of a Dream
Nikon Z6 III, Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8, 1/200s, f/2.8, ISO 100