Spring Flowers

A Blast of Colour

Today’s post features an array of flowers photographed in our yards, back and front. The selection is limited to those presently in bloom. I expect to capture more as the month progresses.

The photographs were all taken with a macro lens. For those unfamiliar with this term, this lens is designed for taking close-up pictures. My lens is a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, which features a fixed focal length of 100mm and a wide range of apertures from f/2.8 to f/32.

At 100mm, this lens is categorized as telephoto, which means that it offers high magnification. The range of aperture is f/2.8 (wide shutter opening) to f/32 (narrow shutter opening). And, the lens’ distinguishing feature is 1:1 magnification at a minimum focus distance of 11.8 inches (30 cm). This enables the user to shoot from very close range at high magnification.

Aperture size is a major factor in establishing depth of field, the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Minimum focus distance is also a factor affecting depth of field. The closer the lens is placed to the subject, the narrower the depth of field. This effect can be countered by reducing aperture size. The wide range of apertures enables the photographer to control the depth of field for artistic purposes.

For example, I shot this first photo of a cactus flower at the minimum focus distance and 100 mm focal length. With an aperture setting of f/14, I was able to capture the foreground flowers with sharp focus and detail. With this aperture, the background is not in focus.

I won’t comment on all of today’s photos and how I edited them. You may wish to note how the photos have been influenced by the main factors affecting their appearance; focusing distance and aperture size.

Spray of White Flower on a Garden Bush