It Won't be Long

 I have spent most of this morning looking through old folders for pictures to edit and I have generated a lot of work for myself so there is no chance i will be getting bored while the weather is rubbish and I don't have chance to get out with my camera. It is nice looking back at the older pictures as they bring back lots of memories, and after all that is why we take a lot of the pictures we do, to capture a moment and aid memory after time has passed.

I have shared a few brightly coloured floral pictures for today, these were taken in May at Erddig in North Wales and I thought that now the excitement of Christmas is passed and while it is cold and grey outside a little colour with the promise of things to come might be a lift that some people need. It won't be long until our gardens, parks and woodlands start to bring forth colour; snowdrops, crocus, cyclamen, daffodils and tulips. I look forward to getting outdoors much more to enjoy everything nature has to offer and the benefits that will bring.

Tulips

 I love tulips but I was somewhat surprised to find these little beauties growing in a kitchen garden at Sizergh Castle. It seemed an unusual setting but to be honest they looked really good.

I think the flower in the first image is absolutely stunning in its elegance with its soft cream and pink petals. I am sure you will agree it is a real delight.

The other images are of two different red varieties. I have been told that photographing red flowers is really difficult because it is hard to capture a true reproduction of the colour. I am not sure why this is but it is true and so I had to try several times to get what I hope are the true colours of these lovely blooms. 

Colour Pop

Here's a splash of colour for a sunny day

Standing Tall

Canon 24 - 105mm 

ISO 100   85 mm   F/4.5   1/160 sec

ISO 100   96 mm   F/4.5    1/160 sec

I love the colours in these shots and the soft focused backgrounds with hints of colour that help to highlight the flowers that are the main subjects in each picture.

Buttercups are such simple flowers and this single specimen shot against a background of bluebells is really lovely.

I also love the contrast of pink and white in the second photo with the central flower in sharp focus but the others in the foreground and background providing a soft focused frame.

Raindrops On Tulips

Canon 100mm f /1:2.8

ISO 100  f/11  1/30 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5  1/800 sec

ISO 100  f/3.5   1/800 sec

I know the line from the song is "Raindrops on Roses..." but there were no roses to see but these beautiful tulips will more than make up for that.

These flowers certainly make it onto my list of favourite things.

Coming to Life

There is something elegant about the sleek tulip bud as it develops and bursts into a colourful flower. The external shell gives the slightest hint of the colour to come.

I like the natural lighting in this shot, it is almost like there is a halo around the flower.

Pink Sunrise

I have decided to take a break from the waterfalls for now, I still have a few pictures from that day out to share but maybe another day... For today (and tomorrow) however I wanted to share a splash of spring colour. Visitors to my blog will know that I love photographing flowers and spring is a great time to get some early colour.

The second day during my recent week off I got up at 4 am and set off for Snowdonia in North Wales to capture some early morning shots of the mountains at dawn. I have got some great images to share in the days ahead. 

After my trek up the mountain and back I decided to stop off at Bodnant Gardens to see what I could see. I was a little disappointed to be honest because there were only a few different varieties in bloom although there was lots of fresh new growth and a profusion of greens.

The first flowers to see were the tulips at the top of the page, the bright sun really shows the flowers off at their best.

The next picture is of a Magnolia coming into bloom, the tree as a whole was loaded with flowers and was a spectacular sight but I felt that this individual flower made a great picture.

The next image is of a Hyacinth, I think they were getting to be past their best but I managed to find this specimen in a sheltered spot and so it was not too badly damaged by the wind. Again the sun helps to bring out the rich colour of this delicate flower.

The final picture today is my favourite from today's selection. It was a tiny flower, no more than a few inches tall and it was growing in the shaded border in a trellised walkway. The main feature of that part of the garden will be different varieties of Clematis and this little gem will probably be seen by very few visitors and so i was thrilled to spot it and get a few shots. It is a variety of Muscari called Pink Sunrise, which after my early start and the sunrise I had enjoyed seemed very apt indeed.

The Heart of the Flower

It's cold outside and snow is promised for parts of the UK this coming weekend so I thought I would post something bright and colourful.

All of the above pictures were taken in the gardens at Powis Castle in April

A Splash of Colour

Today is my 200th blog posting and to celebrate I have been out taking some new pictures and I have chosen to flood this page with colour.

I visited Powis Castle near Welshpool and as well as the castle and gardens I took several macro images some of which you can see above. 

The first five pictures are of different varieties of Tulip, their vivid colours and abundance of pollen were a real treat for the eyes and an invitation to bees and other insects although I was surprised not to see too many bees today.

The final picture is of a bed of grape hyacinths around the base of a tree with a view across a lawn and with a glimpse of the castle itself through the branches.

The gardens are quite spectacular and so I look forward to sharing a few more of my photos soon.