September Geraniums

September Geraniums

It is the time of year when we experience transitions. This week we have overcast skies, cool temperatures, and rain. Last week we had beautiful summer weather with high 20s and cloudless skies. It was during this wonderful last burst of summer that I took my camera into the back yard. The September Geraniums we have growing on the deck were being bathed in beautiful light when I photographed them.

I’m cautious about photographing flowers. One of the problems is the “flowers are beautiful therefore pictures of flowers are beautiful” mentality that I come across. I disagree with this mentality – there have been millions of decidedly average pictures taken of flowers. Despite my caution, I’m fascinated with flower photography.

Flowers are powerful photographic subjects. They offer unique colour, shape, texture, and form – all the basic elements that photographers try to capture. They change dramatically according to the lighting conditions and the angle of view. For me, flowers are a visual world that I can explore.

I took this photograph with my Nikon Micro 100 f/2.8 lens. The lens is very sharp and allows for close focusing. As a bonus it has a vibration reduction feature that enables me to make steadier photographs. I monitored my depth-of-field carefully for this photograph. I wanted the geranium to be in focus. I also wanted the background (the boards of our deck) to be blur. I think it worked – you can see the detail in the stamen and see the texture of the petals in the late afternoon light. I like the way the September Geraniums “pop” against the subdued brown deck boards.

Nikon D750 w. Nikon Micro 105 f/2.8