Posts in Category: flowers

Maine Landscape

Not exactly a landscape, but part of the early spring landscape in the Southern Maine woodlands. In this case Emmon’s Preserve of the Kennebunkport Land Trust. I went a week ago to check the Trout Lily (Adder’s Tongue…I just found out it is also called Dog Tooth Violet, though that was a distinctly different plant in upstate New York when I was growing up) and the leaves were just barely above ground. This week there are a few in full blossom, but only a few in the most favored of spots among thousands of plants. This is a hand-held in-camera focus stack with the OM System OM-1 and M.Zuiko 12-45 Pro zoom. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.

Maine Landscape

A young maple undercut by this spring’s storm tides even 5 miles inland along the Mousam, but still in full flower. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 12-45 Pro. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Crocus

Our Crocus only got to bloom for two days before being buried in the April Nor’easter’s six inches of snow and ice. We will see if there is anything left by the time the snow melts. I doubt it. These are all hand-held focus stacks with the OM System OM-1 and the M. Zuiko 12-45 f4 zoom at 90mm equivalent. The last 2 closer shots also use the built in digital tel-converter for an equivalent focal length of 180mm and a 1:1 image ratio. Processed in Photomator.

Costa Rica! focus stacked flowers

Flowers from the Botanical Gardens at Selva Verde Lodge and Reserve in the Sarapiqui valley of Costa Rica. We spent an afternoon doing macro and frogs at Selva Verde…not a great day as the rain threatened all afternoon and the light was less than ideal, but it was the day we had. These are all “focus stacked” in my Olympus OMD E-M5mkiii with the 12-45mm zoom. I had the camera set to take 8 exposures at different focus points and combine them in-camera to one shot with extended depth of field. The camera was on my tiny travel tripod. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Bittersweet

Almost everything about bittersweet is bittersweet. There are two bittersweets…American and Oriental. Most of what we have in Maine is Oriental Bittersweet, a clinging, climbing, invasive plant that smothers its hosts and can even bring down full grown trees. We have a vine in our yard that reaches the very top of a tall pine, and is 8 inches in diameter at eye level. Still the berries are pretty, and are eaten by at least a few birds. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with 12-45mm zoom at 90mm equivalent. Macro scene mode. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.

Maine! Insect edition

From a walk around Roger’s Pond Park in Kennebunk, Maine. Banded Drone Fly, Bumble Bee, and Honey Bee…all busy gathering pollen while the September sun shines. OM Systems OM1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro.

Maine! Friday fresh. Back Creek Marsh

Just something to celebrate the end of the week! Colors and light of fast approaching fall. This is Back Creek near where it flows into the Mousam River in Kennebunk Maine. In-camera HDR with the OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii and the 12-45mm Pro zoom at 24mm equivalent. HDR scene mode. Nominal exposure: ISO 200 @ f9 @ 1/320th. Processed in Pixomator Pro.

Maine! Goldfinch in Joe Pye Weed

American Goldfinch: York County, Maine, USA, September 2023 — Though it looks like it might be an exotic, this plant is growing, thriving in fact, in a display of native plants at a local reserve…It is Joe Pye Weed, and it is the perfect setting to show off the bright yellow of this fall Goldfinch. As you can imagine there is an interesting story behind the name of the plant. It is named for the Joe Pye, who, legend has it, was a New England tribal medicine man who treated typhoid among early European settlers with native plants…though not, probably, the Joe Pye Weed…though it has been used to treat fever, among other ailments. It is a great host plant for bees and butterflies, and, apparently the Goldfinches enjoy it as well. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 1600mm equivalent (2x digital tel-extender). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.

Maine! Monday motivation

Focus stacked image of Begonia flowers from the back deck. OM Systems OMD-EM5Miii with 12-45mm f4 Pro zoom. Program mode with focus stacking at 90mm equivalent. Nominal exposure ISO 200 @ f4.5 @ 1/125th. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.

Maine! Friday Surprise. Indian Pipe

Ground level on a small stand of emerging Indian Pipe (Ghost Pipe, Ghost Flower) This is a hand-held focus stack from the OM-1 and the 12-45mm f4 Pro. Program mode. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.