Garden delights

A little macro work with some ring flash fill to improve the look...

Nicely shot John, great set

+1. Wot he said.

really like no 3 , do you mind me asking the make of flash ring as thinking of getting one

It's the Pentax AF160 FC Auto Macro Flash - for some strange reason it is no longer in production, and when it was it was fairly expensive. Every now and then they appear second hand, but they still seem to hold their price.

If you want to know a bit more about it then this review is part of a very good macro resource website, written by someone who used to frequent this forum...

http://extreme-macro.co.uk/pentax-af160fc-ringflash/

Hope that helps

The blackcurrants(?) really look the business.
As to ring flashes, one to look out for is the one branded by Starblitz. It's very old but very good and the trigger voltage is really low. They come up on Ebay now and then and cost a fraction of the Pentax ones.

another fine set of images. number 2 for me with all the fine detail in the center.

Just what I was thinking, but my favourite photo is number 2 for the detail in the centre of the flower.

Philip

Just when you think you know how Lennybloke will photograph his garden, he comes up with something different...

The blackcurrants are the pick of the bunch for me, the reflected flash adds the perfect sparkle to the ripe fruit. No. 2 (clematis?) is almost up there with the blackcurrants, but losing the tips of the top and bottom petals just knocks it into second place. Not sure about No. 1, it looks like a paper rose to my eyes, something to do with the flash but not sure why. The last one doesn't do anything for me, it just looks a bit jumbled and incoherent.

However, you've made me wonder why I haven't thought about experimenting with flash in the summer garden. And that show the value of a forum like this - there's always something (and someone) to challenge you to think about things differently.

Steve

Thanks for all the comments - I hadn't used a ring flash for some time so thought I combine it with the SMC Pentax A 100mm f2.8 Macro on a wander round the garden. It's helped me decide to get rid of my D FA 100mm f2.8 WR Macro - both are excellent lenses but I can't remember the last time I needed AF on macro, and in this respect the beautifully damped manual focus of the A lens coupled with its beautiful "look" makes it the Keeper.

JFI: The 2 Blackcurrant bushes have yielded approx. 18oz of fruit each today - all bagged up into 6oz bags and stored in the freezer, ready for making into Coulis later in the year

That's because they appear as rare as hen's teeth, I have been offered good money for mine but so far resisted.

Very nice sharp set of images here, nice.