May Challenge - May flowers - Post here!

[goblueM]

virginia bluebell I believe, found a nice patch while mushroom hunting. No fancy camera, just my pocket digital

[Dbl]

Great shots so far everyone.

[Paul]

THay all look purdy. I only wish I had some flowers to look at around here in the Drought stricken western part of Minnesota. Guess I'z gunna have to go the local mart store and shoot some photos in the vegetable section.

Nice work so far from everyone, I just wish I had some shoot around here, it is really bad, I just finally got some buds on my lilacs to start sprouting leaves.

[Steve Foss]

Paul, check the wet river bottoms and you should be able to find some early flower varieties, especially within another week or so.

[finnbay]

Wow! Some nice work here! Just took a walk on the back forty and can't find nuthin'! Anemones and star flowers haven't even opened yet. We are really behind! Hope something happens before the end of this challenge!

[Steve Foss]

Ken, I know the location of some trailing arbutus that will be flowering before the end of the month, and those gorgeous delicate little bell flowers of the leatherleaf should be blooming in the bogs any day now.

[finnbay]

There are a number of bogs on the way home from work, and believe me I've been peeling my eyeballs waiting for the leatherleaf. Got kind of a neat idea when they come out if I can pull it off. Steve, did you make a connection with a J.E. tonight? Sent him your direction.

[Steve Foss]

Sure did. We're booked for Thursday.

[Moose]

Here's my best shot this month. I love when the crab apple trees are blooming. I work outside and every time I smell one I have to turn and check out the flowers.

[dockothebay]

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing -

[DonBo]

Nice shot. The fruit trees are all beautiful right now.

[LeeKen]

I love the pic. Wish our trees would catch up.

[Dbl]

Nice shot, things are really blossoming out.

[jonny_redhorse]

I'm kinda late but I intentionally waited for these bloodroots for my flower image...wasn't sure they'd be blossoming in time the way the cold spring has been...but they have just started and many more to follow!....I used my older Fuji s9000 as it's a great P&S for those flower macros!....can't argue about the colors it produces either....little "softer" then some of my cameras but I like that "look" anyways...

Camera: Fuji s9000(4 years old)

Flash: not used

Focal Length: 6.2

Exposure Time: 0.003s(1/350)

Aperture: f/4.5

ISO: 80

[finnbay]

Nicely done, Mr. J!

[2u77matt]

This morning I stopped by a garage sale and as I was walking back to my car something in the "free" bin caught my eye. It was an old Mamiya SLR with a 50mm lens. I asked if it was really meant to be free, and the man said, "Give it a good home, I didn't think anyone could possibly use that anymore." As soon as I got home, I popped the lens off, grabbed my camera, and headed out to the prairie restoration near my house with the May challenge in mind. I had read about using a reversed lens for macro work and now I had the perfect little 50mm to stick backwards in front of my 18-55 kit lens. It really brings you in close! I had trouble finding flowers small enough to photograph. For reference, a quarter more than fills the frame. I had to bring the lens within a couple inches of the subject to focus, and the DOF is very thin. It's a fun thing to try if you have a spare lens lying around.

Below is my "flower" for the month of May. I chose this one because a) I don't know what the heck it is, and I just wanted to share an example of reverse lens macro. The stalk is 1-2 ft. tall and on the end is this "asparagus" looking blossom of about the same diameter as the stalk (~1/4").

[2u77matt]

Nice one Johnny. I almost didn't post mine when I saw it was going to follow that one. I really like the texture in the leaf behind the flower.

[mmeyer]

Moose, that one really says spring around here. Great shot.

Jonny, I love the texture and sharpness of that image. It's really nice.

Matt, I think that might be a hyacinth? Either way it's a cool shot. Thanks for the example of the lens reversing. I've never tried it.

[Tinkhamtown]

Do you like butter?

[Dbl]

LOL, nice.

[MT Net]

White Iris and some blue flowers I can't identify.

[Dbl]

Here is my months entry. Mark IIN with 300/2.8 and 1.4 TC. ISO 250, f7.1, 1/2500s.

[DonBo]

Beautiful shots coming in the last few days. The very first one from mmeyer along with those from moose, jonny, MT and Dbl are my favorites. So far all have been nice. Great job everyone.

[Dark Cloud]

Great photos all! Heres my May offering...

[Dbl]

Beautiful shot DC.