Today the magnolias were ready for their portrait session

Yes, I was able to train my lens (actually, lenses) on some "properly finished" flowers today. This follows the sequence of magnolia shots from one tree yesterday.

Magnolia blossoms can offer their sweet fragrance for a surprisingly extended portion of late spring and early summer, but the peak appearance for any one flower doesn't last very long. Spotting some photogenic examples and having some time, I brought a selection of focal lengths. The long lenses (200 and 300mm) gave me tight framing of subjects I couldn't approach closely, and the macro lens (100mm) let me get very close to the one flower that was literally under my nose.

After photographing the large magnolias, I shot a group of tiny orange flowers. Then I finished with a dead magnolia leaf that made a striking contrast against the ground cover and a pine cone. It's all part of my continuing exploration of the aesthetics of the less-than-ideal landscape.

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Helleborus orientalis

After the winter that wasn't, the North Carolina Piedmont is experiencing the spring that hesitates. Ten days after the equinox, temperatures continue to fluctuate widely, though we seem to be past the point of hard freezes.

The hellebores (Lenten roses) that bloomed so nicely while we had frost on the ground in February (with no real snow, and room temperature excursions surrounding the cold nights) are continuing to put on a show.

Here's a very close look:

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