Nikon D70s, Sigma 70-300APO Macro
1/500s f5.6 500ISO 300mm
The French Lilac bush in front of my house. Stars in many of my winter snow storm shots. Looks better hear as it starts to bloom. TIP: Fertilize every year, or you get no blooms the next. It also helps to sweeten the soil (put down some dolomite to reduce acidity.)

Nikon D70s, Sigma 70-300APO Macro
1/640s f5.6 500ISO 300mm
Front yard Lilac again.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 70-300APO Macro
1/500s f5.6 500ISO 300mm
A Bleeding Heart perrenial in my front yard garden. It has seen better days ... needs to be split. But it is still beautiful.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 70-300APO Macro
1/320s f5.6 500ISO 300mm
I thought it would be cool to have native plants in my garden ... this Ostrich Fern is just starting to grow. They reach up to 4' around and have begun to totally dominate my front garden, choking out the Astilbes and Hostas. I was forced to throw out 20 of them last year when I tilled my back yard secondary garden.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 70-300APO Macro
1/500s f5.6 500ISO 300mm
Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? "With silver bells,
and cockle shells, and one great big fricken onion!"

This was one of my friends' favourite jokes when we were 10 years old. I still remember it and him when I look at this Allium that has bloomed reliably since my kids were shorter than it is.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/200s f6.3 800ISO 200mm
Another shot of the Allium getting ready to bloom in my front yard.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/1500s f11 1600 ISO 200mm
My Yellowtwig Dogwood is in bloom. Lovely plant in winter and summer. This shot was accidently tajen at 1600 ISO. Not too bad, though.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/500s f6.7 200 ISO 200mm
Reshot to get smoother noise profile. Had to open up aperture a bit to retain hand-held shutter speed.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/125s f6.7 200 ISO 200mm
Lovely Peony bush about to bloom. The ants just love the sticky sap on the buds. As will the aphids soon. Shot was taken at too slow a hand-held shutter speed (300mm equivalent requires at least 1/300s.) But it worked.

Fuji Finepix F11
1/200s f2.8 80ISO
The peony is about to bloom.

Fuji Finepix F11
1/80s f2.8 80ISO
Japanese Tree Peony near the end of its bloom, one morning after a night of rain.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/400s f10 500iso 200mm
A small bowl shaped Peony flower, four of which are growing out of the root stock on which my Japanese Tree Peony is grafted. Very cool ... it's like getting another Peony plant for free. And they bloom just after the tree Peony blooms are done.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/1000s f8 500iso 200mm
The main event for Peonys in my garden. This white Peony plant is a monster ... lots of blooms, three feet high and around. Shot under cloudy skies, but the flowers simply aren't going to last much longer.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/60s f8 500iso 200mm
This red Peony plant was bought at the same time as the white one. It has remained very small, and appears to have only two blooms on it this year (2006.)

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/320s f8 500iso 200mm
Another bloom ready to open from the root stock of the Japanese Tree Peony. Wish I knew what type of Peony this was ... very nice subtle color though.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 18-200
1/400s f8 500iso 200mm
My lovely and huge Purple Ninebark is in bloom. Very prolific flowers.

Fuji Finepix F11
1/400s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Snowball Hydrangea -- soon to bloom. Fujichrome color mode, shade WB. Neat Image, resize and sharpen only.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 f2.8 MACRO
1/125s f2.8 1600iso
Looks like rain ...

Fuji Finepix F10
1/140s f2.8 80iso 8mm
Beautiful fluffy False Spirea blooms.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/150s f2.8 80iso 8mm
Beautiful fluffy False Spirea blooms.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/450s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Pump pressure. Pump was off :-) ... need a new gauge.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/250s f4 200iso 8mm
Lovely daisy like blooms. They go all summer.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/120s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Straps on the filter hose.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/450s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Big mop-head Hudrangea. Annabelle variety.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/350s f4 200iso 8mm
Same Hydrangea.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/420s f2.8 200iso 8mm
The Hydrangea blooms for a while, still some unopened.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/170s f4 200iso 8mm
Another shot of the daisies.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/250s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Trio from below.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/140s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Juxtaposed.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/300s f2.8 200iso 8mm
The BBQ was hard at work earlier.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/150s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Pool heater, don't put your hand on here.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/28s f2.8 200iso 8mm
An old pitch fork and fence.

Fuji Finepix F10
1/30s f2.8 200iso 8mm
The Ostrich Ferns own my front garden. They killed off the Astilbes and are going to work on the Hostas

Fuji Finepix F10
1/30s f2.8 200iso 8mm
Walkway ...

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro
1/3s f13 320iso
Hosta flower about to open.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro
1/3s f13 320iso
Hosta bud.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro
1/160s f10 320iso
Shot at 1:1 ... hand held! ... Day Lily bud that looks like a leaping Bottle-Nosed Dolphin, to me anyway.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro
1/500s f22 200iso
TTL flash shot of a daylily.

Nikon D70s, Sigma 105 2.8 Macro
1/500s f22 200iso
Flash shot of daisy center.