Some More Flowers and Sunshine Through Trees

Umbellifers (Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro lens, 1/200 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800, handheld)

This eveniing's walk yielded some lovely flowers and amazing light in the trees at Lochalsh Woodland Park.  The above shot is of some beautiful umbellifers in the deep shade of a conifer stand.  The minute I saw this scene I new it would look good in black & white with a beautiful range of tonality.  The colour version is lovely, but the overall green hue tends to detract from the whites of the flower heads.

The next shot is of the fantastic buttercup meadow where the grass has yet to be cut, one of the benefits of the pandemic.  Buttercups are often overlooked as flowers but they bring a wonderful golden colour to the grassy areas when left to flower.

Buttercup Meadow (Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro lens, 1/1,600 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800, handheld)

The next shot was an attempt to capture the glorious light shining through the trees.  I often find this challenging to photograph as the scene is very contrasty, between the brightest areas, usually the sky, and the darkest shadowy parts and the tree stems.  This one worked pretty well I think.  I reduced the clarity a little in Lightroom to soften the glow a little, more in keeping with the atmosphere at the time.

Evening Sunshine Through Trees (Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro lens, 1/250 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800, handheld)

The last shot is of a Northern Marsh Orchid.  I had literally just finished saying "I am surprised there are no orchids here" when I spotted this specimen.  This is one of around 11 or 12 species of orchid found on the Balmacara Estate.

Northern Marsh Orchid (Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro lens, 1/250 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800, handheld)