From seeds to love
It is such a pleasure to put effort, spirit and emotion into the journey of gardening. Even on a simple balcony - it gives me amazing joy. To follow seeds all the way of unfolding to creating the crowns of creation - the flowers of life.
I never thought that this would touch me so much. It has very slowly grown on me, ever since Daniel, my second husband, in 2011 bought a lot of Geraniums and other flowers for the balcony, in April 2011 (which was an unusual mild month, setting out flowers that early here in Stockholm). A few of those geraniums I still have - surviving the harsh sun-poor winters (without any extra light) - but we are caring for these still. They grew on me.
I am so fascinated how they develop, regrow. From Letizia i got some seeds - which even more fascinatingly started to develop most beautiful flowers. I wouldn't have bought those - but when you follow them from the very birth, it connects with you with love from deep with. So fucking cool !!!!
The Onion
This year, i planted an sprouting onion next to the Flowers from Leti - just for fun, you know. And today it starts to unfold its boll-like flower ! Simply amazing - and so beautiful. I mean, a frikkin' normal onion - creating that much beauty - how is that even possible ? (asks the boy in me)
Forgotten - but not really forgotten
In the wake of having used the super bright Leica zoom 10-25 mm ƒ 1.7 ASPH - I had "forgotten" that I have the fantastic ED 90 mm f 3.5 IS PRO Macro, equivalent to a 180 mm lens.
So, in the images above I used it just casual: without any focus stacking, and at wide open aperture ƒ3.5 - giving wonderful images with background blur like in the example of the onion flowers and sprouting Geraniums... The quality of the background blur is superior when comparing with Oly 35/3.5 Macro, Oly 60/2.8 Macro, simply because the 90 mm has the longest focal length - equivalent to 180 mm.
Boy, I never thought i would one day work with a 180 mm Macro lens... A wonderful lens indeed, even if it is at the same time highly specialized in my opinion. Not something you just buy on the fly for 1600 €.
High quality, budget Macro lens: ED 60/2.8
For casual, high quality macro images - you can use the Olympus ED 60/2.8 Macro - i believe is perhaps the most useful lens, for casual close-ups and macro - and the very good price of around 500 € in year 2023. |
