Fading Bluebells by phil_howcroft

Fading Bluebells

We have a few bluebells in our garden, not many, but enough to make a nice little display.

The problem is though, they don't last that long and by the time I got round to taking their pictures they were past their best :(

Anyway, I decided to capture a lone bluebell, all alone and at the end of it's flowering season.

The bluebell is not pin sharp as I wanted it to look slightly soft, to reflect the fact that it is fading away. They come back each year and are always nice to see and admire on a nice spring day.

I hope you like the composition, it's a cropped picture, to remove a stray bluebell in the left of the frame and remove some of the brightness from the right hand corner.

I've gone a bit 'flower' / 'macro crazy over the last few days so you might see a few more flowers on my 365 !
Lovely Phil , I love the softness you have given it ! Our garden has lots of white bells but for some reason I have missed the best of them now ! I have taken note of your advice re macro shots but was a bit nervous about going in closer ! Will try next time ! Thanks .
May 11th, 2011  
Nice shot Phil.. and taken with your big camera too... you did remember the battery this time! LOL
It'll take me a long time to be able to compose these simple pictures as well as you do.
May 11th, 2011  
Nice shot Phil. Great focus and blur on the background!
May 11th, 2011  
lovely colour and dof!
May 11th, 2011  
Beautiful color and love the close-up!
May 11th, 2011  
Beautiful!!
May 11th, 2011  
Lovely pic!
May 11th, 2011  
I love bluebells and can't wait for mine to flower. I went to a lecture on bees yesterday (yes, I have an exciting life) and the speaker said flowers like bluebells are crucial this time of year for some of our bees. I think I'll get more and especially around my fruit trees. Great shot.
May 11th, 2011  
Beautiful flower! Love the focus
May 11th, 2011  
Hurray for flower macro, that's what I say!! Lovely simple shot here Phil, a fading beauty. Thanks for all your generous comments, they all came in a rush and it was great to read!
May 11th, 2011  
Pretty. And a lovely close-up.
May 11th, 2011  
Great macro of this lovely flower.
May 11th, 2011  
Beautiful. and great bokeh.
May 11th, 2011  
Lovely shot of a great flower, Phil. I read a sweet poem about bluebells yesterday:

I am unhooked
it's the way you stand there,
like hope, between the mutilated hedges and
the barbed wire,
scraps of fallen sky,
ringing with the praise of being
in a blue so loud
my heart can hardly handle it.
May 11th, 2011  
Oh wow wow wow! A fave! What a beautiful delicate little flower and your composition and lighting are just gorgeous!
May 11th, 2011  
@cath Awww thanks for the fave Catherine, that is very kind of you, The lighting was good as the sun had moved around off the flowers but I still had a bit of reflected back lighting
May 11th, 2011  
@sarahhorsfall WOW Sarah, my pic moved you to quote poetry , many thanks :)
May 11th, 2011  
@tashy Tashy thanks for the comment, you are very kind with your words
May 11th, 2011  
@seattle Thanks Constance, I've gone a bit macro crazy over the last few days
May 11th, 2011  
@sleepdozer57 cheers Peter, glad u approve
May 11th, 2011  
@Cherrill Cherril, many thanks for your comments too :)
May 11th, 2011  
@kerristephens Kerri thank you for your support, it is always appreciated :)
May 11th, 2011  
@sueb Sue a bee lecture :) , did they give you any tips on photographing them ?
May 11th, 2011  
@bill_d thanks Bill :)
May 11th, 2011  
@dlo Many thanks Dawn :)
May 11th, 2011  
@patsyjphillips Thanks Patsy, the colours seem to work quite well :)
May 11th, 2011  
@jenrobcarr Thanks Jennifer, I tried to get a shallow DOF, so glad it worked out
May 11th, 2011  
@nodecaff Thanks Dean, I did a 'manual focus' on this shot as the auto focus was struggling to get a point
May 11th, 2011  
@robinmersh Ha Ha Robin (re battery) :)

Robin you will learn quickly, you always do :)
May 11th, 2011  
@happypat White bells, gosh they will be a challenge to photograph , whites are so hard to do, thanks for your continued comments :)
May 11th, 2011  
Lovely pic, Phil. I like the focus and the colour just speaks for itself
May 11th, 2011  
Lighting is perfect and you have to love the colour! Great DOF, too. :)
May 12th, 2011  
great capture phil!
May 12th, 2011  
gorgeous, love the light in this
May 12th, 2011  
@anron thank you anita, I did take quite a few images to get this one :)
May 12th, 2011  
@russianblue Many thanks Kass, the lighting makes the image :)
May 12th, 2011  
@jupton8 cheers Julie :) good of u to comment
May 12th, 2011  
@jenrobcarr thanks Jennifer :)
May 12th, 2011  
I love the way the lower bells have gone all crispy round the edges I adore this shot! I am very fond of the work of Elizabeth Blackadder she does a great line in fallen tulip paintings. My dad's cactus flower is looking mighty sorry for itself it has collapsed and gone kind of flabby so would digitally translate as a pink blob - I have decline to photograph is tho I did think about it - but not for very long looking like that!
May 13th, 2011  
@whippeteer Frances, 'crispy round the edges' is a good description to use for those lower belles. thanks for the comment and I hope you hsd a good whippet reunion :)
May 13th, 2011  
I go away for a couple of days and you go all "flowery" on me LOL!! Great bluebell shot - (and you know I love them as I dedicated an entire forest for you!) - love the DoF - such a shame these beauties lose their colour and zing so quickly
May 13th, 2011  
@sparkle LOL Juliette, yes all flowery, or perhaps just an easy way to fill a few days of 365 with flowers :) .

Your whole forest of bluebells dedicated to me was great and was very much appreciated :)
May 13th, 2011  
It is sad, in a way, that the flowering period is so short but Mother Nature is a harsh mistress and no one gets a reprieve. Just enjoy each plant's beauty in its own time and then prepare for the next. This is a lovely capture.
May 15th, 2011  
@allie912 Many thanks Allison, i am very pleased with this shot :)
May 15th, 2011  
very nice!
May 16th, 2011  
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