Daylily In The Night

Daylily pollen ready for collection. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was actually taken an hour after noon with the daylily set against dark undergrowth. And to emphasize texture details, the image was de-saturated a tad in post.

Intermediate Appetite

An Intermediate Egret seeming to have an appetite for new things as it searches among the petunias. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

The egret was on elevated ground so I had only need to walk up the slope slowly towards it until the camera was level with the bird.

I preferred this view as it drew me instinctively into its world and also it gave better subject isolation from the background.

Zippy Jaguar

Jaguar’s wonder electric I-Pace hitting 100km/h from standstill in 4.8 seconds. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

It would’ve been nice if the humble Sigma DP2M could catch this 100km/h (about 62 mph) dash but no, the motion blur here had to be created out of the actual background in post. The starting point of the zoom radial blur had need to be placed outside the frame, so the canvas size was increased by 130 percent to the right for this, after which the image was cropped back to its original size.

The Age Of Innocence

Petunia axillaris exuding innocence and spiritual purity in the Flower Dome. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Marguerite And Family

Marguerite Daisies blooming altogether in the conservatory. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Swinebread In The Garden

Red cyclamen or Swinebread blooming in the conservatory. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Focussing of this Sigma camera needed a good moment to lock but these cyclamen won’t be going any where so that was fine with these subjects. A stop of underexposure in this capture had managed to produce the low-key effect.

Head-Turners

Sunflower heads turning all directions in the conservatory. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Originally placed in symmetrical rows facing west, these sunflowers were already facing random direction after having been out there for a week. I was quite happy with the colours out of the Sigma sensor, so they were left alone. Contrast was only tweaked sparingly in post.

True Violet

Concord Blue Cape Primrose or Nodding Violet showing its true colours in the conservatory. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Violets appeared as violets coming out of the Sigma camera, something that I was glad to have as that would’ve saved me some work in post.

A Glimpse Of Swan Lake

Swans entertaining visitors of the Swan Lake in the botanic gardens. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

Cooper’s Grass Aloes

Aloe cooperi blooming at the same time in the Succulent Garden of the conservatory. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

The colours were left as captured as I was mostly happy with the output from the Sigma sensor.

The Native Prairie Coneflower

The Echinacea purpurea sprucing up the conservatory with its daisy-like blooms. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was taken at the level of the flowers and against the light without any exposure bias, otherwise my copy of the lens used here could’ve flared quite badly. Shadows and mid-tones were then pushed up in post. With a good lens, I would’ve brightened the exposure at the time of capture and saved myself some post work.

Christmas In The Air

A shopping mall in the city all dressed up for the season. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was captured with the exposure biased a stop darker, even though it had need to be brighter, as the lens used here had the tendency to flare whenever the exposure was too bright. The shadows were then lifted up in post.