#MacroMonday – Forsythia

Last week’s #MacroMonday post with screws was a hit with many of you, so I am not sure if putting out a flower today is a smart decision ;). However, it is still spring, things are coming to life, and the colors finally show up around here. I want to celebrate it.

Right now, forsythia is already gone. But for me, it is a sign of early spring, when things just begin happening and its time to go out and photograph it.

It was not an easy image to take. The weather this spring is incredibly windy here, in Iowa, and makes it tricky for macro photography. Trying to photograph close to sunset and still have enough light for a short shutter speed is a challenge. Many of images I bring back land right in trash after viewing on large screen. Luckily, this one passed quality control.

I really like the bokeh behind the forsythia flowers. I was surprised to see that the aperture was not in the wide-open range, with f/7.1, and it still created circles of color from the white-blooming tree behind my main subject.