A day at the Botanical Gardens

[TonyD]

On Tuesday I decided to brave the snow to visit the Botanical Gardens. The trip to the Bronx brought with it an encounter with one of the natives of the Bronx. This particular female native decided that she should drive her very clean/new looking SUV into my car as I was partially in the left lane while waiting for traffic to move. Upon asking the %&^$#@ about hitting my car, her response was something like "so what"? After it was too late, my response should have been to open my door and repeatedly slam it against her car...oh well...

Any way, here are some pictures of my Botanical Gardens visit that should not be compared to any of Bob's pictures as he has many more megapixels than I :smile:

 

[RSO 34]

Great shots, Tony! Glad to see you had the chance to get down there for the show but sorry to hear about your close encounter of the Bronx kind.

 

[thedon67]

Great shots Tony, but sorry to read about your misfortune!

 

[DocL]

I love taking pictures of Orchid's also. I have found it very helpful to have a flat black canvas sheet to place behind the flowers to really get that lifelike shot. Also, what lens & flash were you using? If you don't have a 1:1 macro lens with ring flash I'd highly recommend that you buy each. The amount of fun that I have with macro photography is incredible, and some of the pictures that I've taken are amazing in detail and clarity.

I'm also sorry to hear about the misfortune with your car. Hopefuly it'll be fixed to your satisfaction and you'll have it back on the road shortly.

 

[RSO 34]

Good advice for Tony, Doc. Hopefully Tony will listen and blame you for the purchase of a macro with ring light so his wife won't keep yelling at me for suggesting he get new/additional equipment.

The black backdrop could not be used in this setting because of the strict requirements of the Botanical Gardens regarding photography. For example, no tripods are allowed at any time in this Conservatory and photos of the Orchid Show are only permitted on Tuesdays from 10:00am to noon and only with a photography permit. This once per year show lasts only one month and that gives us only 4 chances to be able to photograph them each year.

 

[DocL]

Good advice for Tony, Doc. Hopefully Tony will listen and blame you for the purchase of a macro with ring light so his wife won't keep yelling at me for suggesting he get new/additional equipment.

I have no problem taking responsibility for spending someone's money. But as you know, a photographers budget is unlimited. Sort of the same addiction as wanting to go faster. :biggrin:

The black backdrop could not be used in this setting because of the strict requirements of the Botanical Gardens regarding photography. For example, no tripods are allowed at any time in this Conservatory and photos of the Orchid Show are only permitted on Tuesdays from 10:00am to noon and only with a photography permit. This once per year show lasts only one month and that gives us only 4 chances to be able to photograph them each year.

Shesh. You guys need to come down here to the Morikami Gardens in Delray. They have a great Orchid display and they even let my photography club in for free. We set up our equipment and shot for about two hours, and this was on a Sunday morning.

 

[RPM217]

Pray tell Tony, which car was damaged? Also, why didn't you post a picture of the damage to the car, while you were at it!!!!!!! I hope that the car repair comes out as good as the pictures did, and I agree with Bob, your wife's a pushover, she'll be happy to approve the necessary purchases, as long as you go with her to visit the family!!!!! :biggrin:

 

[TonyD]

Perhaps I don't get enough exercise because taking pictures of the orchids for 90 minutes has resulted in painful thighs (elevators are my friends these past two days).

Doc, I was using a 105mm Nikon micro/macro lens, but no flash. I just found that Nikon's SB29s ring flash unit is under $400 so I could perhaps get away with that purchase as it is much cheaper then a lens and shouldn't cause the wife to get too upset. Don't worry, she'll blame Bob anyway - after all, my first visit to the Botanical gardens was all Bob's doing!!!:biggrin:

Roger - it seems you have been successfully deceived by my wife! A pushover she is not. She was even upset that I purchased new wiper blades for her car and it wasn't even her money that I spent
She going home to visit her family in mid-May, it has been agreed that I will not go this time, although I would have enjoyed snapping a few photos at her brothers wedding...

The car damage was minor scratches to the wheel well portion of the front fender on the 93 Civic. It's nice to have a beater car to venture into areas where some wild and unruly natives live:smile: If I had time I would have followed her around town waiting for police to arrive (assuming they would have responded to a call). The attitude of the other driver is what I would have expected from someone driving a junker, not someone driving a pristine very new looking white SUV.

There are more pictures from tuesdays Orchid show here - http://photos.dejoie.net/gallery/419622

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

I told you the real zoo not inside the gates but just before you enter.

 

[jalnjr]

horny-looking flowers...

I told you the real zoo not inside the gates but just before you enter.

speak of the devil....my nannyguard would not let me download the pictures of those flowers....those are some lusty petals...

nice photos tony!!

 

[Climberao]

Tony,
Sorry to hear of the close encounter of the Bronx kind

Excellent eye my friend and it's not the megapixels that matter it's the talent and you share that dubious honor with our friend Bob

Great shots and what you should have done in the other situation is flatten 3 of her 4 tires. It really pisses people off and makes it very hard to get away as well.

I guess it's best you kept your cool and decided to just make even more expensive photo purchases. Hey it's only money and you can't take it with you.

See you when the sun shines