“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
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Gladiolus (from Latin, the diminutive of gladius, a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). It is sometimes called the ‘sword lily’, but is usually called by its generic name (plural gladioli). The genus occurs in Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa, and tropical Africa. The center of diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region. The genera Acidanthera, Anomalesia, Homoglossum, and Oenostachys, formerly considered distinct, are now included in Gladiolus. ~ Wikipedia
I needed a lighter subject matter to post about after my previous post. So consider this a sort of palate cleanser…sorry it’s probably not as tasty as a little glass of sherbet.
If you read about Gladioli flowers above your knowledge of them is equal to mine. My mother seemed to be able to identify and name every type of flower and ornamental plants grown in North Carolina. It was a form of entertainment for her, her sister and cousins to walk through a flowering garden admiring and naming blooms and plants while we kids chased each other and played in the dirt. That flower identification genome wasn’t passed down to me but thank goodness I have the options to ask a friend or to search the Internet.
Besides attempting to capture a little of the natural beauty of gladioli, these photos also serve as the first opportunity to evaluate my venture back into full-frame (FF) photography with a previously unexperienced brand…Sony. My Olympus 4/3’s camera is a fine and technically capable camera…but alas we are only friends. There is no romance there, no natural feeling of it as a part of my hand at the end of my arm. The last camera I felt that level of connection with was my FF Nikon D700. I’ve missed FF DOF, dynamic range, and low-light ISO sensitivity. I did not miss the weight and bulk which came with a FF DSLR camera. So earlier last week I added a Sony A7II with a kit lens, still small and relatively light, to my collection. My Olympus will continue as a working camera, as a dear friend, because I have glass for it I don’t have for the A7.
The color rendition, details and Bokeh did not disappoint me in these images, even with that photo-bombing bee. A good first impression.
I like the expression you used – friends but no romance. :-)
And a new toy – well, that is one way to push back the pandemic blues!! Looking forward to seeing more of your exploring with it!
Great photos of these flowers – no doubt some of those genes at work, even if the ID part plays catch up.
Haha! Yes, Mark, the mental struggle is real and many studies support that a new toy can be prophylaxis. 😏
Plus, Bonnie said it was okay so I’d be distracted and out from under her feet for a while.
New camera always equals new motivation and inspiration. Lovely shots.
Thanks, Howard. I hope that the equation holds true. I’ll take all the motivation and inspiration I can get these days.
Definitely a good start, Earl. Even though Sony “color science” has been crticized by quite a few photographers, I like it better than Olympus color and even Canon color. Never owned any Nikon stuff, so can’t venture an opinion on that. Have fun!
Thanks, Paul. I can only eyeball it but I thought the color was right on with my live impression of these flowers. I do like it a little better than the Olympus color and from my memory, it’s at least on par to Nikon color. I’ll accept your opinion on Canon as I’ve only owned a Canon P&S. I’ve also never owned a Fuji and they seem to have their own take on color. I’m trying to reach some commonality with the custom button assignments between Sony and Olympus so I can switch between them and not become deranged. At least until I save for more Sony glass. :-)
Congratulations, my friend! I can understand your reasons for the FF camera. It also makes me aware that I have never owned a FF camera as mine have all been APS. I have been so ready to pull the trigger and upgrade my 5 year old Fujifilm X-T10. I see where Tom Dills upgraded his gear and not you, stirs me even more. Hoping reading this post has not cost me money! Probably. Looking forward to a review and more samples. I also like your comment about friends but no romance.
I also can get quite confused when reading some of the Wikipedia information because the can use some rather large, scientific words, bringing a blank look across my face. Huh! Yet, I still use them as a source of information.
Make sure you thank Bonnie, at least for the next few days!
Thanks, Monte. I’ve had FF, ASP-C, and 4/3’s and I’ll be the first to tell you all of them can make very fine photos but there’s something about FF that inspires me more. So it was more of an emotional buy. But, you can’t take that money with you, my friend, and buying a little enjoyment sounds pretty good these days.
Yeah, either some smart people wrote that Wikipedia article on Gladiolus or else they’re pulling the wool completely over our eyes, and I don’t know which it is! Haha
No worries, Bonnie will make sure I work this purchase off. ;-) Take care!