These pictures were taken with the E-520, using a 25mm OM lens (manual focus only), and using the nifty live view.

 Taken 08 09 
 Taken 08 09   (think HISSSSS)
 Taken 08 11 
 Taken 08 12 
 Taken 08 14 (When I grow up ... )

This set of close ups were shot using a 90 power Olympus Microscope with a paxcam. It's the first time I tried this. The flower is a Orange Lily. The last one is a White Lily. I think I will try this setup again. I could use some comments on how to set up this type of shot. Thank you for your comments and looking

Lily close up 6 Petal folds

Lily close up 10 Pollen grains (This looks like Rice Pilaff)

Lily close up 8  Petal cells

Lily close up 9 Petal

 Lily close up 5  Pollen stem

 Lily close up 3  Pollen stem (looks like a dragon)

 Lily close up 1  White Lily

I haven't posted anything for quite some time, but I have still been dropping by to check some of the pics being posted.  When I saw the current challenge, I decided to share some of the pics I took this spring when the wildflowers were blooming in the Oquirrh Mountain foothills.  The wildflowers are all phlox - even if they appear different...  They might be different types of phlox, but I'm not sure. 

Phlox Wildflowers near Mercur 

 Phlox in Dry Canyon

 More Phlox in Dry Canyon

 Another variety of Phlox in Dry Canyon

I think you all know by now that my garden is my favorite thing to photograph , so this Challenge is my favorite.

I went out this morning to take these shots with my new lens (I sold my old lens to help pay for it.) A Nikon 18-200mm VR 1:3.5-5.6 DX. I also watched a DVD that my dad loaned me to help with  understanding  how to make better use of my camera (thanks Dad)

 singing_in_the_rain

 ripe_cherry_tomato

 golden_cone_flower

 hosta_flower_2

 clematis_seed_pod  tiny_clematis_buds

(there are more picks to see but I could not get my slideshow sets to come up on the new story page.)

all comments welcome and enjoy. ;)

I also tried out my dads new lens. sigma 120-400/4.5-5.6 OS HSM (has been advertised in photography magazines) Here are a couple of photos. I am very impressed by the quality of the photos.  dads_new_lens_2    dads_new_lens

Can I borrow the lens Dad, I promise to bring it back before midnight. ;)

Some pictures from around town. 
All were found near the local hospital. 
No, everything is all right, just had to find a
different place that had some flowers. 

This is one of their workers.

 Some flowers from my garden.

simply_love   

    Pink One

 Water_Palm  

 Hope you enjoy them. Critiquing and comments are welcome.

Canon 20D

Canon 70-200mm 1.4 L series USM

To your's....

Flowers offer something special in life, though they can be short lived they are essential. Without a flower there would be a great loss, as the flower gives us color, shape, fragrance and most of all joy.

Enjoy this  Silky flower

One more set of six flower close up from our garden.

 Flower 17 

 Flower 18 

 Flower 19 

 Flower 20 

  Flower 21 

 Flower 26 

And one I like alot, Daisies in the wind

 Flowers in wind  

A patrotic post.

Let's stand for
   the red
      the white
and    the blue

The thumbnail

Got to New Hampshire again last Saturday and got all shots here from there.

Have at the flower show.....

While roaming the woods, we almost tripped over these, not flowers though....

We saw some  nice  scenery while we there, out on the  lakes  and rivers, so I thought we would  share them with you...

Lots of photos, thought it might be easier to view like this. What do you think? Too Many at once?

I love taking close-ups of flowers. Please let me know how I can improve!

DSCF8094

DSCF6666 

DSCF6596 

DSCF7274

Here is another set of 6 close up shots from our garden. Again just numbered

 Flower 11 

 Flower 12 

 Flower 13 

 Flower 14 

 Flower 15 

 Flower 16

I don't know there names, My wife is the garderner.  I like taking the photos.

I was looking for a flower for the challenge.  Unfortunately, almost all of my wife's flowers have burnt up in the last couple of weeks heat wave.  So, in my looking I saw this Palm something in one of her flower pots on our front porch.  I wanted something different and I liked the lines that it gave me.  It probably doesn't qualify as a flower but it's different.  What do you think?

 Palm Something Or Other 

 .....or, why to always carry a camera with you.  These were taken at different times with my Lumix 18x.  It's a great little camera, easy to keep in the car for those times when something needs shooting.  Not so good for moving subjects, but perfect for this unexpected beauty.

 Bougainvilla  driving thru a neighborhood
 Crepe_Myrtle  in front of the community activity center
 Full_lavender  From the entrance to our local hospital.

Critiques and comments always welcome.

I've been doing some driving in my neighborhood and took some photos that will work for the challenge and some that I thought were just fun.  (My husband was not impressed when the neighbor called and asked why I was lying in the ditch...oh well.) 

Flower 1

Flower 2

Flower 3

Flower 4

The barn

The view at the end

This one I wanted to show as the thumbnail but could not get it to work for me      ~~~~

I saw this flower in a bed in front of a business in town, do not know the name of it, just thought it was pretty..

 Flower               Aug flower 

Sorry, you many need to use ctrl N to see the last one, after putting in the first time so it needed to be done, then tried to resize and still not small enough w/o ctrl N.