Ajisai あじさい　Hydrangea

The ajisai あじさい　(English: hydrangea) bloom in mid-June, during the rainy season. Many are perhaps familiar with the large bulbs made up of smaller flowers (honajisai 本あじさい), but there are scores of varieties in Japan. The color can be altered by adjusting the ph-balance of the soil. They are best photographed under the soft, even light provided by cloudy skies.

Hydranea in a Yokohama park. My favorite flower image to date, I only used the natural light available to me. Taken with a D70s and an Ai 35mm f1.4 lens. The glass is very old, but a perfect fit with D70s. On this body, The tactile substantiality of the Ai 35mm makes it a joy to hold and use, and, it draws a pretty decent image.
An ajisai peaking out from a fence in Kyoto's Shirakawa area.
A soft focus take on these flowers.

Powered by SmugMug