I had cataract surgery in both eyes this month and have been without glasses, which will be for another two weeks. They will not do an eye exam until this coming Friday. I have major astigmatisms and double vision. The drugstore 'readers' will not help any.
Fortunately, my camera has Auto Focus. I guess that I could hit the 'Auto' button on the photo software, but that would be of no fun. So, these pictures have had minor adjustments, with the help of a magnifying glass, which does nothing for the focusing.
We went to Gibbs Gardens with just the camera and one lens. The lens, a 12-16mm Wide Angle lens, is not something that I would use taking landscape pictures. As a aside, I bought the lens to take pictures of a Bed and Breakfast. Here is a link:
http://www.hollyhouseofhamilton.com
Linda and I have stayed there a couple of times and if you are planning on going to Calloway Gardens and the surrounding area. we highly recommend this place.
The other goal was to take pictures of new and or different compositions. Most, but not all, of the pictures fall within my goals.
I had a little time Saturday afternoon so it was off to Gibbs Gardens to take some pictures in the Japanese Garden. It was overcast, which turned to rain while I was at the furthest distance from the entrance and had to cut my visit there short.
In a month or so, this place will be bursting with reds and oranges for the Japanese Maple trees. It is a fabulous sight to behold.
The last picture was taken looking back to the entrance of the Japanese Garden on November, 25, 2016.
I think that water lillies are the best. Why??? You do not have to water them! We have 11 potted plants on our patios, which need watering almost every day in the Georgia heat. I have to admit, however, Linda does this most of the time... Well, 99% of the time.
Actually, I like the different blooms that are on water lilies, the butterflies and bumble bees that hover around them, and every so often, there is a frog sitting on a lilly pad.
Here is a potpourri of some pictures taken after cataract surgery on my
right eye. I never noticed which eye that I used when taking a picture,
but I found out quickly yesterday. It is my right eye... the one that I
normally use. My first thought was, 'Why can I not get the camera to
focus?' In most cases, I use manual focus, but yesterday, I had to rely
more on the auto focus.
I
went to Gibbs Gardens to take pictures of the water lils and these are
from looking around to see what is interesting near the primary
subject. It is important to not only look around, but to walk around
where you are shooting. You will be amazed at other subjects that
worthy of shooting. The bridge is a good example of this and the last picture of the reflection of the red tree on the pond water.
On the return from Washington, GA, we stopped at the State Botanical Gardens, which is at the University of Georgia in Athens.
The admission is a suggested donation of $2.00. The weather was very hot and there was no breeze. We did not complete seeing everything. For the time of the year, I was impressed with what was in bloom.
The entrance to the gardens is through a "greenhouse,' which has a small cafe and restrooms. Orchids and other delicate plants are in this section. I made some adjustments to one of the them at the end of the pictures.
The trails throughout the gardens are paved for easy walking and most of the plants have signs to identify them, not that I could read the Latin names.
There is an herb garden there and we were amazed at the fragrances as we walked about.
I think that visiting the gardens in the Spring, Summer, and Fall will present a variety of beauty.
