I took this photo back in Nov/2011 and recently encountered it in my dusty archives.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

It was taken with my Nikon D3200 camera with the Nikkor 50 mm fixed focal length lens. I loved this photo then, and I still love it. Since the lens is a fixed focal length, I had to judge very carefully how to shoot it. I am amazed how well it turned out. I only shot in Auto then. And this is not a mirrorless camera.

Hope you enjoy!

[Bluethroughu]

1. Looks like my flox right now.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. How lovely for you! It doesn't take much to brighten the landscape. ♥ nt

[Bluethroughu]

3. They are on their way out, the cold is blowing in and the flowers

are going to sleep for a few months.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Lovely photo. And congrats on getting the bokeh and the focus.

I wish I had the patience to make pictures with my 105 Sigma, but it's so touchy it sits in the case.

[Gato Moteado]

6. what do you mean when you say the lens is touchy?

[GoneOffShore]

7. Impossible to use handheld.

Even with image stabilization on.

[Gato Moteado]

10. ah....ok, i understand....it's the fact that you are very close to your subject...not an issue with the lens.....

being very close to your subject, which macro lenses allow you to do, has the same challenge as using a long telephoto lens - every tiny movement is magnified.

i agree that using a macro lens is difficult when hand holding and close focusing to get high magnification. i have shaky hands and all the close up frog shots i've posted were done hand holding. when shooting very close up, it's pretty much necessary to use a flash with a diffuser. you want plenty of light so that you can stop down the lens for maximum depth of field while maintaining a low ISO for high image quality. also, this will help freeze motion, including some camera shake. do you have a flash that you can connect to the camera? if so, i can show you a very inexpensive diffuser that you can buy for less than $20 on amazon and it's not unwieldy and it works very well.

i shot all of these, hand held, using a flash or strobe:

[GoneOffShore]

13. Brilliant photos - and thanks for the tips.

The 105 was given to me, and so there's no sunk cost involved.
Street photography and urban landscapes are my passion, so I'm going to pass the lens on to someone who can get use out of it.

[Gato Moteado]

14. cool....what kind of gear do you use?

and do you have any of your work uploaded anywhere?

[GoneOffShore]

15. Canon 70D with a Sigma 30mm 1.4 usually, though sometimes a Canon 18-135mm

I also use my iPhone12.

I have posted photos on DU and you can see them in my Journal.

Also on Instagram @Samgish3

[Gato Moteado]

16. great work! i just followed you on IG

[GoneOffShore]

17. Thank you. There is a second IG account that Mrs GoS and I are doing together

It's called @MFKAixfootsteps. It's a photographic walking tour of Aix-en-Provence based on the writings of MFK Fisher, who wrote 'Two Towns In Provence', 'The Gastronomical Me', a translation of 'The Physiology of Taste', and articles for The New Yorker.

The pictures there are mostly in colour, and often made using iPhones.

[Gato Moteado]

18. great photos....i'm following you there as well

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thanks so much, my dear GoneOffShore!

Those results are mostly luck! But I did take the photo, so there's that.

Sorry to hear about your 105 Sigma.

[Callalily]

5. That is a great photo Peggy!

I too was perusing through my older photos yesterday and came across many photos that I like, in addition to going down memory lane!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Thank you so much, my dear Callalily! GMTA!

If you feel like it (of course) you should bring some of those out so we all can enjoy!

It's amazing to me that I could do that well, before I knew anything about how!

[Gato Moteado]

11. great shot, peg.....do you miss your nikon?

i just bought a mirrorless nikon.

now i need to sell the D850!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Thanks so much, dear Gato! I don't really miss it.

I don't know if I could even use it any more; I'm so used to my Oly! Which I just love.