Gladioli Spear

Wonderful weather all day.

Len's summer bulbs from Amsterdam are flowering now. The white iris and anemones are past, but the gladioli are taking over the containers. They look like spears, ready to be hurled.

I'm very taken with chiaroscuro. Bright sunlight helps to assist a fast shutter speed keeping the subject in the light while the background goes to black. Seems to have worked here.

Basil and I popped over to East Leake to deliver the photos from Friday's photoshoot and then we walked in Meadow Park. I took loads of photos of a Painted Lady butterfly on thistle but only one shot is reasonable. I can't be supporting this long lens right. Even with a fast shutter speed, the shots are blurred. And I even used manual focus too. The x-t1 has a Peak highlight feature which shows you when the subject is supposed to be in focus.

Ah well. We also saw a Red Darter dragonfly by the brook. None of those photos were usable. 

We finished up at Pets at Home to buy Basil some fresh dog food and a small crate to put in the car. We wonder if he might settle better in it rather than the box he has been travelling in.