Tulip Fields

As seen in the University Parks this morning. The tulip beds are just by the entrance opposite Keble Road (see map).

I had a wish to show a photograph of a 'sticky bud' on a (horse) chestnut tree. The trees are covered in them, and some are at an advanced stage of opening, with the delicate and beautiful young leaves unfurling. Unfortunately, there was quite a breeze blowing, which set up strong oscillations in the branches. Despite heroic efforts by my assistant (Mrs S) to provide critical damping manually, the excursions of the buds made it difficult to get a decent image, as you will see from this example. I think that the problem was not the motion itself (the EXIF on this file says the exposure was roughly 1/100 s, which could be expected to freeze better than you see here), but rather that the oscillations prevented the camera acquiring its main focus lock. I might have another go in a few days' time.