On Sunday we took advantage of the day off and visited Queen Elizabeth Park to get us some Spring!

We each took different lenses to be sure to get different points of view. I was armed with my macro lens – I don’t get to use this lens enough so it was great to take it out for a spin. Susannah took a mid range lens to cover the wider scene and put those macro shots in context. We decided to try to capture the theme of “growth”.

Here’s a shot of a new plant emerging…

…and here is the wider shot so you can see just how close the macro took you – it’s a completely different viewpoint.

Here are a few more close ups…

A reversal of roles – here is Susannah getting down and dirty to get the shot…

…and the backlit beauties….

I love the patterns in nature. Here are the buds….

And a more abstract view of the patterns they create…

More patterns…

Another scene setter – and yes, I do bend up like a pretzel when I shoot….

And the resulting shot…

We saw some other pretzels too – this tree was amazing in the way it had grown…

These next two are my favourites. The silver fern and is an iconic symbol for New Zealand sports. The unfurling silver fern frond (Koru) is possibly the most revered symbol in NZ. Symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace, this icon is used in traditional and modern Maori art. A variation is also used as the Air New Zealand symbol.

So even though not a silver fern, this unfurling frond is prossibly the image I most associate with Spring.

Here’s one a little further on – the itty bitty little fronds are so incredible!

This vista of pink flowers (I can appreciate them but I don’t know what they are – please educate me if you know) was fantastic.

Even more amazing close up….

Here’s a cool shot Susannah took of the pond with trees reflected….

And another cool tree growth…

The trees had tiny little pine cones growing, each about 1cm long.

Here are the little guys….

Some pretty new leaves…

The Spring green is about the freshest green you’ll ever see.

Lastly we’ll enter another universe. These next two shots are close ups of the inside of tulips. So intricate and so incredible.

I love Spring