Presby Memorial Iris Garden 2012

Purple Iris

Our return to Presby Memorial Iris Gardens for the first time in years did not prove as eventful as we would have liked. We checked the previous week to see if the irises were in bloom, but not much had developed since then. We’re now thinking they might peak toward the end of this week. We did however manage to get off a few shots of some early bloomers.

Working once again with both the D90 and the N80, the differences between film and digital (or at least APS-C digital) becomes more and more apparent. And it’s all about depth of field.

Rajah

Wide angle lenses naturally have a deep depth of field. And when you’re shooting APS-C, you’re always using a wider angle than you would full-frame. So when you need to isolate a subject from its surroundings by using a narrow depth of field, you’re at a disadvantage. It’s not better or worse, just different. Of course things work to your advantage when you’re intentionally shooting long, but that’s another blog.

For this type of work, shooting full-frame (and for me right now that means film) is a distinct advantage, offering copious amounts of creamy bokeh to lift and separate.

Next up is to compare these digitals to the roll of Fujifilm Superia 400 at the lab.

It was an overcast morning, with the sun breaking through occasionally, so the color was not consistent from one exposure to another. My next opportunity will be this Sunday. Siri says sun and clouds Friday and Saturday, so let’s hope it holds out for Sunday.

Oregon Sunshine