Its spring downunder here in NZ, a little earlier than usual. Bulbs are sprouting, trees are in blossom and the magnolia are making a grand display all over the city.
Today was a very calm overcast day – perfect for flower photography so I made the effort to wander into town with my camera to hunt the elusive magnolia.
They can grow to be quite big trees and often the blossoms are too high for me to get a nice side on view, but there were a few that I found well within range of the tripod.
I am trying a different editing style with these image, a slightly muted faded vintage look which I quite like with flowers.
Specifically shot with a fairly open aperture – ranging from 2.8 to 4 to soften the background and blur it nicely. Some of these shots are taken with my new Lensbaby Velvet56 which does a great job with the soft background.
Anyone else using a Lensbaby?
Learning to See Light 
Love!!!! Magnolias. Love the colour tone on your photos particularly the pale pink flowers. I have a magnolia little gem in my backyard – divine scent of the flowers. Recently visited Araluen (Perth Australia) which specialises in tulips, however they also have magnolias – white, pink and yellow and the flowers grow on bare branches – amazing. I don’t have a Lensbaby but recently purchased a Helios vintage lens which has the background bokeh. My daughter lives in Christchurch so I will let her know about the magnolias. Thank you.