Yesterday my new camera arrived and I have been practising with it, taking first photos around The Holler. (Click to enlarge the bees to see the details).
It is getting detail and is super fast, but will require more practice.
I was planning to use the camera mostly for landscapes, so I was pleasantly surprised with these first-attempt macros.
You can see some of the detail capability in this Datura or Moonflower. Moonflowers are night-blooming and belong to the nightshade family. They are poisonous and are pollinated at night by Sphinx and Hawk Moths. Native Americans used Moonflowers in sacred ceremonies as a hallucinogen.
These Night Blooming Cereus flowers were taken with my older, trusty HX400, which is still my go to bird and wildlife camera. The flowers grow on the tallest cactus in the world, Cereus Peruvians. Ours is over 30 feet tall! It’s flowers are as big as plates and open only at night. The tree generates tons of fruit called Peruvian Apples that are crunchy, sweet, and delicious!
Cheers to you from Sony’s views~
cindyknoke.com 
Wow awesome photos! So crisp! Happy weekend wishes sweetie! Hugz Lisa and Lucy Goosey
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Hugs back to you & Lucy! I know this is a difficult anniversary for you and my thoughts & prayers are with you 🏵️<3
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Thank you sweetie! I’m working my day off tomorrow making extra money! I want to buy a new tv! I will be thinking of all the wonderful memories of my life with hubby!
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I am so proud of you. You are a strong person. ❤
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Thank you so much! Have a super day on the Holler
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❤ 🌸
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Delightful detailed macros,dear Cindy!Happy clicks my friend 🙂
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Thank you for the thoughtful encouragement ❤
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Wonderful pictures. Like a mini story of nature.
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She writes, paints and creates and the earth and her creatures is the result ❤
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Oooh, Cindy is out playing. Good things are promised. 🙂 –Curt
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Tee hee! Ain’t it the truth! I love techno leaps! ❤
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🙂
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Oh my!! My mind is blown away with the wonderful light filled detail … and your capacity to capture some amazing moments. I look forward to more shares Cindy 💕
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It brings lots of joy sharing with lovely friends like you! ❤
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Nice! All of the flowers are stunning! Obviously a good camera choice!
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Sony occasionally makes these leaps in technology and it is a treat when they do!
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Lovely photographs!
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Thanks Kendall and Happy Friday~
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Welcome! You, too!
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🌸🌸
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WOW!
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Love that word! ❤
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😀
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Wonderful photos Cindy. Your new toy looks like a winner. Love all the bees, and the datura, and the cerius. Oh heck I guess I just love all of them. Looking forward to seeing some landscapes from the Sony. My dream camera is a Panasonic mirrorless – coming soon I hope.
Alison
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Thanks my friend. There are so many options with panasonic and the mirrorless are awesome. Happy picking!
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The photos of the night-blooming flowers are gorgeous!
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They are so subtle, but at night, well they rule the dark!
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Enjoy the new equipment…it is in good hands !
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Thank you, much appreciated!
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Looks like you’re off to a good start with your new toy. It’s always nice when others have fun too when you’re the one playing.
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Sharing with such kind people who appreciate is just such an amazing gift. Bloggers are amazing people!
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Sweet macros, Cindy! That camera is a keeper! 🙂
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It is indeed! You know the feeling, after the first series of photos, when you look at them at go, “YES!!!” You know! It’s a keeper. 🏵️
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Don’t you think it’s slightly demoralizing for the rest of us when you call these “practice photos”, Cindy?! 🙂
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I hope not! I am not a professional photographer. It is just a hobby I picked up a few years after I retired, I think about 5 years ago now. I started blogging about the same time I started taking photos. What I don’t know, is much greater than what I do, and I am not arrogant, just amazed and happy with this awesome new hobby. My hubby was always the photographer. When we were in The Amazon, I was frustrated because I was seeing things he wasn’t photographing, so I asked to borrow his camera. He was the life-long photographer. He saw my photos, said they “special,” and gave me his camera, showing me how some of the functions worked. He left all future trip photography to me. His confidence more than anything encouraged me, and that is the extent of my expertise. So, grab a camera and click what draws your eye. Have fun and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. There is only one you! ❤
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I’m convinced you could take stellar photos with ANY camera on the market, missy!!!! And these are just more convincing truth that I am right. Just face it, you have an extraordinary photo taking mojo working for you!!! It is a gift, a talent and extraordinary ones at that!!!! Love, N 🙂 ❤
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You and I both know exactly where a gift comes from. I know. You know. So grateful and so humbled by it. Thank you my dear friend and have a blessed weekend~ ❤
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Indeed I do know where our gifts come from and you honor Him well with yours!!!❤️❤️❤️xoxoxo xoxoxo
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❤ 🌸
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These are absolutely wonderful!
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Creative people, and bloggers are creative people, are just the kindest, most supportive people that I know. Thank you Charles and be well my friend 🏵️
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Your new camera takes magnificent pictures! Such awesome beauty you captured Cindy!
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Hugs to you sweet friend and have a wonderful weekend! 🏵️ ❤
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You too Cindy! ❤
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💐
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Your new camera is so good, but I think the operator has a lot to do with the superb images including lots of patience. I have a smaller version of your cactus flower and it is flowering at the moment. Do you ever enter photographic competitions Cindy? your photos are certainly good enough
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Grazie Pauline. I love your photos too! So the regard is mutual. I haven’t entered competitions. I do post on nat’l geo your shot but don’t enter their contest because they charge per photo which I think is unsportsmanlike. I will be sending you the OZ dates soon and am looking forward to actually meeting you!
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I’m looking forward to March too. Have you seen my posts about the outback I am doing on my new blog?
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No. I will go look. You are brave to have two blogs!
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I’m just keeping the new one going now I’m no longer travelling around so much. I had a long break with no blogging. I meant to just have a couple of months, but a year rushed by….
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Time does that doesn’t it. It speeds up on us. Heading over to your other blog now…..
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Breathtaking! Regardless what cam, your eyes, the way you see things—it’s what brings the beauty in all these things. And we’re but privileged spectators.Enjoy your new cam, Cindy!
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Such a kind comment and so very appreciated! Thank you & cheers too~
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I’m happy to see new Sony and you just clicked purrfecty. ♡Ｕ・ｪ・Ｕ人(^･x･^=) ◎～♡
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💐💐 ♡Ｕ・ｪ・Ｕ人(^･x･^=) ◎～♡ 💐
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Wow beautiful pics… Loved them
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Merci beaucoup mon ami! 🌸
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Wonderful
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Grazie mille! 🌸
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I admit I love the last 2 images with the dark background as they really show the flower details, but the new Sony is really impressive with close-ups – those bee details really show up as very sharp.
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Thank you Vicki. Yes, it definitely has increased capability and I am still learning what it can do!
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ok you got me with the bees but the two other pictures that really drew me, were the two before the end one.. the Datura, would you send it to me please, I’d like to use it for one of my blogs.. beautiful…thank you for sharing your wonderful gift. And thank you hubby for giving you his camera.. special…
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You are such a lovely friend ❤ I will be happy to send you the photos and am honored you like them. Cheers to you & Happy Weekend 🌸
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Superb photos, Cindy, and how wonderful to have two superb cameras to work with. The night flowering cactus looks exquisite. And I think I would like its fruit, the Peruvian apples.
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Thank you Mandy and yes you would like the apple. It tastes like a shaved ice with a crunch texture and you eat it with a spoon. I wish you could beam over and we could share some! ❤
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Me too!
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beautiful pictures. I have never used a sony camera before, but your pictures are pretty!
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Thank you & I am very pleased you enjoyed them! 🌸
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Wonderful shots with your new camera, but I know it takes a great photographer too to get those shots!
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Very kind & most appreciated! 🌸
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Superb shots Cindy but then again, when arent they? 😀
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Awww, you are so nice!!! Muchas gracias 🌸
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Not nice at all – terribly envious 😦 😉
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😇 🙏
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Wonderful
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Thank you! 🌸
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Oooooooo! Upgrade!! Looking forward to see how you do. So far, very well!
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Thanks John, it’s a lot of fun! 🌸
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The photos look great Cindy! Of course, they always do. 🙂 It would be nice to have a great camera to capture these details. And I’m pretty happy with the quality of my new LG cellphone.
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Gracias. The technology is remarkable isn’t it and I love your captures!
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Yes, and thank you Cindy.
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🌸
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That is an amazing camera. I see why you bought it.
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It is such a leap forward for the RX10. Sony does this occasionally and it is wonderful to ride their wave!
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Wonderful Photos Cindy- new camera worth every penny! The one that especially stood out for me was the datura. I have grown these and its perennial cousin brugmansia. They are truly stunning flowers full of magic and you have caught it in those splendid first moments of opening- beautiful!
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Thank you. The Datura photo showed me what this camera can do and like you, I love Datura too. They are so unusual, so spontaneous in growth, and so indestructible. They are a metaphor for oddity and survival.
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Your new camera and you do great work! Love the details. Cheers for the weekend!
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Back 2UX2! 🌸
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Beautiful! Congratulations on your new camera! I just got a Sony also, but it’s an old one that I got on sale. So far I’m satisfied with the results.
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I have never had a Sony camera that I didn’t love, so congrats! 🌸
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beautiful camera
endorsement 🙂
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Merci beaucoup mon ami! 🌸
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einfach toll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(*L*)just great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (* L *)
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Vielen Dank, lieber Freund und gut sein! ❤
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sehr gerne!!!!!!!!!!!
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Amazing, Cindy! Enjoy it! We will as well.
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So nice of you & cheers too! 🌸
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Wow Cindy, these are incredibly brilliant! The detail is exquisite. You must be thrilled 💚
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Thank you Tina. Still just learning the capabilities, but tomorrow I should give it a good workout if the sun stays up!
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Shall I have a word with Father Sun for you? 🙂 ❤
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Yes please, thank you, and hugs too, dear Tina. ❤
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Done! Hope he obliged, my friend. Hugs ❤
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The brilliance of those blooms, the depth of color, the photography seems to radiant true to life depictions. Awesome and incredible. You are most fantastic photographer, it’s a gift,an art, and great creative ability. Thank you so much for sharing all of your art photographer. 🙂
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Oh gosh, so humbled by you.
Photos prove that we are all connected to beauty that is so much bigger than ourselves, and that we all are an intrinsic part of this beauty.
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Stunning pics, Cuz. The new camera really likes you! : )
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Laughing…. it does sweet thing, and I really like you cuz~
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Pawsome! That new camera is amazing, Cindy, but I think the woman behind it does make it amazing 🙂 Pawkisses for a wonderful day 🙂 ❤
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Thank you. So very kind of you & much appreciated too! 🌸
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What detailed pictures. That is one amazing camera. Wow, I can imagine even more fun to take pictures, and you have so many motives around you. Your pictures have always been super, now they are super dooper 🙂
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Thanks much! Technological advances are so much fun to experiment with! Happy Sunday 🌸
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Liebe Cindy jetzt ist es schon 4 Monate und 2 Tage her wo Gislinde nicht mehr bei mit ist ,am Freitag kam der Grabstein und alles andere führt auch zum guten Ende jetzt kann ich wenigsten Nacht einiger maßen gut durchschlafen es war eine anstrengende Woche darum kam ich nicht zum schreiben sei ganz lieb gegrüßt Klaus in Freundschaft
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Es tut mir so leid. Eine sehr schwierige Zeit für dich. Ich bin froh, dass Sie endlich einen verdienten Schlaf haben. Bitte nehmen Sie mein tiefstes Mitgefühl und meine Freundschaft an. Gedanken und Gebete fliegen über das Meer ……. ❤
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Interesting post Cindy – always such sharp images and well composed
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Thank you Diana and Happy Sunday my friend 🌸
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The images from both cameras are gorgeous and wonderfully detailed. Having the same eye and mind behind the camera in both cases is surely a help.
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Photography is interesting because it helps us see the world through other people’s eyes~
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Breathtaking shots, Cindy. I almost missed this one, glad I clicked you gravatar. 🙂 Love the flower images, the Night Blooming Cereus flower was beautifully captured, and the clarity is incredible. 🙂
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I was just thinking about how I love photography because it allows us to see the world through other’s eyes which is why I said what I did about Raj’s suggestions about your photos. I love seeing the way you see the world through your photographs Amy.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Cindy. I remember you liked my years old posts and photos which were taken with my cheap pocket camera and no straightening and cropping. 🙂 I appreciate your support, it means so much to me. ❤
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Good. Because it’s true. The expense of the camera, all the blather about technique, all that really matters to me is showing me what you see, and you have always done this very well.
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Boy, you got right to work with that camera. I love the bees. They’re hard to capture as they never sit still. They earn their industrious reputation, don’t they? That moonflower! What an incredible flower.
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Yes, the bees. well, they are difficult, aren’t they? Who knew? Not me. I set my first task as photo taker with capturing them. To say it takes patience is a ridiculous understatement. I learned you have to watch closely and pick a lethargic bee. Laughing….but it’s true.
Yes, sony showed her stuff with the moonflower and I was super grateful. I love the camera showing me all the things I cannot see.
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That’s a great way to put it, Cindy, “All the things we can’t see.” I’ve followed bees around my garden many a time. I think finding them on sunflowers is the best, as they have more things to collect at one time. I also learned that the buzzing happens immediately before and after they light. Somehow I never realized that. Another fun thing that happens behind a camera. Hurray for your Sony!
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Oh, I agree with everything you say, especially the sunflower! I hadn’t thought of it, but it is so true. Look for big flowers, if you want to capture bees! Photography allows one to be in the moment, as a matter of fact it most directly requires it, which is why it is so Zen for many of us. Hugs to you~ ❤
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Hugs to you, too, Cindy. It’s such a pleasure to follow along.
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