It is always fun to visit a new botanic garden. There were lots of caveats about this not being the best time to visit tho Denver Botanic Garden as the spring flowers are not in full bloom, it is a small garden as these things go, etc. I still wanted to check it out. I also wanted to play with my new lens. Diane and I were thinking we would just spend a morning there. NOT!! It was mid afternoon before we managed to extricate ourselves from the many photo opportunities to head for a cool glass of wine. Enjoy.
Diane and I both loved this flower and I don't know about Diane but I have WAAAY too many shots of it. It is a great flower to highlight or show off with others. When I saw Diane's representation it looks a bit like a water lily. But, alas, it is earthbound.
Before we even got to the entrance I could see the Chihuly glass on display. This piece is left over from the Chihuly exhibit that was there some time ago. One thing I noticed right away was the abundance of water in many areas of the Denver Botanic Garden compared to the Desert Botanical Gardens. It should not have been a surprise, yet I was amazed at the difference it made in photographic opportunities with reflections!
This was one of those "I want this image" situations. Problem? Yes! The upper part was blown out if I was to get any detail in the reflection. Plus, I wanted more of both the upper and lower parts of what I could so clearly see with my eyes. Even my 20mm prime could not get me the whole thing as close as I had to move in order to avoid a wall. Sigh! I ended up using my graduated neutral density filter on the widest lens in my bag at hand. It took a while!!
While I worked at the whole thing, Diane got exquisite detail in the parts!!
Just change your point of view and the whole view changes!
This was one of the few statues in the Garden (that I saw). I took a photo of the whole thing, but it got lost in the background. Diane had a different take. Then, as you will see below, she took a 'head shot', which I like but then she turned it into something entirely her own!! On the second photo below she is using the extrude filter in Photoshop. I include both so you can see what she started with and how her final image is much more interesting.
We sat on a bench for a while across from this spot. Gorgeous day, perfect weather! With a friend. Taking pictures. Dang, life is pretty good.
This is part of the Japanese Gardens.
Diane shot long.
I shot wide!
By now we have had a small lunch while sitting outdoors and enjoying the weather, had sat on some benches to rest. I could have been ready to leave. Then Diane tells me that the best may be yet to come! The orchid house, the tropical room . . . yikes! OK, let's go (slowly)!
Just look at this luscious little creek in the orchid area.
Here is one interpretation.
Here is another. This orchid really caught our attention.
Ah, lighting minimus!
I think this is where we moved from the cool wet of the orchid room to the HOT wet of the tropics room. We took a stairwell and this metal sculpture was hanging from the ceiling and attached to an opposite wall. What fun!
I call this the dreadlock tree. It was quite large and full of these hanging flowers.
Here is the story. I was trying (not succeeding) at capturing a Blue Dart frog. Very poisonous and very, very photogenic. But, it required shooting through moisture covered glass in a dark corner. I was ready to get out of the heat. Diane was upstairs taking her sweet time! I called her. She was thrilled with these flowers and suggested I come on up and see. WOW!! So we spent another 30 minutes getting shots from every angle. Funny how you forget the heat if the subject is interesting.
One perspective.
Another perspective. They looked like butterflies!!!
These flowers hung in long strands. Very interesting. No smell.
Side view.
Up close.
I admit this one is a bit erotic!!
I would love to go back in a month and see the Garden in full spring bloom. When we finally left we headed into Cherry Creek for lunch. Great day. Glad you joined us. And a special thanks to Diane who went with me.