Shutting up for the night

It's lovely to see poppies pretty much growing anywhere during the summer months. They don't mind a poor quality sandy soil and are just as at home on run down building sites as they are at a fields edge, where they certainly add a splash of colour. They can be tricky to photograph if you're outside and not shooting in a studio. They are so delicate that the merest hint of wind tends to rustle their petals and the deep red of the flower can be difficult to expose for, especially in bright conditions.

This particular poppy had been enjoying the sun all day long and was just starting to close up for the night, so the only option I really had was to shoot from above looking down into the flower head, careful to avoid any clutter on the ground.

Nikon D4 with Nikkor 105mm F2.8. ISO 800, F7.1 @ 1/160 sec, Tripod and cable release

Even though the camera was tripod mounted, a faster shutter speed was employed simply to avoid any blur caused by the breeze. I was waiting patiently for 30 minutes before I was happy that the wind had died down sufficiently to take the photograph. Depth Of Field is minimal when shooting from just a few inches, even with an aperture of F7.1 so focus becomes critical. I just love the way that the spiny stem blurs into the background the further away from the flower head it travels.