Wisteria in Taipei for Sunday Best

 

It is presently autumn in Australia, whilst spring has arrived in Taipei. This wisteria garden is of considerable size, and many visitors gather here to behold and inhale the delicate blossoms of the wisteria.

I take great pleasure in its fragrance.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sunday Best

Joel and I await with great interest the forthcoming 50–150mm f/2.0 zoom lens from Sony, which is expected to retail for approximately 8,000 AUD owing to import tariffs. It is difficult to fathom that the successor to my current model, the A7R V—anticipated for release later this year—might approach a price of 20,000 AUD. Such figures are extraordinary, particularly for what remains, for us, a mere hobby.

Late Cherry Blossom at Tian Yuan Temple in Taipei for Sunday Best

 

After an arduous and fatiguing journey home, I was able to secure only two hours of sleep in total. The upcoming weekend will require significant adjustment before I officially resume work.

February marks the season of cherry blossoms in Taiwan, with the Yoshino cherry (Prunus yedoensis) blooming slightly later. This exquisite variety, characterised by its pale pink petals that fade to white, is renowned for its delicate beauty and ephemeral nature, symbolising both renewal and the fleeting passage of time.

My visit to Wuji Tianyuan Temple in Tamsui, Taipei, was primarily to witness this floral spectacle. This revered temple, known for its magnificent five-story pagoda and serene atmosphere, becomes a favored destination during cherry blossom season. The harmonious blend of traditional architecture and cascading blooms transforms the temple grounds into an ethereal landscape, drawing visitors seeking both spiritual solace and natural splendor.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sunday Best

Canola fields against a sky for Skywatch Friday

 

Heading to Japanese Sake Festival this weekend. Not likely a good chance for landscape photos with the gloomy weather.

This shot was shot while I used to do daily travel to various country towns.

Sony A7RV

FE 50mm f1.2 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

Lotus for Treasure Tuesday

 

I took mum to a lotus garden that is in season. It was a nice walk. 

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f4 macro

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Finally caught up with Joel for a sunset shot at Altona Beach. The weather was meh. But we ended up talking about politics most of the time. 

Insect For Saturday's Critter

 

I am not sure what this is but it looks pretty. Moth? 

Linking Saturday Critter

Tulip Bloom Festival, Bendigo

 

This is definitely cheaper than going to a flower show. This is free locally. 

The storm would have smashed all these tulips following the capture yesterday!

Sony A7RIV

FE 24mm f1.4 GM

Tulip Festival posts

Lotus reverie, Yarra Junction, Melbourne

 

This was taken when it was warmer. Something I do every time I receive a new prime lens for testing.

Apparently, there was this link event for Floral Friday. 

Floral Friday

Sony A7RIV 

FE 135mm f1.8 GM

Lotus in Langwarrin, Melbourne, Australia

 

The summery feel with a wonderful bokeh

Sony A7RIV

FE 24mm f1.4 GM

Floral Friday

Rhododendron Melancholy

While a visit to the Rhododendron garden,  snapshot like this is often quite fun. This was taken during the days I was obsessed with Pentax Fa limited lenses. Fa 43 is a bit of mysterious lens that pops with a particular optic arrangement.

Pink

Some ugly tram track bokeh in the lower portion of the frame.

Prunus

Spring is coming. In studies, pink has the best calming effect as a colour on its own.

Sure it has soothed me for the day.

Taken by Pentax Fa 77mm f1.8 limited

Formosan butterfly

Sometimes nature does bring wonder.

Foreground bokeh

The weather has been rather bad. This image was really just a messing around with foreground bokeh. Why?

Pentax lenses are usually better in the foreground bokeh department than background one...

Spring of Christmas Macro

This image is taken by A 200mm f4 Macro

4 seasons in one day. Melbourne is having a tantrum like a lady in menopause. With all friends leaving for festive season holidays (None of us really celebrate christmas), I managed to do 2 overseas shifts as well as reading a novel that I have made up my mind not finishing it. LOL.

Again, I think a photograph from the dying plant in my backyard would suffice for my blog. At least this is something!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Poppy Flower Wonder

This image is taken by Voigtlander 40mm f2 SL

This picture reminds me of a time that I would not buy any lens but voigtlander. That was a period where I was addicted to the build quality of Voigtlander lenses and their image rendering characteristics.

Yes, the brand is not all perfect and its own lens production line had been taken over by Cosina in Japan. The lenses are just so good to hold in my hands... Truely addictive.
Speaking of the bokeh, I used to have a set of criteria for assessing them. Then I looked at this image taken almost 3 years ago. I had second thoughts.

How on earth do I like the harsh edge bokeh with distracting specular highlights? I guess I have a growing up period with photography in general. Now this pair of critical eyes are very hard to please. I dreaded the day I would become even more grumpy and critical when I got even older. God helps me.