Orchids!

I did suggest I’d post a few shots of the plants I saw at the Botanic Gardens in Singapore, and in many ways the main floral feature would be the orchids.  Having said that, the first image in this post is of a very pretty bougainvillea.  As you may recall (having seen images in previous posts) there are a few bougainvillea in my garden, but not with such pretty pastel colouration as this particular bloom you see here.  In fact, it was at this bloom that I met the photographer who showed me the lizard in the previous post.

We have orchids here in NZ, but they tend to be located in greenhouses. Furthermore, I’ve yet to see as profuse a display of blooms as I saw in Singapore. Below are a few snapshots of some of the wonderful flowers on display. Sadly time wasn’t on our side so it was a very brief visit. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be fortunate enough to spend a lot more time in these wonderful gardens.

All images were shot with my Nikkor 24-70mm lens and using available light.  I’d taken reflectors, speedlights, filters and my trusty tripod, but the gadgets remained in the hotel.   All these shots are hand held snaps.  When we visited these gardens I was really feeling the heat and wanted to carry as little as possible.  Camera and a water bottle was plenty!

A few more Singapore sights …

Whilst in Singapore I was fortunate to spend some time in the Botanic Gardens. Quite a lovely place with many gorgeous blooms to enjoy. Besides the blooms there was, of course, a number of enthusiastic photographers keen to capture the flowers “on film”. With a common interest it was lovely to compare notes and share ideas. In fact, as a result of an earlier conversation one photographer took me to one side to show me the lizard you can see in the first image on this post. A monitor lizard with what look like very sharp claws!

Besides spending time in the gardens (I’ll post a few images if the flowers later all being well) I also managed a bit of time to walk around the city. One of these walks led me near some of the temples which are very ornate and beautifully presented. The people seemed more than happy for me to take photographs which surprised me as I’ve usually been encouraged to put my camera away. Anyway, below are a few images of some temples you might enjoy.