Aloe Blooms #2

Huntington Library Gardens Aloe

Shot with HDR bracketing, set of 3, 2-ev steps, at 100 ISO.

I actually took 9 exposures in groups of three. The second and third sets I manually set the f-stop up 2 stops for the second set, and down 2-f stops for the third. This was in an effort to get greater dynamic range, but I found it doesn't really create any noticeable difference, not to mention the fact that in many cases it introduced extra blurring and alignment issues with the HDR file. So I'm sticking to just the one set of 3 exposures from now on. Which is good as it means fewer images to store and deal with.

Blooming Aloe and Cacti

This landscape of aloe and cacti at the Huntington Library gardens makes me think of something very primeval. Just where are the dinosaurs?

Aloe Flowers #1

I went to the Huntington Library to visit the gardens this past weekend as I'd heard that the aloes are blooming at this time of year. There is a large desert garden at the Huntington Library and in fact that is always my favorite part of the gardens to visit. It is a blaze of red, orange, and yellow at the moment as the aloes are in full-bloom.

The Huntington Library and Gardens are located in San Marino which is adjacent to Pasadena in Los Angeles. If you are visiting L.A., add it to one your places to visit, especially if you love gardens. The gardens are extensive. In addition to the desert garden, there is a Japanese garden, and in the spring of 2008 a Chinese garden will be opening. There are also plants featured throughout the large grounds from other parts of the world.

Find out more by visiting the website at huntington.org