It’s beginning to look like spring around the Philly area ¹. It’s a welcome relief from our extended winter ², but it’s brought on the sudden onslaught of allergies. So spring has arrived, and I’m grumpy because of it ³.

But even in my grouchiest moods I have the instinct to seek out beauty. So when my wife purchased some hydrangeas to use as centerpieces for an upcoming party I reached for my camera. The Sun had migrated to the other side of our house, but the light pouring in through our dining room windows bathed the plants in a nice even light, which fell off to some gorgeous shadows opposite the window. I desired to capture some of the texture the petals boasted, which was no easy task considering I don’t have a true macro lens for my G7 ⁴. I didn’t get as close as I might have liked, but I do like how the photos turned out. My favorite is below.