Moutain Laurel at Rocky Knob Picnic Area

Here are flowers from a Moutain Laurel bush that I found in the Rocky Knob picnic area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, on June 7, 2005. Confronted by such a beautiful plant with such an interesting flower, it was difficult to know how to proceed in capturing its beauty. Using my favorite lens (Nikor 200 mm micro) I tried this shot first, filling the frame with blossoms. Next I stepped back for a slightly wider view (see three frames below). I also tried some closeups that were challenging but also fun (see one and two frames below).
The appearance of these images will vary from one person's computer to the next, depending on how the screen is calibrated (or not). Also, whenever I post an image here on the webiste, it seems to appear a little bit brighter and slightly more washed out than it does when I view the image using the software I have at home. Despite all this, I find that each image on the website looks much better when I click on the image to get a larger view. Each image has been saved at a resolution of 72 ppi with a size of approximately 8 by 12 inches.