Purple Hellebore

We went to Open Church this morning. Not so many there and we had to serve ourselves to tea and coffee as the church authorities have decreed that there is to be no catering. No hardship there. Parishioners were in to clean the church of dust and cobwebs with long handled dusters. Hilarity.

Jean and I empathised with each other over this dreadful bug we've had. She says she still doesn't feel really right even after three rounds of antibiotics but she is over 80. 

I'm a Spring Chicken by comparison. Yet I am having intimations of mortality. I've always blithely assumed that there is always tomorrow. One day there won't be.

But time to break out my new toy. A two head continuous lighting kit with soft boxes, the objective being to try out skills learned last week with Polina Plotnikova. I managed to  find a kit at a rather cheaper price than she recommended.

I've always wanted to photograph hellebore. A bit difficult when they hang their heads so thoroughly but Polina had said it was possible to photograph them upside down. A bit of white cotton suspended from a Wimberley plamp did the trick.

I do have to admit that they weren't the most perfect flowers for this venture. These ones from the garden are past their best and ragged at the edges and the colour runs into itself. But I do like them. Could probably have done with a smaller aperture too but I'll leave that for another day.

Then I photographed a white narcissus which has light, transparent(ish) petals (see extra). That worked better.

Must walk down to Colin's shortly. Haven't seen him for weeks although he was at the Open Church this morning.