Bluebells

When shooting flowers many photographers opt for a macro lens with the an open aperture to blur the background.  However, I find many of my shots taken at f/2.8 will have very little of the featured flower in focus.  So I sometimes use my long zoom lens to blur the background while getting more of the plant in focus.  This shot was taken at 500 mm (using my Canon RF 100-500mm lens) with an open aperture of f/7.1 at 500 mm.  I used a shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. as it was breezy and this resulted in an auto ISO of 4000.  

The photo was taken at Delta Sensory Gardens in Carlow, a wonderful place to visit.  You can stroll through the 2.5 acres site which contains a series of interconnecting gardens, each with different styles and features.  Afterwards you can have coffee and a snack in the cafe.  The Delta website claims it to be 'an oasis of peace and tranquility' which it is.  If you want to visit Delta Sensory Gardens you will find directions here.