Azalea Blossoms and a Dog - 50with50 No. 17 and 18

Azalea Blossoms

Beautiful pink blossoms grow on the large azalea bush by our front porch in this entry in the 50with50 series.

This large azalea has grown quite a bit over the past several years, and it consistently has these beautiful pink blossoms on in in the spring. However, those blossoms don’t last forever. A few days after I took this photo, we had a late-spring frost. Because of the cold, all of those pink blossoms shriveled up and died. Just like I would have if I had been outside in the frost expecting the warmer weather. I don’t blame the blossoms at all.

Because of that frost, I was glad that I had taken a few spring photos when I did. The azalea itself is doing just fine, by the way. It just doesn’t have these blossoms any more. But that is okay, because just like most everything else in the world, those blossoms are not meant to last forever anyway. They are here for a short while, and then they are gone.

That goes for most everything, good or bad. Whatever it is, it is here for a relatively short while, and then it is gone. Yes, the good things don’t last forever. But then the bad things don’t last forever, either. Quarantines, social distancing, and all the rest won’t last forever. It may seem like it is taking forever right now, but those better days are coming.

And a Dog

While I was taking photos of the azalea blossoms, Copper the Dog decided it was time for a nap. And he decided that the shade of the azalea was a good place for a nap. That was partly because we were sitting in the porch swing and he likes to be where we are when we are outside. And then it was partly because the shade felt nice on that warm, sunny day.

As you can see here, he was not a big fan of having his photo taken. I can just imagine what he was thinking based on his facial expression. “Just hurry up and take the photo. Can’t you see I am trying to sleep here? You act like you have never seen a dog lie down in the grass. And why do you take so many photos, anyway?”

Of course, he did not actually say any of those things. He just gave me the look.

It was actually rather nice that he just stayed there. Often when I am trying to take his photo, I bend down to get close to his level and he walks right up to me. Either he is just being friendly, or he is trying to get so close that he is out of the camera’s range. But this time, he was tired enough to just stay where he was.

That just goes to show that you can’t plan for some things. I had the azalea photo all planned out, and it was good. But then this photo of Copper was an unexpected surprise that I had not planned on at all. Sometimes, you just have to be ready for whatever comes your way.

Bible Verse

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! - Psalm 46:10

About the Photos

As these two photos are the latest in the 50with50 series, you probably know that they were taken with a 50mm prime lens. I had opened the aperture wide for the azalea blossoms photo to get the look that I wanted with that one. Because of that, I still had the aperture open wide when I took the photo of Copper. Because he was lying still, it was easy to get a crisp focus on him while letting the prime lens do its magic for the bokeh around him.

I like how Copper is framed by the bricks, the azalea, and the grass. More of a triangle framing than a square framing, but that is just fine. That is just another example of using what you are given.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: SonyFE 50mm f/1.8
Date: April 3, 2020
Location: Home, Williston, Tennessee