Metrosideros

Front yard Metrosideros

It had been living in a pot for quite some time, then had a brief spell in the garden until quite recently it was moved to its pressent location in the front yard.  My metrosideros is a dwarf version of some of the very large trees commonly known here in New Zealand  as "New Zealand Christmas Trees".

Most years around Christmas time these large trees, Metrosideros Pohutakawa, are in full bloom and make for a glorious sight especially when you see them by the sea.  The clear blue of New Zealand's waters, the yellow and oranges of the beaches and then these wonderfully rich red blooms make for a very special sight.  Christmas is a few months away, but my dwarf metrosideros flowering in my front yard lets me know that summer is on its way.

I saw this flower and wanted to get a shot where the bloom itself was sharp, as well as a few of the leaves, but the background had to blur to isolate the bloom.  I used a 200mm lens and closed the lens down to f4 to get most of the bloom in focus yet retain and pleasant blur in the background.  I then used Photoshop to sharpen the flower slightly and add a little more blur to the background - but not too much.