the gardenhead knows my name

today i divided my time between the nature center and my garden. it was crazy hot out.

^broccoli is officially harvested! and it is absolutely delicious.

gourds, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers are starting! i think the pumpkins are too, but i would have to climb over the fence and wade through some prickly territory to confirm.

^first red tomato of the season! i wish i could like tomatoes. the idea of them is so appealing to me, so i try them periodically hoping my tastes have changed, but it’s always a let-down. i still love growing them and picking them though, and i love the way my hands smell after i touch the plant.

^the sunflowers are so close. i’ll be pissed if they bloom while i’m in belize.

i got an off-camera shoe cord for my speedlite, so now i have a lot more creative freedom with flash. i’m still experimenting but so far i like the results. the main reason i ordered it was because i found an online tutorial on how to make your own ring flash out of a couple tupperware containers and some aluminum foil...obviously it’s very high-tech, and it ends up looking like a paranoid schizophrenic’s government-satellite-deflecting device but i’d certainly rather have that than pay like $200 for an actual ring flash.

i used the cord to backlight this gourd flower:

^the inside of this flower looks like a theater stage set to look like hell. the little red spindlies are like pieces of thin cloth blown up by fans to represent an inferno at the front of the stage, and then the back (which you can’t see in this photo because of the shallow DOF) has red flecks on glowing orange/yellow that looks like a fiery backdrop.