Bokeh 2

Here's one more from the Italian Garden that shows the slightly "swirly" kind of bokeh that is characteristic of the Helios 58mm lens.

Bokeh

I mentioned in a previous post the term "bokeh". For the non-photographers among visitors to this site, "bokeh" refers to the out-of-focus areas in a photograph, the blurry areas. I like nice crisp images but lately I've begun to appreciate the blurry parts of the photo as well. Different lenses produce different kinds of blur, some more pleasing than others. One of the reasons I like this Helios lens I've been using lately is because of the bokeh it produces. In today's photo I've thrown caution to the winds and used bokeh to more accurately express the experience of a hot summer afternoon in the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle, the way one is thrust into an overpowering profusion of shapes and colors. Wikipedia has a good article on bokeh HERE.

Hatley Park Italian Garden Flowers 2

Here's a few more blossoms from the Hatley Castle National Historical Site Italian Garden. For those who are interested in the technical side of things, all yesterday's and today's flower shots were taken with the Russian Helios 58mm lens I mentioned a few days ago. It continues to impress me with its sharpness and interesting bokeh.

Hatley Park Italian Garden Flowers

Being in the Italian Garden with a camera is a little like suddenly being transported to a French pâtisserie - such a wealth of delicious things.

Hatley Castle Italian Garden

Here is a glimpse of the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle. The Italian Garden style is very formal with clearly defined beds of flowers laid out symmetrically. Despite the formality there is such a wealth of exotic blooms in this garden it is quite overpowering.

Hatley Park National Historic Site

I went out to Hatley Park National Historic Site yesterday to take a look at the Italian Garden that is adjacent to the castle. It was just as splendid as usual and we'll look at a bit more of it next week. Above is one of the four seasons garden statues that stand around the edges of the garden.

Harvest Time

Well, the leaves are turning already - summer's almost gone and it seems like it only started yesterday. There hasn't been much real hot weather here this year, just a few days here and there. Today's photo is one of the statues in the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle. There are four of these, each representing a different season. I think today's is the one representing the autumn harvest because of the sheaves of grain she is holding.

Hatley Castle 6 - Italian Garden

Before we leave Hatley Castle here's a look at the Italian Garden. I love Victoria City's hanging baskets but in the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle the hanging baskets are so lush and luxurious they make the city's look pretty tame.

Hatley Castle 3 - The Italian Garden

Hatley Park National Historic Site consists of the castle and the adjacent gardens. Directly beside the house is the Italian Garden, pictured above and below. It's a very formal garden with trees in tubs and immaculately trimmed and squared hedges, lawns and beds of flowers.

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Click here to see what the castle looks like from across the lagoon, in the autumn.

Statuary

A proper Italian Garden must have statuary and Hatley Castle's Italian Garden is no exception. There are several near life size statues amongst the flower beds and this one is particularly striking because of the white added around the eyes. On closer examination one can see that some teeth have been painted in as well, giving the appearance of a charming overbite. (I have a secret fondness for non-PC teeth, and no tolerance at all for the current obsession with ensuring that children's teeth have the mathematical precision of piano keys). I think this statue may be one of the three graces. There are at least two other similar statues in the garden.

Red at Hatley Castle

Here's one of the reds from Hatley Castle's Italian Garden. It's really a riot of blooms and the colours are only a part of the experience - there are some wonderful scents and sounds. And there are other things to see as well - check back tomorrow for a bit of an overbite....

Blues at Hatley Castle

More flowers and a busy bumblebee from the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle.

Yellow and White at Hatley Park

Yesterday I promised a bouquet from Hatley Castle Gardens and I thought we'd start with some yellow and white. These were photographed in the Italian Garden.