R Gary Butler, PPSA
July 2026 - Fern Buds
About the Image(s)
I am constantly struck by the alliance of Nature and Architecture when it come to the Golden Ratio. I was doing some yard work in mid-May when I noticed the ferns emerging from winter hibernation. These ferns grow quickly so without delay I stopped what I was doing and went for my Canon R5 and my RF 100-500mm lens. One of the assets of this versatile lens is that it can in many cases double as a macro lens. I shot this image at 270mm, f/11 (to blur the background 10 ft. in the rear), at 1/300 sec. I processed it in LR Classic, sharpened in Topaz and used DxO Color Efex 8 Tonal contrast. Lastly I added a vignette back in LRC.
7 comments posted
Hi Gary
I had never thought of it that way "the alliance of nature and architecture" but this image is a fine example of the link great D.O.F. and the colour of the background so compliments the subject of the image and really makes it stand out,also really well spotted as many would never have thought to capture this stage of the ferns growth. Posted: 07/02/2026 13:56:30
I had never thought of it that way "the alliance of nature and architecture" but this image is a fine example of the link great D.O.F. and the colour of the background so compliments the subject of the image and really makes it stand out,also really well spotted as many would never have thought to capture this stage of the ferns growth. Posted: 07/02/2026 13:56:30
Gary, ever since the golden ratio was described by the Greek mathematician Euclid, and which is also connected with Fibonacci's sequence where each number that follows is the sum of the two before it, has been studied and observed in nature. The fern is an typical example of it. In your image it is still a little early in the growth to see it represented.
Anyway, it is a nice nature image, and your selection of optics gave you sharpness where it is needed and blurred the front and the back. Posted: 07/02/2026 15:32:01
Anyway, it is a nice nature image, and your selection of optics gave you sharpness where it is needed and blurred the front and the back. Posted: 07/02/2026 15:32:01
Yes I love the Fibonacci series. Especially the number 144 which as you know is 12 squared but it is also the 12th number in the Fibonacci series! lol
Happy 4th! Posted: 07/02/2026 15:51:57
Happy 4th! Posted: 07/02/2026 15:51:57
First I want to say how much I enjoyed your article on Scotland and the photo are beautiful. You used my second favorite lens the 16-35.
Thanks for reminding us of the Golden Ratio. Your image is sharp and the details are distinct and a great green color, to me it is like a sci-fi image of the stalks eating the leaves. I like the angles of the stalks also. A very interesting image from simple elements, well done. Posted: 07/02/2026 19:11:01
Thanks for reminding us of the Golden Ratio. Your image is sharp and the details are distinct and a great green color, to me it is like a sci-fi image of the stalks eating the leaves. I like the angles of the stalks also. A very interesting image from simple elements, well done. Posted: 07/02/2026 19:11:01
Thanks Vella! Posted: 07/02/2026 19:28:22
I second Vellas thoughts on your Scotland article. As a dedicated photographer, you stopped gardening then retrieved your camera and got to work on your find. Posted: 07/07/2026 18:43:27
It's truly amazing how cameras and technology have changed in recent times. In my younger years we had to struggle to get images like this. We had to wait until our color slides were returned from the Great Yellow Father in Rochester. This is a terrific piece of art and technology. Posted: 07/08/2026 14:55:07