Category: Nature

I originally shot this in colour but during editing I found the monochrome version better emphasized the structure I was drawn to: the radial symmetry, the softness in the petals, and the quiet transitions in tone. Without the distraction of colour, the form took center-stage. I used diffused light to keep the image clean and even and cropped tightly to simplify the frame. Post-processing focused on preserving midtone detail and soft edges while keeping the overall feel subdued.

Shot on the same visit to Gardens by the Bay as the last post. What stopped me was the way the light hit both roses — soft and directional, giving them a kind of glow that stood out against the quiet, dark greens behind them. From there, it was just about framing things simply and letting the light do most of the work.

Spotted this Treasure Flower bud at Gardens by the Bay this morning — still holding its secret, not quite ready to bloom.

Shot with Dad’s old Leica-R 100mm f/2.8 macro adapted to my Canon R5. It’s fully manual, and with such a shallow depth of field, nailing focus was tricky. But there’s something about how Leica lenses render light and softness — that creamy bokeh, that sense of something hidden just beneath the surface.

A quiet reminder that sometimes, the treasure is in the waiting.