It was 111° in Roseville yesterday! I drove home from the Galleria at about 4 and my car’s thermometer registered 110° and this morning’s paper said it was 111°. Fresno was only 108° yesterday and we were a mere 9° cooler than Death Valley at 120°. But the Delta breezes have kicked in and the temperatures are pleasantly bearable again. This morning I noticed that one of my sempervivums (hens and chickens), planted with other succulents in a large pot on the patio, had produced an elongated stalk with flowers opening on it. I’ve never had one bloom and whether it was the incredibly hot temps here the past few days, or just the normal life cycle, I knew it had to be my photo today. White balance set to fine weather gave it a yellowish cast, not at all what the actual color was, so I set it back to auto WB and the resulting colors were perfect.
Focal Length 300mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/160
WB Auto
Cropped
STUNNING! The focus is wonderfully sharp, emphasizing the detail in the blossoms. Really beautiful set off against the black. Very, very nice!