Dear friends: As in previous years, Dahlia flower was seen in abundance in August and September this year in several Los Angeles Metropolitan Area gardens. I did not lose the opportunity to photograph these and put them on several of my photo-galleries on pbase. Also, I happened to be, on September 3, at the South Coast Botanic Garden, Rancho Palos Verdes, in Southern California, where on September 3 and 4, 2011, a Dahlia Flower Show and Contest was being held. This function was arranged under the auspices of the prestigious South Coast Dahlia Society. The Society has a very sizable, active and enthusiastic membership. I had the pleasure of having a chat with the Society's President, Mr. Bob Papp, a delightful, energetic and friendly gentleman.

The flower display was held in a large hall with beautiful and elegant decorations of Dahlia arranged very artfully on the tables. It was one of the finest collections of the celebrated flower I have seen. I wish to offer my congratulations to all the contestants.The place was very crowded with people and I had to quickly decide as to how to photograph the selections without trampling on someone's feet or coming in their way.

I extended the legs of my Gitzo Tripod with Arca-Swiss Ballhead, which, normally is enough to scare all the birds up to a mile or farther, and the entrance personnel at all amusement parks. I promptly put on it my Nikon D300 Digital Camera and chose just one lens, 70-300mm A.F-S,ED,VR for all the exhibits. I used wide apertures to keep the background blurred and out of focus. The ambient lighting of the hall was the lighting source and no flash was employed. I obtained about 30 images, which, after some editing, are for you to see. Hope you enjoy the Flower Show. Best wishes. JARIS

PLEASE double-click to enlarge the images.

Your valuable comments are welcome.