tulip and a try at macro

Recently, I treated myself to a sweet new lens, and it's about time I become a little more familiar with it. After a nice little bridal shower for one of my young friends on Saturday, I was left with a variety of flowers and a little free time on Sunday afternoon - a perfect set-up for some experimenting and learning. Part of what I learned is that my budget tripod is really good for practicing patience, but not so good for making easy adjustments when any tiny adjustment matters. And clearly, beautiful macro will require much practice.