Yes, I often stop down to 1 1/2 stopss too, depending on if I'm seeing a lot of light areas in the image. In fact, I don't have a whole lot of time and a big garden, so I have to be efficient. Not knowing what mood I'll be in re depth of field when I look at them later on, I'll take multiple pictures in multiple f stops and in each of those f stops, I'll usually take multiple bracketed exposures, if I explained that right. It's not unusual for me to take 200-300 pictures on a 30 minutes walk around the garden being really efficient! The problem I'm having now is that my lens is too slow and I'm getting lots of slightly blurred images. I need a faster lens, which is too expensive for the moment. Re the reds, if you use the magnetic lasso in photoshop you can isolate areas that you want to have a separate exposure. Also, there is now very exciting new technology by Nik software where you can just click on any area and change that area. I'll definitely be getting that at some point. In the meantime, if it's really a problem, I'll isolate the part of the image I need to change with the magnetic lasso or just manipulate the exposure with levels, but I don't like super saturated reds, so I'll underexpose the reds by a variety of settings to be sure that there is detail in the bloom later on. Working with the exposure should help with the color. If not, you can always manipulate the individual color tones.

Cathy, I would like to offer one word of advice. You stated that you don't shoot landscapes and such, which is fine, but I would strongly advise you get a camera that will handle all of your immediate needs but still offer the versatility to branch out into other areas. Once you start shooting digital with reusable memory cards and rechargeable batteries you will instantly realize that you no longer have to concern yourself with the high cost of film and processing, and you will be free to shoot more. In fact, you might find that digital photography can quickly become addictive..LOL. Now in regard to the choice between Pentax and Nikon, for me it was a no brainer. I began shooting Pentax SLR film cameras in 1968 and over the years I have amassed a collection of 5 Pentax SLR film cameras, 41 Pentax lenses, and not to mention a bellows and a long list of other items. I can still use all of those lenses with my 3 Pentax digital bodies, allowing of course that when using the older lenses you are limited to the features that are built into the lens. By example, when using the old M42 screw mount lenses I must operate in full manual mode and manual focus lenses are still manual focus on the digital camera, but here again, Pentax developed the first auto focus camera and they made a full line of auto focus lenses for the auto focus film cameras that are fully compatible in auto focus mode on the digital body. With that in mind there are some super bargains on high quality used lenses that work fine on the Pentax digital bodies. The only caution is be very careful of third party aftermarket lenses that are made with the Pentax mount. There is something different about some of those mounts and there has been instances when one of those lenses is attached to a digital body it will not come off again. On the other hand, they also make an adapter that allows the use of the older Pentax M42 screw mount lenses on both Nikon & Canon digital bodies.

wow cool. In the morning. you can spray it with aerated compost tea. and spray with seaweed foliar feed. as long as the leaves stay dry. It looks really healthy. And you can mix up a batch of fermented alfalfa compost tea to get gangbusters blooms. Hope we can see more pictures.

Hi Sophia, I can give little input on repetition. I don't pay attention to that here in non-winter land. Poor Abraham Darby got suckers from his Dr. Huey root stock after 4 yrs. and I thought they were the octopus canes I'd read about. By the time I figured it out they had taken over. I battle them every year (difficult access). Poor Abe is now only 3 feet high but in my climate grows easily to 6 feet +. Dr Huey is stealing nutrients and water. Large petal packed wafting uber fragrant blooms. Some blackspot in a non-spray garden. Evelyn is in the path of the wind. She has a lovely spring flush (no winds) and sporadic bloom thereafter (regular winds). No blackspot this year on either as yet. Disease wise I'd say they're equal here (very little). Evelyn's blooms are probably the same diameter as Abe's but not as deep. I keep her under 5 feet with pruning. A 7 ft. arching cane appeared after 6 or 8 years. Colors - Abe is usually a pink fully infused with peach-yellow-mango. Full bodied oomphy color. Lasts no more than 3 days in a bouquet. In Sept. mine changes to a warm medium pink, not as peachy as spring but never bluey-pink. A boring everyday color. In Nov. it is back to a prettier peachy pink. Evelyn, ah Evelyn. The pink dawn touched by sunlight? Not pink, not peach, but a sophisticated blend on gossamer satin petals. I think it is the delicate iridescence that captivates. If I could only have one rose bloom a year it would be her. So you see I am terribly prejudiced and pay little attention to the bush.