It's a bit of a drive, but Rochester, NY's Lilac Festival kicks off this Friday and continues for the next week. About a five hour drive north of York (288 miles), Rochester's festival is a experience for all your senses. Maybe best of all, it's free.
Just walking up the Highland Park hill, visitors smell the lilacs in the wind--1,200 bushes over 20 acres offer quite a fragrance. Colors range from pale pink and stark white to a purplish blue. Nearby are azaleas, rhododendrons and peonies, and various trees and collections.
Like most festivals, it began simply as a one-day affair. Now it's a week-long event with stage performers, business networking, wine tasting, and oh yes, the lilacs. Performers this year include Rita Coolidge, 10,000 Maniacs and Vonda Shepard. There is a charge for seeing the performers.
There are plenty of opportunities for photographers, but don't get caught up in shooting only the lilacs. Birds, both nestlings and fledglings, are everywhere and rhodos and peonies are still blooming. Robins will usually tolerate quiet people within 7-8 feet. And crowd watching-- nearly a half million people-- usually finds some good subjects.
An asphalt path takes visitors through the park, and nearly all the plants, trees and bushes are identified with labels.
The bee photo was shot at 400 ISO, 1/250 second, f20 with ring flash and 105 mm macro lens. The robin feeding its family was 800 ISO, 1/125 second, f2.8, with 80-200 at 200mm. The individual lilac was shot at 200 ISO, 1/60 second, f29 with a 105 ring flash.
For directions to the festival, click here.
WOW! Incredible photos.