Around the yard this fall

Fall is a wonderful time for photography. The colors are vibrant and the weather often vivid, with clear skies and that beautiful, low-angled sun that just says "autumn" to me.

This year we were surprised to see pink among the yellows, reds, and golds in our yard. Our landscaper, Mark Willcher, planted a Camellia last spring that is now covered in pink blossoms with amazing yellow stamens. Based on web searches, I believe it is a Camellia sasanqua. I took some close-ups after a rain shower. Strangely enough, I didn't notice the ant in the blossom until I was looking at the image in Lightroom.

Another gorgeous shrub has been in our yard since we moved here, but I don't know its name (update: Euonymus allatus, a.k.a. burning bush). Its foliage turns a brilliant vermilion in the fall, complemented with orange-red berries.

Camellia sasanqua

Vermilion Bush

The details:
(Camellia) Pentax K-5 handheld 1/80 sec. at f/6.3, ISO 800, 45mm (smc Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM)
(Vermilion) Pentax K-5 handheld 1/80 sec. at f/3.2, ISO 800, 36mm (smc Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM)