The lens allows me to go to 1:1 from subject to camera sensor. It's needle sharp when I manage to hold the camera still enough.
The camera can operate effectively at 1600 ASA equivalent and with f2.8 from the lens I manage most of the time with available light even in woodland.
Mostly I use manual focus, which is where an SLR is invaluable.
After taking a picture I can instantly review the histogram and see if highlights have been lost. If they have it's try again with "dialled in" underexposure.
Most pictures need little post-processing but I store the RAW files in case I want to modify later. Where I have had to underexpose for the highlights of a white flower, Nikon Capture software provides brilliant tools for getting the look right.
I prepare the pictures for the web using Adobe Photoshop (which thankfully I need for my work).
I've been taking pictures of flowers for many years but only got really serious about wild flowers in the last few years. I now walk regularly in my local Mendip hills and am learning to identify wild flowers properly - with much help from the local Wildlife Trust. (Flicking through the book looking for it is becoming less common.) I am now adding my pictures to British Wild Flowers and my own site Floral Images.