The best time to make images of plants and flowers is right after it’s been raining, and the sun pops out from behind dark clouds. The sunlight and drops of water on leaves and flower petals makes for a special photo. In this case I captured two scenes, the first of our now-blooming Rhododendron bush next to the house, and the second of a small Lilly of the Valley plant which is just starting to spread. Next time it rains give this technique a shot…it may be worth your while.
My eye was drawn to this beautiful flowering tree backed by an old brick factory wall in Eden NC. The manner in which the sun was shining made the colors sparkle. I wanted to show the tree and flowers from afar, then a bit closer, then really close. Had the sunlight not been as it was, I’d never have been able to make this series of photos look as good as they do.
No, this post is not about some romantic movie or television show, it’s about a unique flower which we have (fortunately) blooming for a short period every Spring in our yard. I transplanted it as spindly VERY small, single flower plant several years ago and it has grown larger as the years passed. Aptly named isn’t it?
The Dogwood trees in our yard and neighborhood this year are spectacular…whites and pinks…in full bloom. After the week we’ve had in the United States with terrible events in Boston and Texas, it’s God’s work like the beauty you see here that inspires us to overcome adversity, no matter its form.
I think it’s much, much better photographically to get up close when making an image of flowering trees, such as this wild cherry variety. It sits across the street from our home, and every year at this time I watch it change from just a tangled winter season mess of crooked limbs, to beautiful pink flowers which quickly lose their petals during spring thunderstorms, and then finally to basic green leaves for the summer months. What I like the most about this photo is the blurred green background (which is actually the surrounding grass) which makes the flowers and buds stand out. That was made possible by using a telephoto lens and getting up close.
The bumblebees are out in force here in SW Virginia, and their opportunities for various sorts of flowers from which to draw sustenance are great. The main problem for us photographers is to be able to find one or two actually feeding and to have them stay still long enough to make an image. In this case the little guy decided to rummage beneath the flowers, tunneling his way along so that all I could see was the movement of the bright flower petals to know he was there. But eventually he surfaced and took this pose, which he kept until just after I snapped the shutter and then he was gone. But, patience paid off and I got my photo. This is the way it is many times with photography…you have to be patient. Click the image to see more detail.
Every year in April our tulips start to bloom. Unlike the daffodils that proceeded them by a couple of months and are still in bloom, the tulips are short-lived. In fact, you’ve got about a week to catch them at the peak of their beauty. Thankfully I have a camera to record it all…as I do every year.
These pansies look like little smiling gremlin faces in a way but as the heat of summer comes on they will no longer be smiling, because they will be long gone…until next year. I have been spending a lot of time wandering around our yard and the neighborhood looking for interesting flowers and trees which might make for some nice photos. Over the next several days I’ll be posting some of my work. So, before we leave April and get into May, I’ll offer up a “flower week” for your enjoyment.
There are all sorts of flowering trees in bloom where we live in SW Virginia, many being Bradford Pear variety. One reason why I always have a telephoto lens handy for my camera is to be able to make photos like these two…far away and up close…the latter much more beautiful in this case. Other than all the alergy-related sneezing this time of year, I love it all.
