Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Flowers
Dutchman’s Breeches
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These tiny flowers are a favorite because of their unusual shape that earned them their fun name.
Dutchman’s Breeches is a unique wildflower that gets its name from the flowers that dangle down from thin stalks rising from the lush green plant. The flowers get their name from the blooms that resemble pantaloons hanging upside down and slightly inflated. They are early spring bloomers, arriving April to May, are approximately ¾ inch in length, and white to pinkish in color with a yellow line at the bottom of the flower that resemble a belt on the pantaloons.
For a more detailed view of these little beauties, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Spring Variety Show
Life is full of delightful surprises…for those with an eye to see them. This image represents one of those moments.
My wife and I were on an early spring walk along a nearby wooded trail. I always take my camera and was on the hunt for wildflowers. Again, it was early spring – very early, and wildflowers were scarce. We felt blessed to find any. Then we came across this scene.
I have never encountered such a diverse group of early wildflowers grouped together in such a small space. These flowers are tiny; the largest one was no bigger than my thumbnail. The footprint of this arrangement was no bigger than the palm of my hand.
It was the floral highlight of our hike…and maybe of our spring.
Get a closer look with a full-screen view by clicking on the photo.
Spring Glow
The beauty of spring is exemplified in the daffodil. This two-toned variety is one of my favorites. I found these blooming at a small, local park.
The setting was mostly shaded, but in the early morning, some sunlight sneaks through. The sun, coming from behind the flower gives this daffodil a glowing quality.
To view some of the fine detail in this image, get a closer look by clicking on the photo.
Promise
Sudden Outbreak of Spring
On a recent hike, we stumbled across this delightful display of early spring wildflowers. These were the first wildflowers of the season we encountered. We found a few other wildflowers along the trail, but they were very sparse. In a few days, the trail will have many more of these and other varieties.
To get a better view, click on the photo and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Luscious
But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
This is another one of my “can’t wait for spring” creations. Still in the dull, cold, dreariness of early spring, I picked up a few flowers from a local florist.
This was a particularly beautiful bloom. I took a number of photos of this image dry and then added some moisture from a simple spray bottle. I propped it up on a kitchen chair and photographed it in early morning, natural light from a nearby window.
I recently posted a Black & White image of this same flower titled, A Light Caress (Check it out for an interesting comparison. Let me know which you like better in the comments.)
You are really missing out if you don’t view the larger version. To see all the lucious detail, click on the photo.
Sunny Side Up
I put the macro mojo to work on this flower photo. It’s a Gerbera Daisy I picked up from a local florist…just to photograph it.
Gerbera daisies are big, bold and beautiful. They are nearly perfect, so much so, they’ll make you wonder if they’re artificial. Geberas bloom in nearly every color (except true blues and purples) on long, thick, sturdy stems. You can expect them to last a week or more in the vase, making them a favorite of flower arrangers and home decorators.
It is well worth looking at the larger version for the details of the flower’s center. To see it, just click the photo.
A Light Caress
The subtle tone and texture of this rose is accentuated by the soft light from a near by window.
It will be awhile before the flowers begin to bloom this spring. In the interim, I picked up a few flowers from a florist to photograph.
This rose is actually a vibrant, two-toned, orange and yellowish color. Ironically, the color made it an excellent candidate for a monochrome treatment.
You can get a better look at this image’s details by clicking on the photo, which will open a larger version.
Spring Blooming Crocus
These are the first flowers I’ve been able to photograph this spring. The Crocus is possibly the earliest of all early, spring bloomers. I found this nice clump at the N.E.W. Zoo.
To get a better view, click on the image and a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
Two-toned Daffodils
A most welcome sign of early spring – the Daffodil. I spotted this two-toned version along a bank filled with a colorful variety of daffodils.
To view a larger version of this image, click on the photo.