Flowers
Woodland Whites
The trees are coming to life after a long winter’s nap. They seem to do so with great deal of grace and exuberance!
These are the blooms from a flowering tree we spotted on a springtime walk through the woods. The delicate flowers were fresh and plentiful but, I’m sure, will be short lived.
You can get a better look at these blooms by viewing the larger version. Just click on the photo.
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Spring Bloomers
These are one of my wife’s favorite wildflowers. She can’t help but comment on how adorable they are. They are Dutchman’s Breeches. (Dicentra Cucullaria)
These unique wildflowers get their name from the shape of the flowers. They resemble pantaloons hanging upside down and slightly inflated. The yellow adornment at the bottom of the flower resembles a belt on the pantaloons. (I think they look more like old-fashioned bloomers. That’s why I titled this image, Spring Bloomers. That, and because they bloom very early in the spring.)
In our area they begin to show up in early May. The flowers are approximately 3/4 inch in length and white to pinkish in color. The blooms dangle down from thin stalks rising from the lush green plant. According to Wikipedia, Native Americans and early white practitioners considered this plant useful for syphilis, skin conditions and as a blood purifier.
You can view a larger version of this image simply by clicking on the photo.
Invitation To Spring
One of the most inviting indications of spring’s arrival are the cheerful daffodils. They are early bloomers and a sure sign of more spring beauty to come.
Normally I’m eagerly waiting for an opportunity to capture a few of these lovely flowers in our area of northeast Wisconsin. These, however, were captured a couple of weeks before the bloom in our neighborhood.
On a recent trip to southern California we visited the higher elevations around San Bernardino where they still had small patches of snow and were experiencing their own spring arrival. I snapped this pair blooming near Big Bear Lake.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Bird of Paradise
Flowers are one of my favorite photography subjects. They provide an infinite variety of appealing color and form. This exotic beauty was photographed at a botanical garden. This is the bloom of the Bird-of-Paradise plant; also known as the crane flower.
Bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a native of South Africa and is closely related to the banana plant. The name is derived from the unique flower it bears. Some say it resembles a brightly colored bird in flight. I think it more resembles the bird’s head with a colorful plumage crest. Either way, it is a striking and unusual flower.
You can get a better look with a larger, more detailed view of this flower by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Clump of Springtime
Some of the first bloomers in early spring, the Hepatica is a delightful wildflower find. This clump was photographed along a Wisconsin woodland path in April.
The Hepatica is in the buttercup family. It’s also known by some other odd names (at least, to me) such as liverleaf, liverwort and squirrel cups. I’ve read the “liver” names have to do with the shape of the leaves, which some believe resemble a human liver. I’ve also read some Cherokee and Chippewa tribes used Hepatica as a treatment for liver disorders and it’s still harvested for its medicinal values today.
You can view all the detail in this collection of Hepatica full-screen by simply clicking on the photo.
Flitting Among the Asters
On a warm summer day, this monarch butterfly was enjoying the weather and the wildflowers.
This was in a vacant field in the middle of an urban area. The warm sun and abundance of wildflowers were attracting a number of butterflies. Of course, they attracted me and my camera.
My goal was to capture the butterflies in flight. Not difficult to do with the number of butterflies in the area. The difficult part was to capture them close up and in focus. They fly erratically, up and down and every direction. Thankfully, with today’s modern digital cameras, you can snap hundreds of photos (if needed) without the expense of photo development to find the right shot. On this particular shoot, I believe I snapped about 140 shots and came away with several keepers. Still, while this particular butterfly is in focus, when you look closely, the image suffers from a bit of motion blur. (Did I mention they fly erratically?)
You can view a full-screen version of this image simply by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Violet in the Wild
These, very tiny, delicate beauties are common blue violets. I photographed this set while hiking along a woodland path in northeast Wisconsin.
According to my Audubon Wildflower Guide, common blue violets can be found in damp woods, moist meadows, roadsides and even lawns. The violet leaves are high in vitamins A and C and can be used in salads or cooked as greens. The flowers can be candied.
You can view more of the beautiful detail in this flower by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Deeply Devoted to Love
A closeup view of the delicate, and often emotional, beauty of the red rose.
On occasion, I’ve picked up a few long-stem flowers from a local florist for the main purpose of photographing them. Photographing flowers in the wild is a seasonal sport. Photographing flowers purchased from the florist can be a year-round activity.
If I remember correctly, I set this one in a vase on my kitchen table. I used the normal overhead and ambient light available in our kitchen. The drops you see are not water. (Though I’ll also use water in some shots.) These drops are glycerin – looks like water but holds better to the petals.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Bright Idea
This azalea was one of the more colorful and prolific bloomers in my wife’s flower bed this year.
I enjoy getting a close up view of flowers (and other things) to see the details that we often don’t notice in a normal view.
You can get an even closer view by clicking on the photo. A larger view will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Ladies In Red
If you’re looking for springtime beauty with vivid color, it’s hard to beat tulips. These unique, deep red beauties, surrounded by a sea of pink, yellow-fringed tulips were photographed during the annual Tulip Festival in Pella, Iowa.
I struggled with this image. I spent a lot of time trying to get the five red tulips to stand out from the background. The colors are close enough, it’s hard to distinguish the detail of the foreground from the blur of the background. I’m not sure I achieved the separation I wanted the average viewer to experience. I’ve looked at it so much, I can no longer be objective. You’ll have to decide and let me know your first impression.
If you’re a tulip fan, be sure to view a previously posted image from the same outing with a similar name: Ladies In White Try this link for even more tulips: https://popsdigital.com/?s=tulips
You can enjoy a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on it.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.