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
Macro
Branching Out
One of my favorite spring images are the new, delicate leaves that sprout from trees emerging from their winter dormancy.
As I walk through the woods I’m always scanning my surroundings for something that catches my eye. This sprig was captured by the late afternoon sunlight and highlighted by a back-light of filtering through the trees, making the very common uncommonly interesting. (At least to me.) It was just another twig among millions that caught my eye.
You can view more of the detail in this image by clicking on the photo.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Softly and Tenderly
There is something about the delicate furl and opening of rose petals that draws the viewer in. Doesn’t this image make you want to get closer to smell its intoxicating fragrance?
This is a flower I found on a trip to Branson, MO a couple of years ago. It was in a small flowerbed, next to the parking lot, at a motel we spent the night at. You never know where you will find beauty to behold…and capture…so keep your camera close by.
You can view more of the detail in this image by clicking on the photo to see a larger version.
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.