Other Flowers

One of the beautiful signs of spring is the emergence of the marsh marigolds along the Pere Marquette River. Did these beauties appear overnight or did I fail to see them yesterday? How often do we overlook the natural beauty that is right there to behold? Too often, I think. I am trying to slow down more these days to allow more time to see what there is to see. In Michigan, beauty is all around us; I never tire of looking for it. F9 at 1/160, ISO 100, 105mm lens at 105mm

I love the ditch by my mailbox in the springtime. It is covered in yellow mustard weed and is a striking sight. I carefully made this image, showcasing one perfect stalk.

When I spotted my American Flag fluttering in the breeze as I look to make a picture of these blossoms, I know I have found my 365 picture of the day. It occurs to me that the beauty of America is one of the reasons so many American veterans have been willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to defend her. F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

I am 17 minutes late for pizza with the grandkids but I just have to make a picture of these petals in my driveway that had come down with the rain. It takes a few minutes to zero in on the best composition but I think I have it now. Click. F16.0 at 0.6, ISO 100, 105 mm lens at 105 mm

My mom loves lily of the valley. We have many that grow around our garage at the farm. It seemed the perfect photo of the day to celebrate her 78th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Mama!

My dad gave me a tip today to go check out the American Flag made from petunias down at the newly redone Veteran’s Mall in Stearns Park. I was shocked how well done this was. I felt this was the perfect photo to help commemorate Memorial Day, 2020.

The new walking paths inside Cartier Park in Ludington are great places to look for photographs. My daughter Julia pointed out these flowers to me. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

Nikon D850. F16.0 at 1/40, ISO 1600. 105.0mm lens at 105.0mm. May 30, 2020 at 3:12pm.

This beautiful rhododendron plant on Gaylord Avenue in Ludington caught my eye as I was driving to work this morning. I loved how the bright light seemed to be focused on one small section of the giant bush. F2.8 at 1/100, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 18 mm

After making this image, I had to text Rachel and ask her what kind of flower this was in my side yard. She told me it was a bleeding heart and that those were some of her mom’s favorites.

Pam Sprague, who is Sean’s manager at his hotel in Silver Lake, showed me these jack-in-the-pulpit flowers that grow every year in the woods behind the hotel. Telephoto macro lenses are so useful for photographing flowers. They allow you to get close and show detail, but they also help compress a scene and make the background less busy.

The kids and I love having snowball fights in springtime, courtesy of these snowball bushes! I will often fuel my mom with blossoms so she can ambush the kids from the porch.

My backyard is full of wildflowers. The kids and I love exploring each and every one. Today, these vetch plants stood out to me.

I was driving in my old neighborhood on Lewis Street near Lakeview School when I spotted these unique flowers. With my macro lens, I was able to isolate the background and quickly made this image.

In a small ravine on our property, dame’s rocket grows brilliantly. They can be considered invasive, but for me, they are stunning.

My front yard has several large bushes that are near the house. I was excited to see that many beautiful bright pink and purple azaleas bloomed this spring.

So many wishes have been made over the years. As I blew these dandelion seeds into the wind after making this photo, another wish was made.

I love living so close to Cartier Park now. The kids and I can walk there pretty quickly from home. Tonight, we walked there together and we spent time enjoying the beauty of the dame’s rocket flowers.

My brother and sister-in-law’s yard has a large variety of beautiful flowers and plants throughout. Today I worked at capturing this poppy in magic light. To me this flower looks like a strange bug with big eyes and a large mouth.

My mom’s yellow roses climb the wall of the farm’s garage. Each year we welcome their sight. I hope to transplant some of them to our home soon.