Other Flowers

Debbie and I are en route to Chicago to attend two weddings. I have been looking for my picture of the day for what seems like miles on end when I spot one of my favorite sights of summer

Yes, purple loosestrife is an invasive species. And, yes, it is beautiful. This year it has invaded the wetland area along the north side of Ludington South Breakwater. I will enjoy it until someone sees fit to eliminate it. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

Hoary puccoon flowers stand out amidst the rolling dunes of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. These flowers are among the many natural gems waiting to be discovered here by hikers and photographers. The Natural Resources Trust Fund provided more than half the $19 million needed to purchase and preserve the 173 acres of prime real estate for the public. More than 900 families and individuals have pitched in to help make the land acquisition possible. F5.6 at 1/60, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 14mm

The roadside along Pere Marquette Highway at Kibby Creek looks like a garden this morning. I love watching to see what is going to grow next from spring to fall along Michigan roads. F4.0 at 1/400, ISO 200, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

The brilliance of these cardinal flowers rockets out from one of my favorite estuaries along South Lakeshore Drive near Bass Lake. The oriental-looking plants look even more sensational close-up than they did when I first spotted them during one of our favorite summer pastimes

Swaying in the summer breeze, Queen Anne's lace paints an impressionistic picture on my digital camera's sensor during a long exposure. The field in Summit Township looks and feels to me like a Monet painting. I want the photograph to feel the same way. F22.0 at 1.6, ISO 100, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

It was another busy day between work and fair. It is difficult to make any photographs during the fair shows, because I am helping the kids and do not have time. I knew these flowers had started to bloom in the yard, and I liked the dark tones of my dining room table. I knew the two would work well together.

Betsy and I took the kids for a run tonight in the jogging stroller on our normal route through the beach and around the marinas in Ludington. When we were almost home, Julia wanted to get out and smell our neighbor's flowers. Julia informed me that these purple flowers were African Daisies. Not bad for four and a half years old! F2.8 at 1/640, ISO 400, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

One dose of day lily colors and shapes arouses my visual senses. A double dose of day lilies sends my visual senses to a different dimension. I have been looking for wild day lilies all afternoon while scouting for pictures in West Michigan. I wind up finding them on my own land near the Pere Marquette River. Brought to the United States as a horticultural garden plant, day lilies are now widely naturalized in Michigan. F8 at 1/250, ISO 100, 14-24mm lens at 24mm

On a few days during the 365 Project, it has been very difficult to pick which photo to use for the photo of the day. Facebook has been helpful because we can have our fans vote for their favorite. This butterfly I photographed at Big Sable Lighthouse after our photo talk was the winner. Thanks for all the great comments and your votes! F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 1000, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I had Rose of Sharon bushes at my old house. I wished that I could have taken them with me. Much to my surprise, when I moved into our current home, a Rose of Sharon bloomed in our front yard!

Sometimes as photographers, we like to challenge ourselves to find a photograph with only one specific lens. Today I chose my 85mm prime F1.4 lens. I put that on my camera body, grabbed my tripod, and an extra battery, and left all the other equipment in my truck and then I took a hike at our hunting property along the Pere Marquette River. I found these wildflowers and went to work.

You know summer has arrived in northern Michigan when you start seeing sweet pea along the roadsides. I singled out this flower to photograph from amongst hundreds of sweet peas along the shoreline road south of Onekama. I wanted to show how beautiful these flowers are when viewed up close. F9 at 1/8, ISO 100, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

When I was a little girl, I would pick huge bouquets of flowers from my mom’s garden. I would take them into our playhouse, and using wax paper, I would make them into bouquets that I assumed one would buy from a flower shop. I made handmade cards that customers could include with the flowers. It was a vision of mine to put a sign at the end of our road, and have people come visit us and our garden, and buy bouquets from me.

My in-laws, Don and Shari Verduin, moved to Ludington in 2009 and bought a house in town. They are both really into gardening and the house they purchased already had an amazing flower garden, but they have made it even better. Tonight, their zinnias caught my attention. F2.8 at 1/80, ISO 100, 18-50 mm lens at 50 mm

I hadn’t made a photo yet today when I pulled into Brad’s yard. We were all going to watch a movie on the deck with the projector. This white flowering tree with the red blossoms in the background stood out to me.

Daisies are one flower that always seems to make everyone smile. My aunt, Sheryl Reed, has several beautiful gardens at her home, but this daisy garden is by far my favorite. F7.1 at 1/320, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 10mm

Just recently I was loaned a 10-17millimeter fisheye lens and I am loving it. Of course the lens distorts the natural world, but we teach our workshop students that distortion is not always a bad thing. In fact, done well, it can really make a scene go from good to great. F3.8 at 1/320, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11.5mm

I grabbed a single sunflower that had been sitting in a mason jar on my kitchen table and took it outside on my deck so I could make this image. I knew I needed a clean, simple background for the image I had built in my head while eating dinner with Julia and Ethan. The photo turned out better than I had imagined. The details in the clouds disappeared nicely when I exposed for the flower.

Rachel’s daughter, Kasey, is on the middle school cross country team at Mason County Eastern in Custer. We were watching one of her home meets when I noticed these sweet peas in a mix of mustard grass. Trying to not crush any of the flowers or mustard grass, I got close to the prettiest one I could find. With my macro lens, I knew I could make the busy background look soft and less chaotic.