Category: Flowers

This is a picture of the central portion of a sunflower. There is a community garden near our home where a variety of flowers and vegetables are grown.

In July 2023 I took a stroll to the garden and surrounding area and took 80 pictures. In this image, my love of nuance and subtlety are shown; those parts of wonder that lie all around us but go unnoticed unless we are intentional of becoming aware of what is already here for us to enjoy.

Of the 80 pictures taken that day, one other image made the cut and is proudly displayed in our Etsy Shop: Flowers – Untitled #41.

This hydrangea’s picture was taken in late April 2023. It had survived the winter intact and displayed the delicacies, details, and nuances which were particularly rewarding since many plants do not remain in such good condition after winter.

One of our many trips to the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois produced this inspiration of retaining a degree of unique beauty after otherwise, harsh and trying circumstances. A survivor.

In Saugatuck, Michigan, there is a park, called Mason Park, that is on the southeast corner of the intersection of Mason and Butler Streets. While not large, it is beautifully intimate with flowers, sculptures, trees, and benches upon which to sit to enjoy the beauty. And though it is right next to one of the busy intersections in Saugatuck, it is a peaceful haven, a get-away, from the tourists, shoppers, visitors, attraction-seekers, and shopkeepers and residents that call this beautiful town home.

Within that lovely park we took this picture of a Stargazer Lily during a brief visit in July 2023. We’ve made several visits there over the years and have always found new and beautiful sights to behold and never-ending new things to discover.

Our nearby community garden offered many great photo opportunities in 2022. This picture of a morning glory, taken in September, shows the detail of the pistil and interior of the flower with the petals being illuminated by the sun.

Another picture, taken that day, that you can find in our Etsy Shop is Flowers – Untitled #32.

An October 2022 walk around Crabapple Lake in the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois offered so many appealing sights.

This milkweed pod that had opened up gave an opportunity for the seeds with their feather-like structures to go airborne to find fertile ground.

A month or two prior to taking this picture, I was driving in the area near our home. I noticed out of the corner of my eye what appeared to be a larger that normal garden area. In the process of time, I was able to locate the area on Google maps and decided to plan a trip to take pictures.

On that October 2022 day, I ended up taking over one hundred pictures at Prairie Walk Pond, in Lisle, Illinois, despite its relatively small area. Of its 4.5 acres, 2 acres are taken up by the pond and a trip around the pond is only 1/3 of a mile. But it was plush with an amazing variety of plants and flowers.

This is a picture of Indian hemp in the foreground and I love the way it contrasts with the, mostly, out of focus purple blossoms behind.
Another version of this picture, Untitled #72, with some Lightroom modifications, as well as Untitled #87, and Untitled #95 are available in our Etsy Shop from that day’s adventure.

This is the same picture as Untitled #77 with some modifications. To read the story about the pictures, please go to Untitled #77.

For those who might like a softer, more subtle version of Untitled #77, we offer this versions wherein we adjusted the clarity and texture.

Other pictures from that day, that you can find in our Etsy Shop, besides Untitled #72 and Untitled #77, include Untitled #87, and Untitled #95.

In July 2023 I took a walk to the nearby community garden to take pictures with my macro lens. Among the many beautiful plants there, this Zinnia caught my eye.

Highlighted in this image is the colorful and intricate center portion called a flowering head or capitulum. I appreciate the detail afforded by the lens and it gave me an even deeper awareness of the beautiful nuances that surround us.

This is a picture of Bristle Grass, one of several names given to this plant, but a good general description, nonetheless. Taken in September 2022, it is part of the wonderful abundance that we find near our home in the community garden.

Over the years, in my role as a photographer, I have found myself drawn more and more to the moments, the details, the nuances, not only in the physical environment, Nature, Creation, or what you are comfortable calling “it,” but in life in general. It is those “things,” in abundance, every day, every moment, all around us, that only ask that we take the time to notice. It is a gentle, peaceful beckoning to slow down for a bit and become aware of all of the beauty that surrounds us in so many forms. I yielded to this invitation of the structure, form, texture, and surroundings of the Bristle Grass that September day.

One more picture from that day, Untitled #97, can be found in our Esty Shop.

This is a picture of a variety of Mountain Hydrangea, taken with a macro lens for detail. We took a trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois on the 16th of July 2023. During our time there I took about 60 pictures. This picture, in particular, is a beautiful representation of the images on display that day.