When I think of spring, tulips come to mind. Late summer and early fall are all about dahlias. I look forward to capturing images of these beautiful flowers during those seasons. But when I think of mid-summer sunflowers are front and center! They have color, gestures, and personalities. I know that it sounds like a strange way to describe a flower, but all of this is true in my experience.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85
I live close to a community garden (P-Patch), which is a wonderful place to take flower images. Many of the garden patches grow sunflowers ranging from the American Giant that can get up to 10 feet high, to smaller more accessible ones that grow about 4-5 feet tall. I prefer the smaller ones because it is easier for me to take images.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 56
Color
My favorite sunflower is the one that is a deep burnt brown color, called Little Becka Sunflowers. I love the detail and color of this sunflower, and getting close up with my shots.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85
Taken with Lensbaby Sweet 50 with +10 macro filter
Taken with Lensbaby Sweet 50 with +4 macro filter
Gestures
Although there are amazing photos of sunflower fields that I have seen, I personally love capturing the details in the sunflower. Occasionally I take an image full-faced, but generally, I prefer to take pictures from the side, back, top, and part of the front. I find that I can capture the gestures better that way.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 28
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85
Personalities
I realize that flowers are flowers, but in my mind, they all have personalities. I love discovering them and capturing them in my photos. Some are bold, others shy, and many express whatever they want, which can change by the day.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85 and Omni filter
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 56
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85
I love taking out different lenses to see what I can capture when exploring for sunflower images. Each lens has its own creative personality as well as the flowers, which makes for a fun match. I hope you take a moment and go out to discover the beauty of sunflowers while they are in full bloom.
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One last photo to enjoy on this summer day.
Taken with Lensbaby Velvet 85 and Omni Filters