Relaxation in Color

I don't know what these flowers are called, but I saw a huge bush almost as tall as a house. I stood under it, and looked towards the sky. This is the shot I took. The colors are pretty, and seeing the sky against the purple and green just feel relaxing to me.

History Straight Up

I have passed by this historical building before but never got the chance to get close to it. The time of day was late afternoon with the sun shining brightly from the west. The winds were pretty strong at the time also. When I stood on the front steps and looked up I saw a really colorful stained glass window and lovely architectural details above that, against a bright blue sky. The shadow from a huge tree to the right played a big part in the shadows on the image itself. I will probably go back there again at a different time of day to see what other images might come from this beautiful building.

Lily Fest Part Two

These are the last of the lily images, at least right now. As you can see from these photos, as in real life there are many imperfections, and as in the previous post also different stages of the blooms. As I search for more lilies through the summer season I'll post them in another group photo! :)

Lily Fest Part One

I have been out and about in search of lilies! As promised I am putting up all the different lilies I have found. They are in somewhat different stages, and in the blur of the background you may see other lilies in beginning or ending stages. My next post which will actually be above this one will be Part Two. I will try to do that as soon as I can. Enjoy!

Urban Accessories

As I was walking down a city street I found this absolutely fabulous drainage type grate. As you can see upon closeup it has all kinds of junk that has fallen through the holes, but the design on this is fantastic. There are  six sections in all but the view of the middle wasn't too appealing, so I just took the shot almost up to the pie shaped wedge, and allowed the extra pieces of two section to be in the shot also. I hope you guys find this little bit of art as beautiful as I do!

Wind Swept Wheat

I have been watching several wheat fields through the season. I noticed that farmers are already starting to harvest some of them. I knew if I wanted to get some nice wheat images I'd better hurry before they were all gone! This photo was taken about an hour before sunset. The sky had darkened as if a storm were coming. The wheat stalks were being tossed around in the wind, hence the title! I will post other images of this same field, but I think this is my favorite one by far.

Eeyore's Thistle

As I was scouting out some good places for photos I came upon a lovely thistle patch. This particular flower  was fully bloomed, and a lovely shade of purple. The first thing that came to my mind was Eeyore and his thistle patch from Winnie the Pooh! :)

Black Eyed Susan

This year I have noticed a multitude of Black eyed susans growing along side of roads, in fields and just about everywhere. This is a nice little cluster, standing tall reaching for the sun. If you look very closely there is  either a small bee or insect of some kind on one of the flowers. Since I was a child I've always had a fondness for these flowers. They represent summer and just grow in the wild!  I like the look of the deep brown center contrasted with the lovely yellow petals.

Where Ferns Grow

On a walk the other day I found several large patches of ferns growing in the woods. I tried many different angles to get a good view of them. This one seems to give the best view as the light was poor at that time of day in a wooded area. I've always loved ferns. They have a slightly magical feel to them.

The Wild Things

I found these flowers to have a very interesting and wild feel about them. I can't seem to find out what they are called, so if anyone knows I'd appreciate it. They are all in slightly different stages, as can be seen by some of the browner areas. I took one photo as a group, then another to show a little bit closer view.

Raindrops on Poppy

As mentioned in the previous post I was out in a light rain this morning trying to get some floral shots in before the storm. This is a California Poppy with some raindrops on it. I would love to have gotten a shot of a field of them, but they are a little more sparse than I would like. This one makes a nice specimen though.

Zinnia in Bright Pink

This morning, just as we started to get some light rain, I went out to the botanical gardens. I was able to get in a few nice shots of some different flowers before we got major thunderstorms. This Zinnia was a particularly pretty color, so I got this shot. Light rain was falling at the time, but within 30 minutes or so we had total downpours. I'm glad I was able to get some shots in before the storm!

Reflections of Sunset

I started out late this afternoon walking through woods, and along trails. I came across some really cool remnants of the foundations of an old house, and some farming equipment. I may still try to see if I can get them up on the blog, but first I wanted to share the sunset I chased on the way home. I kept searching for someplace to get a decent view. Well this isn't a perfect background, but the pond does do a beautiful job of showcasing the sunset and the trees in the reflection. Enjoy!

Critters on Yellow!

These gorgeous yellow Marigolds just begged me to come over for a closer look. When I did, I happened to notice a tiny cricket on top of this particular flower, and another smaller insect on the far right side of the same flower. They must feel like they're standing on a big yellow ball!

Hazy Day Bridge

I love this bridge, I think it has a slight oriental feel to it. I just wish there had been a nice clear blue sky that day. Unfortunately it was quite humid and totally hazy. Anyway, I think the view of the bridge can stand on it's own.

Taking a Dip

As I mentioned in a previous post I have been seeing a lot of butterfly weed. While looking at some up close the other day, I followed a bee around. I happened to catch him in this position just getting his little head into one of the colorful orange flowers. Please click to enlarge to see the bee!