The last few days, we’ve had enough rain to kickstart the process of re-greening the North of England’s meadows, and I started to feel a little celebration of sunshine might not go amiss. Isn’t that the way it always is?
My first is a decidedly strange (for me) shot of roses growing overhead – so high, they ruled out the little dead-heading needed for a conventional shot. At the time I took it, I was half-imagining some form of caption in the top left: a concise one like Dog Days or Wine & Roses. As the end result captures more of their spirit than I expected, I’m leaving it alone. For now.
The second is pure essence of flower blur: spires seen against thistle-type flowers and a leafy lime green background .
If I was challenged to produce a flower picture that seemed to represent all the seasons in just one shot, this would be it. I wasn’t trying to be arty when I took it – nature forced my hand. One of the florets is almost in focus, but blurriness definitely wins out. As a picture of a plant, it doesn’t quite work but the rich colours are effective, the flowers seem joyful and I like the way the interplay of light and shade draws the eye around the picture.
Finally, a hooded-style yellow poppy (Meconopsis napaulensis yellow form) in a woodland garden. This is another weird shot that I can’t help liking: an illuminated manuscript of plants. The main flower was the intended subject, but the shadows on the hosta leaf, the nodding little novice poppy in the bottom right, the hosta flowers, turned blue by some trick of the light and even those pinkish blurs all demand attention.
None of these pictures did what I was intending, but they all succeeded in capturing an atmosphere I was barely aware of when the whole scene was before me.
Susan Rushton 
Beautiful photos, as always!! I love the first one with the roses… Those tones and the light are super elegant!
I’m glad you liked it. I didn’t really expect the shot to work but took it anyway. 🙂
Wonderful photos! I find your wording to be beautiful as well as helpful to a novice photographer like myself.
Thanks for your kind words, Jodie.
How do I love this? Let me count the ways! First, “the essence of flower blur” — what a concept! It hit me with my first cup of coffee this morning and so I woke up much faster than usual. It seems to me that the essence of blur is something to ponder. I was completely taken by the “thistle-type” flowers between the spires and the lime green; that blast of blue-white among the repeated patterns is a wonder. The photo of the four seasons has a color richness I love too. Not to mention the flower shadow on the hosta leaf! Or the tentative touch of sun on the unfurling rosebud! These are wonderful, and I thank you for the splendid morning here!
I’m glad you liked them. It’s fun to experiment, though unremitting sun gives you little choice.
All of those are pretty sweet. For us, this is the time of year when bloom starts to slow down before autumn. We really can grow flowers all years here, but not many of us work too hard to force them to bloom when they really would prefer not to.
I like having four distinct seasons with time for everything to rest.
It is funny that looking back at a series of pictures tells you what it was all about, isn’t it? I did almost the same thing the other morning after rain. Everything was a-sparkle. Your rose pic is gorgeous! I love looking at things from weird angles.
Thanks Ali – a-sparkle describes it perfectly.
Lovely photos!!!
Thanks, Cindy!
Oh these are stunners … just love the first and last! Not weird at all .. beautiful 😃
I suppose I ought to be a bit more adventurous 🙂