Spring is almost here
or at least that’s what I’m telling myself
Meteorological spring has arrived!
While the official spring equinox is still a few weeks away, I’m more than ready for color, warmer temperatures, and a little less brown, gray, and white. Of course, I know that’s wishful thinking, big shifts won’t happen until late April or May. But in the meantime, I have the luxury of diving into my photo archives to bring a bit of spring to life right now.
So if you’re in need of a break from winter, I hope this newsletter adds a little warmth. But first, let’s step back a bit, I want to share how I unexpectedly found myself photographing flowers.
A Flower Photographer Who Doesn’t Love Flowers?
It might surprise you to hear that I don’t actually care much for flowers. I appreciate their role in the environment, their importance to pollinators, and the necessity of them for our food supply. But I’ve never been one to plant them or keep fresh-cut flowers in the house.
That said, back in 2014, I had a new camera in hand, along with a 100mm macro lens. I had done plenty of macro shots indoors in the studio, but I decided to take it outside and see what nature had to offer. While looking around, I spotted a green spot at the center of a petunia, it looked like a tiny jewel. (And yes, I had to look up what kind of flower it was. The internet makes that easy, what a time to be alive.)
There’s plenty technically wrong with that first flower photo, but I was fascinated by the detail, the tiny specks of pollen catching the light, the textures, the intricate design.
As you know, I’m on the tall side, so small things, especially those close to the ground, had largely escaped my notice over the years. That first macro shot made me wonder: What else have I been missing? My curiosity took over, and before long, I was photographing more and more flowers. Often lying on the ground, steadying myself to get just the right angle. (I’m sure I make for an odd sight when I’m out shooting.)
But the real surprises came later. Once I got the images onto my computer, I noticed details I hadn’t even seen while shooting. Tiny insects, some barely visible, others much larger, going about their work. We always hear about bees as pollinators, but there are so many other creatures involved in the process. Some I intentionally captured, others I only discovered when I zoomed in later.
A Glimpse of Spring
Here are a few of my favorite floral images, little reminders that spring isn’t far off.
These are a few images with surprise guests, some were obvious when I took the photos, while others only revealed themselves once I enlarged them. In the bottom right corner, I’ve circled the tiny ants wandering through the flower.
And probably my favorite: this photo of an oleander. If you look closely at the second image, you’ll discover, just as I did, a tiny little insect photobombing the shot.
Many of these photographs are available as prints here: Shop Photography Prints
It won’t be long before you’ll find me back on the ground, camera in hand, getting up close with nature’s tiny marvels. Until then, here’s hoping spring finds you soon! What are you most looking forward to as spring arrives?
As always, thanks for reading,
-Karl