close cousins

for a long time now, sumac has been one of my very favorite STILL subjects. recently i have started to fall almost as hard for smoke bush. in part because of its gorgeous transition from green in summer to a deep red wine color in fall. and now i see (thanks to wiki) that the two are actually closely related. i learn so much about my natural environment doing STILL every day. i can’t image ever stopping.

smoke bush in late june (Cotinus)

fractal gem

because i have sensitive skin, i don’t wear jewelry, including a wedding ring. however, if my husband had proposed with this precious gem set in an engagement ring, I would possibly try to tough it out.

musk thistle flower bud (Carduus nutans)

floating on air

don’t ask me how much “macgyvering”  it took to get this shot. just enjoy the results.

american white water-lily and flower (Nymphaea odorata)

depth of field

i generally take about fifty versions of each image before i choose which one to post. i usually talk about my subject, or else my composition, but it just occurred to me today that i probably deal with depth of field issues as often as the other two. most of my fifty images each day are the same subject and the same composition, with multiple variations of depth of field. this is an example of a straightforward composition, and a familiar subject, with a very short depth of field, focused on the forwardmost explosion of this botanical firework.

allium

tis the season

you know how if you look closely at the skin of someone you know intimately, you can see the fine hairs that grow everywhere? i feel as if i know these daisies a little bit more intimately than i have ever known a daisy before. i’m not mad about it.

wild yellow daisies