“Our summers abound with beauty, we just need to stop, from time to time, to really appreciate it, and with the right technology, take the memory home with us.” – Ed Lehming

This image astounded me and made me think about how we currently conduct our days, moving from here to there and seldom enjoying the journey itself.

I’ve driven past this meadow dozens of times recently and noticed the clusters of Black-Eyed Susans scattered through the field and thought, “Those might make a nice photo,” but then kept on driving. Well, I finally stopped along the road, quieting those thoughts.

The flowers were in small clusters and a bit of a distance from the road. Fortunately, my new iPhone 17 Pro Max, which produced most of my recent photos, offers a 200mm zoom option, which is why I bought it, and I was easily able to compose a few shots right from the roadside. I only went to 100mm to get the composition that I wanted, but I had the option to shoot tighter. It is yet another reason for my purchase since I don’t usually have my full Nikon kit with me while traveling from point to point locally. As they say, “The best camera is the one you have with you,” and I have had so many opportunities pass me by because I either didn’t have my camera with me or the phone simply lacked the reach and resolution I required. This device shoots 48MB RAW files with stunning color depth and clarity. I won’t be giving up my kit, since there are still a lot of things the phone simply can’t do, but it sure has opened up possibilities.

Which gets me back to my point about this image. The technological capabilities allowed me to make that stop a success. I got several nice images of the flowers and , armed with capable technology, had a reason to stop along the way to make it happen. It may make for a few longer drives, but I will now be more likely to capture moments that otherwise would simply be memories.

iPhone 17 Pro Max
Main Camera — 100 mm
1/220 sec, ƒ/2.8, ISO 40