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“A flower does not use words to announce its arrival to the world; it just blooms.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo As I write this, thunder is booming and the rain is coming down in sheets. Only moments before, my wife cut one of our Annabelle Hydrangea blossoms, for fear of them being further damaged. You see, this year, with all the rain we’ve had, the blossoms are huge. By huge, I mean the size… Read More
“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” ― Ray Bradbury I went out this morning to photograph my rhododendrons, which are now in full bloom and was greeted by a hungry bee, who was busy flying from blossom to blossom, completely laden with pollen. I’m usually a bit skittish around bees, yet having camera in… Read More
“The early dew-falls that did a pristine coating, over the woods with its finest transparency, glazed as like its wet white-glassy earrings that hung on the ears of wild flowers—unlatched my fancy.” ― Nithin Purple The spring flowers continue, including fresh strawberry blossoms in the backyard. The plants are volunteers, likely from seeds deposited by a bird. The plants have spread throughout a corner of the garden and have in past years produced… Read More
“If only these treasures were not so fragile as they are precious and beautiful.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I got out for a quick walk at lunch today and came across these delicate blossoms. I’m not sure of the exact species, but it looks like some form of wild cherry, perhaps Pin Cherry. The light was just right to use my portable background to isolate the blossoms from the background, giving the… Read More
“We are entering the Dark Ages, my friend, but this time there will be lots of neon, and screen savers, and street lighting.” ― Edward St. Aubyn The title for this image came fairly easily, though a bit quirky for me. With this past Sunday being Mother’s Day and my wife’s birthday, I have a profusion of flowers to photograph. There are many varieties of tulip, still not quite open, carnations, peruvian… Read More
“Everyday gratitude sweetens what appears flavorless and brightens all that appears dim.” ― Amy Leigh Mercree Well, it’s another dreary, dull day in my area and I keep going back to a series of daffodil photos I made last week. I believe the variety is called butter and eggs, and I can see why that name was chosen. What really appeals to me about these blossoms is the semi-transparent rear petals. They… Read More
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” ― Luther Burbank A new day, a new flower. As with the pink one I shared yesterday, it fills my home with the sweet fragrance of spring. This blossom was so heavy with tightly packed flowers that it can barely sustain its own weight, and I’m presenting it as such, as it leans toward the light,… Read More
“Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. At the edge of perception, weird things dance and howl.” ― M.H. Boroson Every now and then, a photo surprises me. For those of you who are photographers and take interest in my camera settings, which I post with most of my photos, you will have noticed that the studio florals do not vary a whole lot. I will tweak aperture if I want… Read More
“Everyday gratitude sweetens what appears flavorless and brightens all that appears dim.” ― Amy Leigh Mercree The floral photography adventure continues. As I keep making these images, I’m trying a few different techniques. In this instance, the blossoms were at the end of a long stalk. Including the stalk lengthwise made the photo, and the plant itself look awkward. So, I spun the plant around and photographed it end-on. A further challenge… Read More
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite – only a sense of existence. Well, anything for variety. I am ready to try this for the next ten thousand years, and exhaust it. How sweet to think of! My extremities well charred, and my intellectual part too, so that there is no danger of worm or… Read More
“I don’t think there’s anything on this planet that more trumpets life that the sunflower. For me that’s because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it…. Read More
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. ― Anne Frank Such a menacing name for such a beautiful, delicate flower. But, the Dogbane… Read More
“My favourite plant is the foxglove. I think they are a perfect balance between being a garden plant and a wild plant, as at home in woodland as they are in a city.” – Clive Anderson Keeping on my recent departure to flower photos, above is a wonderful foxglove blossom that I found at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario. The gardens are divided into several sections, which cover a… Read More
“A lie has many colours, while white is the only faithful colour of truth.” ― Munia Khan This year has been an interesting shift for me, photographically. I tend to lean towards natural places, such as forest trails, rivers, and lakes. This year I’m finding myself also taking in more man-made gardens and cultivated flowers. Perhaps this is because I’ve been spending more time in my own backyard and going to botanical… Read More
“Someone was playing piano nearby and the music drifted slowly in and out of my mind like the ebb and flow of ocean surf. I almost recognized the melody, but I could not be sure, it slipped like a cool and silken wind from my grasp.” ― Chaim Potok Today’s image is another foray into the world of macro photography and I’m loving the effects and subtle details the naked eye misses…. Read More
“The little boy nodded at the peony and the peony seemed to nod back. The little boy was neat, clean and pretty. The peony was unchaste, dishevelled, as peonies must be, and at the height of its beauty. Every hour is filled with such moments, big with significance for someone.” – Robertson Davies I’m not sure what the formal designation for this variety of peony is, but in my home it’s know as… Read More
“If you want a happy ending, it just depends on where you close the book!” ― Orson Welles A final image of trilliums for the season. This has been a fine year for them. Moderately warm days brought on a slow bloom and cool nights preserved the delicate blossoms. As I roamed the forest a few days ago, I could not help but make a few more images to look back on… Read More
“Oh, the wonder of it! The outrageous beauty! God didn’t have to give us cherry blossoms you know. He didn’t have to make apple trees and peach trees burst into flower and fragrance. But God just loves to splurge. He gives us all this magnificence and then, if that isn’t enough, He provides fruit from such extravagance.” – Lynn Austin I was not expecting to see cherry blossoms this year. All indications were… Read More
“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe Yet another, early emerger, Blue Cohosh. This beauty emerges from the forest floor looking more purple-blue than this image indicates. However, I wanted to capture the delicate flower and blue fruit. When they first sprout from the ground,… Read More
Ah, spring! I went for an early morning walk this morning and was greeted by yet another gift of spring – a beautiful crab-apple tree loaded with delicate pink-white blossoms. The sun was just up and provided a wonderful soft light. I tried to keep as much of the flower-head in focus while keeping the background soft. I spent quite a bit of time with this particular subject and will be posting… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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