Spring Time is Portrait Time...

...for iris.
I've kept very busy this month between a photography workshop in the Smoky Mountains, a few charity photo gigs, and some personal things (like family birthdays etc)

But it is spring in southwest Ohio, which in my mind means...
Spring flowers... and especially Iris portrait time. Here are a few:

Woodland Poppy

Iris #1

Iris #2

Iris #3

Daffodil

Iris #4

Iris #5

Iris #6

Iris #7

Iris #8

Iris #9

Iris #10

Iris #11

Iris in Profile and more than one too many

I like Spring and the Flowers it Brings

Daffodil portraits from springs past.
Daffodil

Daffodil

Daffodil

Daffodil

Daffodil

Daffodil

Daffodil

More Flowers

and busy, busy, busy. Falling further behind in processing due to the volume and actually having a deadline for some event photos. Here are a few of my favorite from the past couple weeks.


Riverboat on the Ohio, Cincinnati Ohio

Krohn Conservatory

French Lavender

Mock Orange

Bearded Iris

Bearded Iris

Bearded Iris

Spring and Summer Arrive Earlier and Earlier

I've been taking photos of flowers, bugs etc consistently since I retired and moved here permanently 7 years ago. At least for south western Ohio, the Ohio River valley outside of Cincinnati, spring and summer seem to be arriving earlier and earlier. Here are photos I've taken in the past few days. Hellebores have been blooming since at least Feb 1 and are still going strong. Many daffodils are still blooming whie the grape hyacinth are at their peak. The tulips and woodland poppies are blooming a week earlier than they've ever bloomed before. Today I noticed some iris about to bloom (a good freeze will kill them). I know 7 years is an inadequate sample in the scheme of things, but it's still a sample that gets one thinking.


Grape Hyacinth

Daffodils

Hellebores (aka Lenten Rose)

Tulips

More Tulips

Honeyberry

Woodland Poppy

Spring is Here (At least for now)

Still way behind on the photo work. We went on a long 2+ week "iconic American road trip" to Phoenix and back. (via Omaha;) ) .
It's taking me a lot of time to do the selecting from the resulting 1200+ images, not to mention then processing them.
But there were clearly signs of spring upon our return. Helleborus went from a few blooms when we left, to dozens and dozens. All the while, crocus and daffodils were following shortly thereafter.


Tiny Daffodils, My Favorite

A Mostly White Helleborus Bloom (Lenten Rose)

Helleborus (Lenten Rose)

Helleborus (Lenten Rose)

Purple Crocus

Purple Crocus

Shelter From The Rain - Natural Umbrella Edition

I'm not good about getting up and going any further than my coffee pot in the morning, so I end up missing a lot of nice foggy mornings (such as today). However, on occassion I do make it out into the yard and garden after a rain. This orange cosmos has grown much larger than I expected and it's a favorite of bumble bees. Here a flower is being used as an umbrella.


Bumble Bee Takes Shelter from the Rain

"Bug Hunting"

I try to make it a habit to go out into the garden occasionally with my camera setup to get pretty close (usually a 70-200mm w/25mm extension tube) When the summer flowers are in full bloom is an opportune time. The echinacea, daisy, black-eyed Susan and mint are all especially attractive to "bugs". Late morning and late afternoon seem to be the best times. I've been a little slack this year, but managed to take time out of my day to do some "hunting" yesterday.



Bumble Bee on Top of the Cone

A Particularly Popular Cone

Bug Sex at the End of the Earth

Bumble Bee in a Rose of Sharon

Zoom in - Bumble Bee in a Rose of Sharon Like a Pig in ...

Decisions...

How do you decide? Usually I know. I take the photo knowing. Other times I'm not so sure. And then, sometimes I "know" just to see the shot on the computer screen in Lightromm find out I was wrong.

Is the decision black and white? (figuratively or literally?)


Roses - Color

Rosese - Black & White

Columbines

Columbines are one of my favorite spring flowers. I like their delicate look and the layers of petals.


Columbine

White Columbine