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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #101 – One Single Flower

I’m honored to be a guest host for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #101 with the topic of One Single Flower.

When I was asked to guest host, my first thought was it had to be a flower challenge and as I thought more about it, I came up with the topic one single flower.  One of my favorite quotes is “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.  Buddha.  I know flowers have changed my world.

I thought I would start with one of the first photographs I took of a waterlily.  I was too afraid to buy a camera with all the lenses, so my first “serious” camera was a pre-DSLR Sony DSC-H9 on August 1, 2008.   After seeing the photo above, I got hooked real fast on floral close ups.  Since then I have had many cameras and lenses.

I take most of my flower photos from either my yard or various flower farms that are near me.  So the majority of my flowers are in their natural outdoor setting.  Because of this I’ve learned to take photos of flowers from all angles since flowers don’t always cooperate and grow away from the paths I’m allowed to stand on.

Have you ever tried to take flower photos from their back.  This is a peony back.

What about a lone flower in an open field.  This is a coreopsis in my yard.

You can take flowers from their sides too.  This is a giant sunflower bud.

One of the hardest types of flowers to photograph is the bearded irises.  I love them.  It took me years to figure out how to capture them well.

And I think the most photogenic of all flowers is the dahlias.  I’m fortunate enough to live in the same town as North America’s largest dahlia farm.

We look forwarding to seeing your “One Single Flower” interpretation.

Please use the tag Lens-Artists and link to my original post (the link on WP Reader does not work).

Many thanks to Tina’s (Travels and Trifles) inspiring and beautiful topic last week of “The Long and Winding Road”.  Have you seen these wonderful posts from last week:

Hosts for the remaining challenges in June are:

As always, Patti, Amy, Tina, Ann-Christine, and I look forward to seeing your creative responses to this week’s challenge and thank you for your support.  I hope this week is filled with inspiration and good health for you and your loved ones.

Thanks to the Lens-Artists dream team to let me share some of my love of flowers with everyone.

I’ve gathered a list of challenges and their hosts.  So if you know a challenge host, please direct them to my blog.  Feel free to contact me anytime.  I hope everyone will be able to use my lists.

Qi (energy) hugs

Cee

281 replies »

  1. Just one word … WOOoOOOoow! As I said before – you really talk the language of the flowers – absolutely stunning. Very nice to be on this playground with you for a week.

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  2. Cee, I’ve always been a fan of your flower photography, so I wasn’t completely surprised by your choice of topic for this week. My response is more of an “inspired by” response than a strict interpretation, but I felt it was close enough to go ahead and add here: https://wp.me/p2owKx-1HM
    Thanks for hosting this week,
    Cheers, Amy

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  3. Absolutely Amazing – Cee – as always, you are the Queen of flowers! I’m so very grateful you accepted the invitation and is now leading us on this glorious flower adventure! I can see why you started photographing flowers, and how you have refined it. Thank you for good advice – in fact over the years since I started blogging, you have been a constant inspiration. (And, you have made me love dahlias even more. I don’t have them in my garden, since I just cannot manage digging up the bulbs and keep them safe during our winter.)

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    • I’ve given up on growing dahlias too. They are hard to grow and take care of. I just go down the road 2 miles and I’m at the dahlia farm. Can’t beat that 😀 Thanks so much Leya for all your assistance this week with getting this blog posted. It’s sure is a fun week for me. 😀

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  4. Great topic – I can see you’re going to be busy answering all these comments! My favourite is the sunflower – I love the angle and the leafy bits, but the iris is wonderful too.

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    • I’m so happy you like the sunflower. Those different angles make us look at things just a little different. Although I have to admit there is so much going on with the sunflower, any angle would have been wonderful 😀

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  5. Your flower photography is always stunning Cee. And I have you to thank for helping me ease into the blogging world back in 2013 through your black and white challenge and the which way challenge. I wasn’t going to post this week, but yesterday I captured a lovely little hoverfly who deserved more attention – one flower included! Stay well Cee and thanks for hosting this week’s challenge.
    https://cornwallincolours.blog/2020/06/15/hoverfly-and-one-flower/

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  6. Pingback: One Flower
  7. Thank you for hosting the challenge this week, Cee. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the time to join in on your challenges. I’ve always admired your beautiful flower photos. My irises are done blooming now and my other flowers aren’t blooming yet, but I have hope they’ll be pretty enough to capture and try out the angles and views you suggested above. Stay well, and thanks again for hosting the challenge! https://www.quaintrevival.com/finding-hope-by-chance-and-by-choice/

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      • What’s your technique for daylilies? All the yellow seems to wash out my attempts. Mine haven’t opened up yet, when they do, I’ll give your tips a try!
        Thanks again for the opportunity to play along!

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        • It all depends on your lighting. If your color gets washed out I would try moving your body so you can shade the lily. That’s what I do when I’m outside. Sometimes it can be a balancing act to shade the flower and still get the angle you want. You can always get an umbrella or something to shade, but then you will need a tripod for your camera. I like to keep my hands free so I can get a good grip on my camera, since I don’t use a tripod.

          Liked by 1 person

            • Keeping the sunlight can give you too much sun. You can always lower the exposure on your camera, but you will need to take it off of auto mode if you use it. I tend to use both techniques when it’s really bright outside.

              Liked by 1 person

              • Thank you for clarification. I typically shoot in manual mode and adjust the ISO. I saw some buds open up this week, once the wind stops blowing and the sun isn’t too high, I’m going to give your tips a try!!

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  8. The color in that first photo is beyond beautiful! I wondered how you got so many different flower shots… flower farms. I bet they are a joy to walk through!

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  9. Absolutely stunning. I can see how that first photo got you hooked. I love to take flower photos too, thanks for a challenge that feels tailor made for me,

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  10. My reader is always with photos from people contributing beautiful flowers to your FOTD challenge, Cee. It cheers up my day no end.
    These are beautiful photos you’ve shared with us today. As always. Like you, I’m a huge fan of dahlias.

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  11. Pingback: A Single Flower
      • I’ve got a long way to go. I’ve been practicing macro photography during lockdown and it really is tricky. Needs lots of patience! And for that reason will probably not be main type of photography. But it teaches a lot about the camera.

        That said, I have one here that I love – it was in a small community garden in the town where I live – a bit neglected during lockdown, but it’s a place where you can pop in and pick something edible to add to your dinner:
        https://travelwithintent.com/2020/06/15/floral-beauty/

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  12. The first picture is beautiful and I have to tell you that my first serious digital camera was a Sony H1, with it I enjoyed a lot and also discovered the macros in nature. I will try to find for your challenge some flower I made with it. 🙂

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  13. That sunflower is such an unusual shot, Cee. I always expect beautiful flowers when I come to yours and I’m rarely disappointed. 🙂 🙂

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  14. A really spectacular array of nature’s bounty Cee, I loved every single image. If forced, I’d choose the first and last as my favorites although the sunflower also deserves special mention. It’s been our honor to have you with us this week, thanks so much for hosting and especially for choosing last week’s second look honors. You make us all proud to be bloggers

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    • Your echinacea and bee photo is superb. Sorry I couldn’t comment, but right now I can’t since I cancelled my google suite accounts. 😀

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  15. I love those giant sunflower. But every time I get close to getting one I remember the bumble bees love them more and I am cured😊

    Pat

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    • Hi Pat. It is strange I absolutely hate (and yes I know that is a strong word) bees. Sunflowers is the one flower I will take photos of them. Bees are usually too occupied to realize or care I am there. It’s all a matter of perspective and where our own limits are. 😀 😀

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  16. hi cee, interesting and cool photos on the topic i particularly like the first and last i especially like drops of water on the flowers.
    here is my contribution,https://wp.me/p2AvI7-3vH.
    many greetings robert

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  17. Love the way you take pictures from the back, side and at different angles. It gives me something to try! I love the sunflower with its feathery green surrounding the yellow, but my favorite has definitely got to be the peony back. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at one, but I will now! Excellent, as always.

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  18. Gorgeous post and photos, Cee. I love your concept and your Buddah quote, which inspired me this week! You’ve also given me some great ideas about photographing flowers from different perspectives. I appreciate that! I’m delighted that you’re getting great posts in response to your prompt. Every one I’ve seen is beautiful!

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    • And the beautiful posts and flowers keep coming in. Makes my rainy weekend much happier. I’m thrilled I could inspire you a little bit this week. Thanks Patti for all you do on the blogosphere. 😀

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