It’s Summertime in Oregon. We, and the beautiful Oregon Summer Wildflowers, have been fortunate to have had a prolonged Winter and a mild, wet Spring. The wildflowers here and in the hills around us are healthy and still fresh in many places. Because of the late snow there are areas in the higher elevations where the flowers are just starting to bloom.
In my life I get excited about the photos that I can make of them. Everything from wide landscapes with a foreground adorned with their color, to super close macro photos showing overlooked details as well as images that border on abstract.
For close-up photos using my DSLR camera I love to use my 90mm macro lens, but I will also use my 150-600mm zoom lens. The advantage of the zoom lens is that I can stand back away from my subject, which comes in handy when you’re photographing a butterfly or a bee on a beautiful flower. There are several methods that can be employed in photographing flowers including a simple 50mm lens and extension tubes to increase the magnification. The good news is that you don’t need a fancy camera with an even fancier lens. Most cell phone cameras will take some pretty incredible close ups as well as beautiful wide-angle views. Photography is accessible to everyone these days.
The variety of flowers that I’ve been enjoying this season is great. Early in the season came the trilliums, of course. They’re always anxious for Spring. Then I always get excited when I start finding orchids, especially the delicate little fairy slippers. Then the forget-me-nots start popping up in our yards as well as along the roads. Then come asters, thistle flowers, thimbleberry blossoms, blackberry blossoms, lupine, columbine, yellow and purple violets, self-heal, honeysuckle, wild strawberry, white anemone, fireweed, wild rose, wood sorrel and more.
As the season progresses, I keep an eye open for lilies. They are always a favorite. I love the tiger lilies as well as the beautiful Mt. Hood Lilies that grow at the higher elevations. The blankets of white avalanche lilies on alpine hikes and the occasional yellow glacier lily. A hike up in the alpine elevations can bring an even larger variety including elephant heads, shooting stars, monkey flowers, Indian paintbrush, and heather. Another flower that’s scarce and a delight to find each year are the wild irises. We’re blessed to have rhododendrons all around us as well as the perennial favorite, bear grass.
Even some of the introduced species of plants can make beautiful photos. Foxglove, daisies, buttercups, red clover flowers and the prolific cranesbill geranium with its cute little pink flowers are all photogenic. There are many more that I haven’t mentioned.
An added bonus for some of the close-up photos are the insects that the flowers attract. Bees and butterflies are the most attractive but there are other insects that enjoy the flowers too. When I take my camera out to photograph flowers it’s like a mini safari.
As Summer progresses the Oregon Summer Wildflowers will pass, which is why I try my best to appreciate them while they’re here. Each season my folder of photos fills with all kinds of images of our local wildflowers. Before I became a photographer I had an appreciation for their beauty, but today because they play such a large part in my life as a photographer, my knowledge about them and appreciation of them has dramatically increased. The coming of Spring and Summer is now looked forward to more because of the expected beauty of our local Oregon Summer Wildflowers.
