~ Goodbye isn't forever... but rather an Until Next Time ~
I am leaving from the greatest nation in the world, Texas, to the fantastic Scandanavian country Sweden this coming Friday. I had to say goodbye to the flowers and plants with photographs today. I wouldn't say it's a forever goodbye... i will be back in late September. So, it's really more of a "Until Next Time We Meet."
I have made all my arrangements and got all my things ready. I have no idea what these plants and flowers will look like upon my return. But today i was able to capture some of the beauty and lock it in the blockchain... to take with me! I got the Bumble Bee that you see in the image above!
I had mentioned in one of my previous posts Spring Has Sprung towards the end that a Surprise Awaits! Well, the wildflower you see here is that surprise. I had to wait for it to bloom and it is very strange indeed. It hadn't bloomed yet or oppened at the time of that last post. I wanted to capture the flower in bloom before i departed as i promised. It looks very alien if you ask me. Not your typical wildflower.
In the last post, the flower looked like this before opening up for business...
Since then, there has already been one round of blooms that i missed capturing the beauty of. I thought i missed the boat since last year it only bloomed once. Fortunately for us all, this year it has a couple more rounds to go.
The bee you see here in the image above is much, much larger than it appears in the photo. In the photo it looks like any other bee... but when you see this kind flying they are truly bumblebees because of their bumbling nature. They fly and bounce into things and they seem to be too big to land on a flower and do their thing. They have to orient themselves and tread carefully. Don't be fooled by my macrophotography to think these things are as nimble as your typical bee.
These flowers have a cream off-white color about them but have an overall tone of green. So, it's a bit confusing as to why the color is interesting rather than the star shape they make with their opening bells and bulbous-shaped flowers. It would be interesting to see what the bugs see!
In taking these photos i tested out natural light and then the flash settings. I wasn't particularly impressed with either option. After having curated this community and seen the quality you all provide every day it really made me feel a need to upgrade my tools. And i am always the one saying make do with what you have and do the most with the least! However, i have been doing that for a long time.
I usually don't add or incorporate unfocused images... but i felt in this post that many of the unfocused images added a lot of flavor. Who would i be to deprive you all from the flavors or life that my camera captures?
~ I Have No Idea ~
I have no idea what the future holds... just like i have no idea what those wildflowers above are. I have no idea what the next set of flowers are either. Sometimes having no idea is the best understanding of how to move forward!
Although the areas i would have wanted aren't in complete focus... i spent a lot of time in shooting and editing to get the framing right. I also really wanted to accentuate the patterns of nature within the flower itself! The areas i wanted in crystal clear focus didn't pan out as much as i would have liked but i added the photos anyways. Either they showed the pattern or the color that i felt was special.
You would truly have to see it for yourself rather than vicariously experience it through my shitty point and shoot lens... to get the full effect of the beauty of these flowers and their design.
The sheen of the flower petals was pretty cool all by itself... but the arrangement of that central part of the flower to me was exquisite! It was green in it's base and then the yellow pollenous exterior ring to encircle the red-tipped orange tubes. I can't help but to truly appreciate and highly value the beauty of nature. Did i capture that beauty properly... probably not well enough!
The sacred geometry and the symmetry of these flowers are impeccable!
Even when i try to shitpost i end up with a super long thing to read and see what there is to appreciate what there is to value in regard to the visual images provided. I added each one for a specific reason but it would be difficult to explain the beauty in each image that i see.
Is it wrong of me that i am listening to this song on a loop until i finish this post?
Besides the symmetry of the middle area of this flower, the petals have their own beauty that should be fully appreciated. It's not just their sheen and glitter that needs to be seen and appreciated but when this flower begins to unfold... the petals are really just encompassing that center area.
You can get a feel for the progress by checking out this image here!
I love the newness of the green that is really accentuated here in these shots! Those green exterior leaves are not where the petals come from. The petals unfold from the symmetrical greenery in the middle.
It would be difficult to see how one of the green new buds turn into the blossoms that we see as the end result if you try to picture ahead where things are developing.
The petals start out as tiny little cylindrical rolls that eventually unfold into the loose open petals you see below. The way the petals look while they are unfurling is really cool.
~ Start At The Start ~
What is the start? I guess when saying farewell... the end of what is known is a start into the less known. I tried to not miss an opportunity to show this mystery flower in it's beginning stages or at the start. Since there are so many stages ongoing... i captured what there was as my farewell.
I know that there will be more flowers in Sweden to shoot and show! But to shoot and show where things are at now was important to me.
I didn't get the shots that i wanted... and that i could have captured due to my point and shoot never focusing exactly where and how i wanted. I didn't let that stop me from getting some decent shot though. That is the primary reason i would encourage everyone to just make the best of what they have to utilize as i did.
~ Finish At The End ~
I finished my photography for the day getting these tiny little yellow flowers with rust-red tips captured. I really feel that they have a beauty i have been appreciating for the past few weeks that needed to be shared before they are no longer blooming.
I played with the flash and the f-stop settings. Ultimately, the images turned out the way they did. I wished that the color could have been more vibrant and that the focus could have been more to the area of interest that i desired but beggars can't be choosers!
At the end of the day, i feel like my seasonal Farewell to Flowers is really just a transition to the flowers here and what they have going on compared to the Hello Swedish Summer! It's a big difference to what thrives in a hot Texas Summer compared to a what is going to be photographed in the Swedish Summer!
~ Hello Goodbye ~
Some of the best beauties are the ones that don't get photographed. I will be back in late September... so as i say goodbye now i will be saying hello in the early fall!
I don't really see a finality to this transition! I see an opportunity to share a very diverse spectrum of things to say hello to. So, as i say goodbye to Texas for a time i see a novel opportunity to say hello to Sweden and what it has to offer in regard to floral elements. I will try my best to capture them and share them here with you all.
If anything the fungi and mushrooms alone will make for great subject matter to post about that i don't get the opportunity to do here in Texas. I do appreciate the time any and all of you have taken to read this post or just to scroll and see the images! I appreciate the Hive Blockchain and all those that are active on it. It is my hope that this post has added some value to the imagery available. Lumi, i sent the daily devotionals to you and i hope they get there in due time!
I didn't get the Lamb's Ear shots today... but i am sure by September they will still be fruitful and photogenic!
This isn't goodbye but rather,,, an UNTIL NEXT TIME!
I believe Next Time will be sooner than anyone thinks!
I do really appreciate your time and consideration for my post here. Most importantly, i am glad you were here to see what there was to see and i hope you appreciated the beauty bestowed!
Thank You Again For Stopping By!
I don't know why the Youtube video thumbnail is the one that is sticking to my post. I tired to edit the post and add thumbnails i would even want just to see. Either way the song is the jam... but the thumbnail i would prefer and that i chose was/is
These are some lovely macro shots, what did you capture them on?
A Nikkon CoolPix S4300... working some magic on an old school point and shoot. Most smartphones have better pixel resolution than what you see here! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Yeah but a lot of smartphones try to 'overcompensate' and would kill all the lovely natural tones and textures on these shots. Only iPhones and high end Samsung get it right most times.
Beautiful photos. Happy travels!!!
That's true! It's a whole different skill to get the smart devices to do what you actually want them to do rather than what they have a mind of their own to do. Thanks for taking the time to comment! Just made it to Sweden so thanks for the well wishes! =)
Wow it's been ages since I've used a point and shoot, never would have thought these images came from a point and shoot 👌🏼
It's ironic that i prefer my point and shoot with only 8mp except it now has a scratch on the lens... so it's no longer as good as the Nikkon i mentioned. The Nikkon acts like what VeeArt said above! Thanks for taking the time to comment! =)
One of my cameras was a similar model - it made good pictures, but worked best only in good daylight. Got a Samsung cellphone (40 MP), but can't compare the quality to a 'real' camera. One of the cameras I like is also my oldest, Samsung Pro 815, just 8,5 MP, but the difference is a superior lens. The regular jpg comes out at 72dpi, but blow it up to 300dpi in Photoshop, it is still great with sharp details. Maybe it has something to do with it being capable of shooting RAW.
That's a great point. I didn't consider the RAW shooting keeping the resolution true to life. I bet that is what makes a difference when you get better shots with lower pixel rates. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and check out some of my stuff. I always say better late than never! hahaha
Beautiful flowers
I agree!
I have loved your photos, the love for flowers and the animals that compose it, I will be watching your publications of nature in Sweden. You are sure to find magnificent views.
Yes, there is no shortage of beauty to capture there! I am looking forward to sharing the photos as soon as i make some. Thanks for taking the time to check out the post and comment! I also appreciate you keeping an eye out for future posts! Cheers!
Hey man I am not a flower guy, but you really impressed me with this photos.
Well done as always @castleberry!
Thanks brother! I used to not be a flower guy... but i find myself really appreciating each one's own individual and unique beauty and characteristics! Glad you enjoyed these even though you aren't into flowers much! Cheers
Beautiful photos, I love all the colors. The purple one is my favorite. Really enjoy seeing Bob Ross. That man is greatly missed still.
I truly do miss Bob Ross. Glad you enjoyed the flowers and their colorful beauty! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
I love the different angles that you achieve in each flower, it's like watching a kind of dance of each one of them, the coloring, their shapes, it's incredible.
Thank you for noticing! I always go out of my way to get extra interesting angles to give a more extraordinary visual experience. I try to get the best line on how to frame the subjects to emphasize particular aspects and qualities. So, thanks again for noticing, stopping by, and taking the time to comment!
You got very beautiful flowers.
Thank you!
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