Flowers of the Sun

Better known as sunflowers….
I have volunteers in my veggie garden and flower garden every year. This year they nearly took over the veggies. The finches visit every day and now the dove are gleaning from the ground.
Very few farmers plant sunflowers here. There are usually a few fields along a 7 mile stretch of FM 1585, but this year only one. This field held two varieties. Part was planted with the large heads and short stalks. Another part of the field was smaller flowers, taller plants.
I was hoping to photograph them this week as it appeared they were at peak when we drove by Saturday night. We had been out 'cloud watching'. Storms were brewing to the East and the sun was about to go down. I have a great iPhone shot and edit of these clouds with the sunflowers in the foreground, but you'll have to come back tomorrow for App Happy Wednesday.

This morning I woke up around 5:30 which is highly unusual. Since sleep didn't return it was the perfect chance to grab coffee and camera, leave hubby a note, and look for the light.
The large sunflowers were actually past their peak but I like these types of photos too. I will have to revisit when they turn brown.

Textured as shown with 2 of Kim's textures.

The smaller flowers were like those I'd photographed last year. They were the type that I found the sunflower with the heart. So I was on a mission to find another. A few came close. But not as perfect as last year's flower. This was the closest….

Then I found an eaten leaf. Perfect…..

A butterfly showed up…..

A sun flare...

And the farmer cultivated his cotton nearby...

I had almost forgotten to make use of the polarizing filter that was on my lens. This is SOOC. (straight out of camera) I should have bumped up my exposure a bit...

I was on my knees shooting up when another strange bug showed up. At first I thought it was a dragonfly. It was buzzing around rather high, nearly over head. It was too large for a dragonfly and it was making me nervous. I took a couple shots of it and it flew off. Vain imaginations ran through my head about it being a drone. (Seen too many movies lately.) Hubby said if it was a drone it, it would hover. Well it did hover… But hopefully it was a bug. If you recognize it let me know.

On the way home I got to photograph the horses that are never close to the road anytime I drive by. I caught them with a little rim light. kk_touchof-1 texture.

I should get up this early everyday… I had the freezer defrosted, some laundry done and a peach pie baked by noon! Thanks for coming along on my early morning adventure. 

All edits done in Lightroom.

Linking up with Kim for Texture Tuesday.

Sky Drama

We are heading to Fort Worth. Hubby is going to an AOPA thingy and I'm hoping to do some street photography. Or maybe rest. And think. And write. And draw. And shop of course. Pottery Barn and Anthropology are on my list. So are antiques and the Farmer's Market. And maybe an art supply store. I'll have 3 days to explore. My sweet friend is letting me borrow her 24-70 lens. I'm excited.