Here In Southern New Jersey ..

The Spring season started off fast, with some warm days and a nice mix of sun and rain. Well the rain has all together stopped and the temperatures have felt a bit cool. In turn, the fast growth of plants has slowed some. I actually don't mind it so much, because I have time to enjoy the blooming season rather than see it rushed along before my eyes.

Yesterday something caught my attention.. I was taking a little #wednesdaywalk or brisk stroll around outside the house. It was morning time, the sun just poked itself above the Atlantic Ocean to warm the eastern shores.. and the irises were beginning to bloom. Ever since these annual plants poked their way through the thawed, winter soil, I had anticipated this days arrival.

I first noticed them the day before, when I was pulling in the driveway. The white Irises were the first ones to show signs of blooming.

It always seems year after year, near the small boulders that we have sitting in the bed, those white irises bloom first. Maybe it’s the heat from the rock warming in the midday sun, or the stones Wicking moisture from The air, but whatever the reason is those plants seem to grow a little bit faster than the others. So naturally the white irises in that area where the first open.

I have a mix of white and purple irises planted in this area and in other areas of the yard. They are both of the dwarf variety. I transplanted them years ago from another house we owned. They’ve performed nicely here and have spread quite rapidly given the terrible soil conditions at this house.

First will take a look at these white irises. They are simple white with yellow more towards the center. I don’t think white is a very flashy color but when you get a grouping of them together they can actually look quite pretty.

These first set of photos were captured in mornings first light. Here, the sun is at my back and the light is shining on the flowers from directly behind me.

I could see how the sun was passing through the thin dainty petals, so I turned around to the other side of the flower and put the sun directly behind it. The bright light source behind the flower really gives a unique perspective to the different parts of the flower.

These photos are kind of cool because you can see the shadow of the stem and other petals behind the thin layer of flower at the front.

I played around with a few of the shots, adjusting the lighting, and came up with a series of black and white, progressive reductions of exposure.

And then this one, where I really turned up the adjustments to make all the little details appear crisp and clean.

Sort of looks like some kind of happy little creature, standing there smiling with it's mouth open

I took a couple photographs in Yesterdays afternoon sun.. And utilize the same technique of putting the sun directly behind the flower and came up with this series of shots. I also adjusted the exposure in order to create a different effect. Not quite as interesting as the last photo in the morning sun, but kind a neat nonetheless.

On To The Purple Irises ..

I’ve always liked irises for the way some of the petals face down and some of them face up almost in opposite directions. The petals facing downward have a beautiful design and pattern on them that make them unique and different.

These designs and uniqueness can best be seen in colorful irises or ones that are not white. Like I mentioned I have purple irises as well and these or seen in these next few shots.

They always appear a slightly different shade of purple before they open, almost a true purple. Then when after they open they have a more violent magenta appearance. I assume that the way the sun shines through them also changes the appearance of that shade of purple slightly.

This next frame is a nice close-up of the design.. Including variegation of veins within the flower petals. Macro shots are always interesting because they allow you to see details you otherwise whatever look.

This photo was taken from the side as the morning sun light is hitting it from the east.

I took a photograph looking straight down on top of the iris.. This is a perspective that’s not always seen and I know I don’t stand directly over top of all my flowers looking down on them. So I thought I would include the shot for a change of perspective.

For the final photograph.. I bent down a lot lower and took a shot directly from the side as the morning sun light was shining through the foliage and flowers. It came out really good in my opinion. I like the short depth of field, blurring things in the background just enough. I can’t wait to get another photograph just like this after all the flowers are in bloom. It should make for another great photograph!

Bring On The Bees and Let's Get These Things Pollinated :-)

Molly enjoying her time amongst the blooming Pinks, on a hillside at my parents home. I use the term 'Enjoying' very loosely, because if she appears to be uncomfortable.. it's because she IS. lol

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. ... In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.”
― John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”
― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

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