Hurricanes and earthquakes on the east coast. Wildfires and droughts in Texas. Ongoing political debates and stalemates in Washington. Worries about the economy and concerns about future direction of the country.
I don’t know about you – but I feel pretty overwhelmed every time I turn on the news or read the paper. Everywhere I turn there seems to be more bad news and something else to stress about.
So often – I’m ready to say ENOUGH!!!!! What I’d really like instead of the chaos and stress would be a sense of calm and peace in my life. Some of the best ways I’ve found to reconnect with the serenity I love to experience are to head out and photograph or to meditate. I’ll often meditate to a soundtrack of a running creek in the woods with birds in the trees or to the music of my favorite Celtic Harpist Pamela Bruner
I would love to help bring a few minutes of calm and peace to your day if your days are as stressful as mine can be. I’ve created a series of videos featuring my photographs and Pamela Bruner’s incredible harp music. I released my newest video – Lotuses and Water Lilies – earlier this month.
I would love to hear what you think of my videos – and especially if they do help bring a few minutes of calm into your day
Just a quick reminder – this Wednesday, August 31 is the last day to take advantage of the Early Bird Pricing on my Wildflower Calendars.
You can save $ 3.00 off the regular price for each calendar you order. Until August 31, the price for a single calendar is $ 16.95 (regular price will be $ 19.95).
There is a discount if you buy five or more calendars – $ 14.95 each before August 31 ($ 17.95 regular price). I do offer free shipping to US addresses on all calendar orders.
The calendars make great gifts for your favorite gardener or nature enthusiast. So how about buying 5 – 1 for you – and 4 for those hard to shop for people on your holiday gift list.
I didn’t want you to miss the opportunity to order my Wildflower Calendar at the Early Bird Pricing.
As you may know – I am a huge Alyson Stanfield (@abstanfield on Twitter) fan!!! I’ve been learning about the business of being an artist from her for years – her ArtBizCoach website, newsletter & blog have great info and practical tips that I use daily. Last year, I finally was able to attend one of Alyson’s workshops in person and came away with an to-do list of steps to implement to grow my business. So when I saw that Alyson was going to be doing a Social Media Immersion workshop for Artists in Philadelphia in November – I immediately put it on my calendar and signed up.
If you are an artist – and can get to Philly on November 5 – I really hope you’ll attend Alyson’s workshop. Here’s all the info about it
Artists: Are you confused about social media?
Do you understand how Twitter and Facebook can help you promote your art?
Do you think social media is just a big waste of time?
As comfortable as I am with social media – I know I still have a lot to learn! Alyson Stanfield, author of “I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion,” is coming to Philadelphia for a one-day-only workshop to help us sort out the benefits (and pitfalls) of social media.
One of the questions I get asked on a pretty regular basis is – why do I photograph flowers? Which is often followed up with – why do I have photos of so many wildflowers and don’t have photos of some of the more popular cut flowers?
Part of the answer is very simple – I love flowers. I love the colors, the shapes, the textures. And whoever said that if you love what you do – you’ll never work a day in your life – was absolutely correct. I never feel like I’m working when I’m in nature photographing.
But there’s more to it than that. Recently, I’ve realized that when I’m photographing I feel a sense of calm and peace that I find at no other time in my life. Nothing relaxes me more than to be surrounded by flowers looking for the perfect image to capture with my camera.
As I look at the flowers through my lens so often I’m in total awe at the incredible beauty and intricate details that I’m seeing. Even more amazing to me is the fact that the colors and structures serve the purpose of attracting just the right pollinator to the flowers to ensure the future of the species.
I also find an amazing connection to the greater natural world when I’m photographing. Not only do I see the flowers – but also the settings where they are. I’m often photographing in the mountains, or alongside a stream. I can hear the birds singing in the trees, the insects buzzing, the wind rustling through the leaves.
So for me – photographing flowers – especially wildflowers – gives me the chance to connect with nature, be inspired by the beauty I see, and be in a state of calm and peace. It is my hope, that through my photographs, you too can experience the same wonderful feelings of connection, inspirations, calm and peace that I experience when I’m photographing.
I’d love to hear why you enjoy flowers and spending time in nature. Let’s continue the conversation in the comments below or on Facebook.
I’m happy to announce that special Early Bird Pricing for my 2012 Wildflower Calendar is now available! Save $ 3.00 off every copy of my calendar that you order between now and August 31.
Regular price for the calendar will be $ 19.95 – Special Early Bird Price is $ 16.95. If you order 5 or more calendars – after September 1, the regular price will be $ 17.95 per calendar – until August 31, for five or more calendars, the Special Early Bird Price is $ 14.95.
The calendars feature 12 full color photographs of wildflowers taken in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Maine and Texas . If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how much fun I’ve been having traveling and photographing -So I’m thrilled to have the opportunity for you to have a year’s worth of wonderful wildflowers in your home or office. The calendars are a great way to bring the beauty of nature into your life. You’ll also be helping support a great cause – I will be donating $ 1.00 from the sale of each calendar to the National Parks Conservation Association – an organization dedicated to Protecting Our National Parks for Future Generations.
I made a quick trip out to McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, Maryland on Sunday afternoon to check on the sunflower field. Good news – the sunflowers are coming into bloom. My guess is they will be in great shape later this week and into next weekend! Even though it was the middle of the afternoon when I was there – I couldn’t resist taking a few photos. There’s something about a field of sunflowers – I just have to stop and photograph them.
I noticed some major changes since my last visit to the sunflower fields in 2009 (I was in Colorado during the peak bloom last year). The sunflowers are a much shorter variety than in previous years. I’m 5 feet 5 inches tall – and in the past have had challenges photographing the sunflowers since they were often taller than I am. My plan had been to bring a stepladder with me this year. Much to my surprise – this year I’m taller than the flowers that are already blooming and appear to be at full growth. Best guess is most blooming plants were under 5 feet tall.
The other change I noted was the way the rows are planted. In the past, when you walked into the main field from the parking lot – the rows of sunflowers were parallel to the front and back of the field. This year, the rows are perpendicular to how they were planted in 2008 and 2009. As you can see from the photos I took yesterday, the new configuration of the rows is going to offer some interesting possibilities for composing sunflower photos this year.
I’m sure I’ll be making a few trips out to McKee Beshers WMA in the next week or so. I know I’ll be out there next Sunday morning at 7 AM.
I’ve set up a Meetup Group – DC Area Flower Safari – for people who love flowers and like to photograph them. I’ve described the group as
Do you love searching for and seeing wildflowers where they are growing in their native habitats? Do you enjoy discovering the wonderful variety of flowers growing in local gardens? Do you believe in not picking the flowers so others can enjoy the beauty you have seen?
If yes – then this is the Meetup Group for you. We’ll be searching out and photographing flowers at local gardens and wildflowers in the local parks. Possible outings include Lotus blossoms at Kenilworth Gardens, sunflowers at McKee Beshers WMA, and Azaleas at Brighton Dam.
Everyone is welcome to join in on the flower safaris – no matter what type of camera you use. You’re even welcome if you just want to see the flowers and not photograph them.
The first meeting of the group is next Sunday – July 17 at McKee Beshers WMA. We’ll be meeting at 7 AM in the parking lot – and heading in to photograph or just enjoy the sunflowers. If you’re in the DC area please join the group – I’d love to see you on one of our upcoming Flower Safaris.
