Flower Photography Blog

Consider The Flower Photography Blog your update on all things flower and garden! It will...

• share some of the world's amazing botanical gardens with you in both stories and photos.
• give you tips on flower and garden photography so you continue to expand your camera skills.
• my coolest new toy - a video camera - yeah, baby! I'm posting garden videos for your entertainment but definitely for my own enjoyment as well!

• keep you in the loop about new topics, changes or additions to the web site. You don't want to miss out on a garden tour or a cool new craft, right?
• let you know about my flower and garden photography ezine. You can subscribe and have it sent automatically every month.

To subscribe to The Flower Photography Blog, right click on the orange RSS button. (It's on the left side of the page under the yellow site buttons.) Paste the URL into your RSS reader. Or you can click on My Yahoo, Google, or one of the other buttons if you prefer one of those services. No email address required.

If you're a newby to blogging and RSS feeds, check here to get some useful information.

Always carry a camera and enjoy Mother Nature's “petal-power”! And please, stay in touch.

February 2012 Wallpaper's Up

February's daffodil wallpaper is totally "spring"! A huge contrast to the bold colors of tulips, I just love these pastel colors. The daffodils look like they're standing on guard in front of the yellow shrubs and pink cherry blossoms.

I'm writing this to you from Chiang Mai where it's summer all year round! Quite a (pleasant) shock dropping in from the cold of winter. Got here a few days ago and spent yesterday at the amazing Chiang Mai Botanical Garden. The size of the place is mind boggling... after 5 hours we'd covered less than half the gardens and we hadn't even gone into more than a couple of the exhibitions!

More on that later! Right now, I'll be sending out February's wallpaper this evening. I prepared it before I left for Thailand last weekend. Enjoy it and watch for updates on gardens I come across in Thailand and Cambodia over the next few weeks!

Namaste for now.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "February 2012 Wallpaper's Up"

Butterfly photography

Mastering butterfly photography is totally do-able! The only difference between shooting flowers and shooting butterflies is that butterflies don't stay in one place for long.

All you need is a little knowledge about butterfly behavior and how to photograph a fluttering subject.

Learn about composition and exposure. Find out how butterfly behavior changes over the time of day. You might like to try out some night-time butterfly photography!

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December wallpaper - after the storm

December's wallpaper reflects the peace and stillness of winter! The photo was taken beside my sister's home in Ontario last year, right after a snow storm. There's a lovely little park with a creek and gardens and a small playground. And the beavers build a dam there every summer. I walked the dogs there every day and when I was really lucky, I caught sight of a fox or a coyote. I love to see wildlife living in harmony within the city.

Oh yes, this small protected area is also a bird sanctuary and, especially in the spring and fall, the ducks make themselves at home as they pass through. Sometimes, a duck family will stick around for the whole summer, swimming along the creek with the fuzzy little babies in tow behind mamma!

Enjoy my wallpaper each month - with a calendar to keep you on track!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "December wallpaper - after the storm"

Photography Contest - Gardens In Focus, Australia

Love photography contests? Well, dust off your cameras or wade through your pictures of botanical gardens because here's one for you!

There are categories for Australia, New Zealand and International Gardens so look through the rules, send in your very best photos... the cost per entry is minimal. Young or old, amateur or pro, get involved!

Entry is open until December 10, 2011.

Click for more info

August's echinacea wallpaper is up!

Echinacea - one of nature's natural medicines! These flowers intrigue me with their huge colorful, textured centers. I love getting right in there with a macro lens.

Since I've been back here in Canada, I've been able to revisit my old haunts in Vancouver and this echinacea belongs to my favorite nature get-away, VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Echinacea is not just a pretty face... she'll ease the symptoms of your cold and sore throat! Visit your local pharmacy and you'll see these pretty blossoms adorning many of the cold remedy boxes!

Join me and my wallpaper friends and sign up this month for a free flower wallpaper - with a calendar to keep you on track!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "August's echinacea wallpaper is up!"

Garden cats!

I spent a week house and cat sitting. My friend "Purr" here really enjoys being in the garden and I got some great photos of her.

The very best way to shoot photos of your pets is when you're not rushed, just relaxing and enjoying them. They aren't stressed out and neither are you!

Who could be stressed out in a garden, anyways?

The garden at your own home is one place your pet is familiar and at ease. If a photographer comes into your home, then your pet has to get used to them so don't expect the animal to perform for a stranger!

If you take your pet to a studio, that's a lot more demanding on an animal's nerves. I always go with an environment they're used to and really enjoy and have fun.

Its so easy to get marvelous pictures when you just hang out with your furry friend and take all the time in the world!

There are more photos of my furry feline friend in the garden on my photography Facebook page right here.

Private Garden Tour June 11 and 12

VanDusen Botanical Garden cancelled the private garden tour for June 11-12. It hasn't been the best year weather-wise and some felt their gardens weren't up to snuff! Disappointing for sure!

June flower wallpaper is ready!

Tiptoe through the tulips for June's wallpaper! This photo was from last spring but the early tulips have been blooming for several weeks now.

Here's a lovely bunch of back-lit orange Darwinian tulips ... and here's more if you just can't get enough of them.

You'll pick up a few flower photography tips, too. To get this wallpaper, go here.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "June flower wallpaper is ready!"

The Photogenic Daylilies

The daylily opens at early light... it lives only a day. At sunset it withers and dies! Sunrise again, another bloom replaces it. But, however fleeting in life, it's forever in photos.

The daylilies are some of the most photogenic flowers... the colors are dazzling! With hundreds of cultivars, you can't possibly get tired of photographing these blooms.

And why not get give your creative genius a work out with a lens baby or a macro this summer?

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Photography in the spring garden

Soft light and glorious color in the spring garden. Bring your camera and a sunny mood with you. Review some basic photography, critique a few photographs, then get started on your own spring pictures.

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Vancouver Area Private Garden Tour June 11 and 12

VanDusen Botanical Garden is now selling tickets ($30 per person) for their private home garden tour. On June 11 & 12, private homes will be open to visitors and I'll be one of them.

What a great opportunity to see some of the most beautiful gardens in the Vancouver area. A ticket allows you to enter each garden once... of course, I'll be packing my camera!

Tickets will be sent out on May 16 and you can send your check with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to VanDusen's.

May wallpaper is a sunny daffodil with purple crocuses

Tough decision but the daffodil won out! Toss up between cherry blossoms and a sunny yellow bloom.

Download the wallpaper (absolutely free) to brighten up your work space... with a calendar to keep you on track!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "May wallpaper is a sunny daffodil with purple crocuses"

Pink Petunias

Allow me to share one of my many Daegu (South Korea) walk-about joys. I often spend hours just walking around Daegu, and at times come across some interesting

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Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival in Full Swing

The cherry blossoms are popping out all over the place now. From the sky train, its a world of pink clouds below. Tuesday I'm off to Queen Elizabeth Park and VanDusen Botanical Garden to catch them before the petals fall like confetti! We had three glorious days of sunshine and the warmth encouraged even more blooms to pop out. But, the trouble with cherry blossoms is that they don't stay around for long. Make sure you get out and enjoy them while they last.

Disney World

Disney World has so many flowers. In October my mom took my sister Rachel and I to Disney World for the first time. We were so excited! As soon as we

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Flower Photography Garden Tours

Just planning out a flower photography garden tour for the Vancouver area end of May or beginning of June. I'm really excited about this one!

Major decision! Vancouver has so many fabulous gardens but its only possible to cover 2, perhaps 3 in one day. Add on a lunch, maybe dinner and it will be a day to remember.

By the way, you don't have to be from out of town to enjoy this one. If you're from the area, you'll get a whole new perspective of your home area... and share time with other garden photography enthusiasts.

I'll be teaching some basic photography as well as pointing out some flower and garden-specific photography hints. These tours will be small groups so that you can get lots of one-on-one teaching.

Look for more information and a firmed up schedule by April 15 on my website! I'll also post it on twitter (GlenysFocusOn) and on my Facebook Fan Page (Glenys Morgan Photography) at the link below.

I can hardly wait!

Click for more info

My Invitation to you. . .

Would you like to share your garden photos and the story that goes with them? I'd love to put it on your own page on my website.

Its almost spring and if you don't have pictures now, you'll be taking some great ones soon!

	Look for this photo, but smaller, on the right side of the homepage... under New Pages and click. Then get your story and photos together!

And while you're checking out the link to my newest "sharing" page, take two minutes to watch the homepage video. I edited it today.

Are you looking forward to a great weekend? I sure am - the weatherman is threatening us with sunshine here in rain forest country!

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Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Cherry Blossom Festival is right around the corner here in Vancouver (March 26 to April 22).

Get the cameras and video ready... you just don't want to miss this one!

Click for more info

Leaving Toronto

I managed to get the January 2011 wallpaper up on time. Leaving Toronto tomorrow with video and photos of Allan Gardens. Just before leaving Vancouver mid December, I managed to take in the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden . Impressive! I've never seen almost 1 1/2 million lights in such a show before.

Another Festival of Lights at Park and Tilford Botanical Garden in North Vancouver ... also a big hit. Really glad I got that in the night before I left. Whew, out of breath - but well worth it.

I've got video and photos of both and the pages are almost completed. But tomorrows a long travel day and I'll be settling in to getting those 3 pages up by the weekend.

Until then, 2011 is destined to be the best year ever!

PS. Hope your Christmas and New Year's celebrations were fun-filled and safe and had lots of photography involved.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Leaving Toronto"

Winter Garden Under a Blanket of Snow!

Snow has hit several areas in Canada and the dark rainy days are hanging over Vancouver.

Make sure you click to this photo - it probably doesn't bring thoughts of flower photography to mind, but the gardens are really there! They're just resting under a blanket of snow. This is the Manitoba prairie winter and my friend tells me that the snow already has them under wraps!

This winter garden photo is beautiful with the hoar frost, the blue air, and the late morning moon in the sky. Just think of what's under that snow waiting to pop up in the spring.

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Winter Garden Under a Blanket of Snow!"

Changed the "Look and Feel" today, plus more...

The other day I was at Queen Elizabeth Park with some photography friends. It turned out to be more of a catch-up lunch date since the sun was shining down too brightly for good photos. How often do you hear that the sun's shining too brightly? At least not here in a Vancouver late fall and winter! We were more than happy just to have a glorious sun-soaked day out with friends.

But I did get a few really nice pictures in some shaded areas. The fall colors hadn't completely taken over at that time. Well, except for the deep gold and brown rudbeckia decorating the walkway gardens beside the parking lot... you know, near those constantly changing fountains.

I love the golden glow to these flowers and I knew that was the pallet I wanted for my new look. Just can't resist the earth tones and had to catch several photos.

There's also method in my madness... I'm sitting here watching the site being rebuilt, bad idea! Everything's a bit wonky at this stage - keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well soon!

There's an additional wider top image for the new three column site! That will get loaded when my plans for that third column are solid. But today brings that goal closer. Yeah!

A new SBI friend asked me to share a few photos with her so she could use them on her site. When she publishes that page, I'll send everyone over to see and read the quotes she's putting together.

Hope you like the site's make-over. Give me a shout to tell me "yay or nay" to the new color and feel.

Cheers and have a super day.

Back home in Vancouver

Got an apartment and setting up my office and living space. There's been entirely too much rain the last week but yesterday was fabulous and sunny. I spent the day at Grouse Mountain - high up with nature. So many wildflowers and the blueberry bushes supplying such gorgeous colour on the mountainsides.

I got my new monitor and my desk will arrive in 8 days. Then I'll be cranking out all these gorgeous photos I've been collecting.

Its great to be in the home environment although I've already bought an air ticket for Christmas! Yippee, Christmas with family.

Move in Progress!

Sitting in my new apartment in Surrey, BC. One desk chair and a Turkish carpet plus tea and a mug! Okay, so a bed as well. Hopefully my freight is being delivered this coming Friday - but first a trip to Customs Thursday before they'll release it.

So happy to be back in BC Canada, land of gardens! Day trips are being planned to Vancouver Island (the gardens and the butterflies). And I'm staying 10 days in Deep Cove, North Vancouver. Should find an abundance of wild flowers on the mountain hiking trails and lots of garden spaces.

I've missed working on this site during all the packing, flying and finding a new home. That "in between time" is sure uncomfortable... when the new apartment's full of my familiar things, it'll be much better. And thank goodness for old friends who put us up when we're homeless.

Still humming and hawing over the new 3-column site design - almost sure but not committed to it! A new home, a new web design, lots of photos to take and stories to write - and I guess that's all for now!

Changing to CSS

New CSS template chosen - check!

Learn CSS and build up energy to implement - in process

Move back to Canada! - in process

Get Glenys Morgan Photography facebook underway - check! Go to my homepage and befriend me! Or, cut and paste to find me at http://bit.ly/cyoLqx

Buy energy bars - check!

Video is SOOOOO Cool

I just updated my pictures of flowers page with a new video. Ah yes, time in the garden with the birds 'n the bees...

Check for some light rain, lots of pink peonies, really busy insects and the sounds of happy birds. It'll only take two minutes of your time so enjoy!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Video is SOOOOO Cool"

The Video Guru is Now In!

WooHoo! Now I'm in the groove... got my new video camera under control (a bit of a challenge). Still a few more bells and whistles to add to the web player but all that in good time. Like me, my web site's a work in progress.

I'm psyched - hooked totally on video and looking forward to supplying some high quality movies for all flower and garden lovers.

The video camera isn't so much different than film or digital - just takes time to get comfortable and get to know your camera. The manual was way too thick and four or five languages got ripped out! Now it's a manageable take-along.

Three cameras, four lenses, tripod and all the essential (or not) nick-nacks are adding up, though. Soon I'm going to have to hire a sherpa! But it's still a great photography life.

Still on my list - blogging, my facebook fan page... joined Lynda.com and studying more Photoshop/Lightroom and all sorts of other marvelous subjects.

Boredom doesn't live here!

Oh yes, and in the summer I'll be changing my website design to CSS and using three columns. So summer is totally planned!

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Camera tripods can clear up those soft, fuzzy pictures.

Camera tripods are essential gear whether you're a novice or professional photographer. Contemplating tripods but don't know where to start? Start here!

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Gray days of fall

Those dull gray days have been hanging around for the last week... the fall leaves are being swept up and raked off the ground. That means winter's setting in. Yes, more time to look through my slides and remember the warm flower and garden days.

Has everyone tidied up the gardens and prepared for the cooler days?

I'm all excited now because the next few months are my productive writing time. My brain is overloaded with ideas. Time to get down to serious work on more informative pages for you.

Stick around and watch the pages of photo lessons grow! And there's going to be lots more flower pages as the cool days progress.

Oh, and very soon I'll have a monthly floral background with a calendar for you to download - my gift to you. An incentive to learn more about photography before spring flowers pop up.

I'm here to help you be the best photographer you can be!

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Gray days of fall"

Tiniest “hummingbird” in the world!

All it takes for me to unwind and revitalize is a few days immersed in a garden with my camera. I don't take pictures every minute, though. There's also a whole lot of meditating on the sounds of birds and the heavenly perfumes.

This trip to Jeju Island's Yeomiji Botanical Garden left me with a few hurried pictures of an incredible little visitor to the conservatory. My first thought was that it was a moth from its colors and pattern. But its wings were moving at an extraordinary rate, like a hummingbird. It was the tiniest hummingbird I've ever seen! Smaller than my baby finger!

Looking through my close-up lens, there was no thin tapered "hummingbird" beak but a long thread-like proboscis and I watched it hovering and maneuvering this nectar gathering device with amazing precision. But it still looked like a moth!

And guess what? My investigations have turned up a name! I'm spot on, on both counts. It's a mixture of the two - a type of Sphingidae, a hummingbird hawk moth. It sure put a smile on my face while it darted from flower to flower, me in hot pursuit with my camera! I managed to steal a few pictures even though he didn't stay put for long. I'll add the little guy's picture to Yeomiji Botanical Garden page. You have to take a peak at nature's little marvel!

Those few minutes brought back some special memories. Every summer a pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds used to stay with me and brighten my days. They would dart back and forth through the sprinkler and occasionally hover right in front of my face. Maybe they were reminding me to put out the feeder! Those were really special moments in my garden, hearing the thrumming of the tiny wings... feeling grateful to be visited by such special little creatures. I hope they visit your garden, too!

Cheers in gardening,

Permalink -- click for full blog post "Tiniest “hummingbird” in the world!"

From small beginnings!

I hope you like what you see so far! Stick around for more pages coming to you soon. I'm working hard behind the scenes putting together new and exciting information for you. Soon you'll be seeing more on photography crafts and botanical gardens. Enjoy!