My Happy Place in Summertime

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”
― Helen Keller

Each summer for more than a decade, I have spent as much time as possible among the sunflowers.  This year was no exception.

I believe it is impossible to be anything but happy while standing in a sunflower field.

This summer I made at least eight trips to the fields located near me.  I am so thankful to have this opportunity each summer.  I always try to capture the flowers in a way I have not already photographed them.  Each year this becomes more and more challenging.

Much of my time this year was spent looking at the design of the fields.  Draper Wildlife Management Area offers such wonderful opportunities for choosing different compositions.

Often, I will attempt different techniques in the field to try to create something that isn’t there to be captured in one shot.  For example, one morning I played with multiple exposures.  The image below is made from three shots:  one for the background scene with the tractor, one of a closeup of a sunflower, and one of the sun that was obscured by smoke traveling into our area.  The combination allowed me to create something from my imagination.

Much of the time spent in the fields was spent chasing beautiful light.

One morning, I had the fields almost entirely to myself.  I sensed that magic was about to happen.  Since I had been photographing the fields for several days, I rushed to the location I knew would make a good composition for the light I saw developing.

It was an incredible thing to witness.  The fact that the shape of the cloud above the tree seemed to mirror the tree’s shape was a bonus.  In the moments I spent scrambling to capture this scene, I was also so grateful to be alive in the field experiencing it.

Like so many photographers, I have given a great deal of thought to what is going on with AI (Artificial Intelligence) in image creation.  I continue to observe and wait.

For me, photography and what I have been able to do with my photographs using the computer brings me joy.  I experience such remarkable joy out in the field while photographing.  I also derive joy while processing my images in a way that hopefully allows viewers of my images to experience what I saw and felt while photographing these scenes.

Years ago I discovered happiness in making composites.  When I began creating composites, I decided that I would only use elements that I personally photographed in my images.  It was just a choice I made for myself.  It did not matter to me how others chose to create their images as long as it brought them joy.

For now, my workflow will remain the same as it has for the past fifteen years.  I will continue to observe.

I am grateful for this summer’s time in the fields and to my dear friends who I was able to share that time and space.

Earlier this week,  I said goodbye to the fields I love until next year.

If you would like to see my favorite sunflower images from previous years, you can do that here.

In the summer, my happy place is with the sunflowers.

In the fall,  Georgia is one of my happy places to photograph.  Jamie Konarski Davidson and I will be leading a workshop to explore the magnificence of fall in Georgia.  We would love to have you join us!  You can find more information about this workshop here.

Wishing you great happiness this summer!