Summer Sunflowers

“The sunflower is mine, in a way.”
― Vincent van Gogh

I thoroughly enjoy every second of summer vacation.  For the past ten years, it just has not felt like summer until I find myself in a field of sunflowers.  Luckily, there is a field of gorgeous flowers that I can reach in a half an hour’s drive  from my home.  I was thrilled when I saw a friend’s post on social media which let me know that the sunflowers were already in bloom.

I immediately made plans to meet friends to experience sunrise in the sunflowers field located

in Draper Wildlife Management Area.

Shortly after arriving, we were greeted with one of the most intense sunrises I have experienced in a sunflower field.  When light like this happens, you need to move quickly to make your composition so that you can capture these wonderful colors before they go away.

After the fiery colors in the sky faded, I began focusing on other aspects of the fields.  The lines of the plantings kept drawing my eye.  I worked for a while making different compositions to include the lines.  Once the sun rose above the tree line, the light made the scene really come to life.

When this light show was over, I found one other composition using the larger landscape.  I used my wide angle lens for these three landscape images.

As the light became brighter in areas, it was time to focus on the smaller scenes.  Here are some of the smaller scenes that I was able to capture.

It was my first trip to the sunflower fields this summer.  I certainly hope it will not be my last.  It now truly feels like summer!  If you are in the area, I hope you will get out and enjoy the beauty that you will find at Draper Wildlife Management Area.

Happy Summer!