Florilegia!

Hello all. Earlier I was looking at the Google Analytics statistics for this little blog of mine and my Picasa Web Albums and realized that it's been over a year since I started this little virtual adventure! While my blog won't be claiming any web-traffic prizes anytime soon, I am quite pleased that I've been able to share my content with people from in almost two dozen countries. So, I'd like to say "thanks" to all my visitors and give a special shout-out to Brazil, Hong Kong, and the UK for topping out the statistics!

Since my last post over a month ago, I've been spending my weekends in NYC and working extra hours so I've not had a chance to post new content. While reviewing the blog, I realized that I had originally subtitled it "Chronicles of a...that is life." Now, that certainly seems weird since my posts have mostly been photography-related and not much on life experiences. This was not my original plan for content but since that's the way it's worked out, I'll continue to share the results of a hobby that has drawn me into the wonderful world of nature.

Alright, without further ado, let's see what I've been up to for the past month or so. Starting the lineup is a pair of daffodil shots:

This is the solitary daffodil that grew in my backyard and I almost missed noticing it. Daffodil are quite beautiful flowers, especially the multicolored varieties. This one may be yellow thru and thru but it has an elegance of its own.

Next up are magnolias, of which there are several trees in my front yard. These usually last for several days to a week or so before disappearing and the weather managed to be nice for a couple of days while they were in bloom.

Last year, I had taken a similar shot of a "sea" of magnolia blooms but it's a new year and I have a new camera so we have a new photo! Zooming in real close, we have a view of the heart of the magnolia flower:

The road to these pretty blooms wasn't an easy one given the foul weather and each one started out like this...

...before turning into this:

While walking a short distance away from the magnolia trees, I found a small cluster of small dandelions. Typically, dandelions are hated by keepers of immaculate lawns but upon closer inspection, these little flowers are quite intricate.

Back near the magnolia trees is one of a couple of nectarine trees that grow in my front and backyards. Unfortunately, these produced less flowers this year than last, presumably as a result of the harsh winter we had this year.

Sadly, even the most beautiful of things must come to an end. We'll finish up today with an assortment of magnolia, nectarine, and cherry petals that have completed their journey for the season.

Lately, I've been trying to experiment more with lighting and perspective in my photographs rather than taking straightforward shots. The sunlight the day of these pictures was broken up by trees and plants, which resulted in the light/shadow patterns. While this is it for today, I have even more photographs taken during the last month to share so keep an eye out for them in upcoming posts!