Sunflowers - it seems to me that you either love them or hate them. I've always been in the latter camp. Somehow the dark "flower head" always gave me the creeps. Looked like a great place for hiding bugs - ants, spiders, earwigs and the like, and I didn't much care for the rough, hairy stem, or the broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves either. I didn't care for them at all, until I began seeing images made by other photographers showing the immense intricacy of a sunflower's structure and thus, its innate beauty.
Black & White Negative Image of a Sunflower
It turns out the "flower head" is really a composite flower consisting of 1,000 - 2,000 florets - did you know that? The florets within the flower head are arranged in a spiral pattern which are incredible to study (and photograph) up close as they are oriented toward one another by approximately the "golden angle". This makes Mother Nature a remarkable mathematician and the most efficient producer of sunflower seeds, because these florets mature into the seeds we love.
So now, I submit the following, brief, slide show, not as an example of my new "love-fest" with sunflowers, but rather as a demonstration of my new found appreciation for their beauty, if not their geometric design. Next time I may even photograph them from the front!
Photos and Slide Show by Claudia Ward
Music: You Are My Sunshine by Lisa Derosia from Songs for Wiggleworms
wow, the colors and detail are so incredible.
liked the music.
sunflowers always make me smile- I am surprised you were put off by them in the past. I love when birds sit and pluck the seeds- so cool.
Posted by: ally | Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 08:53 AM
Beautiful slide show, Claudia! Hope that you and Peter are having a wonderful summer.
Thanks, Mary
Posted by: Mary | Friday, July 29, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Impressed that Charlie knew about the Sunflowers following the sun, hence the name perhaps? There tons of fun to paint as well...
Posted by: BAFA Studio | Friday, July 29, 2011 at 11:15 AM
These are beautiful images! I love your perspective!
Posted by: S.hughes | Friday, July 29, 2011 at 11:11 AM
To say nothing of their incredible ability to follow the sun!!! An ability now being developed for solar panels to increase their productivity. Now where do you suppose those sunflowers are hiding all that computer hardware and software?????
Posted by: Charlie Dickerman | Friday, July 29, 2011 at 08:11 AM