The Sunset Was Incredible

The temperatures or warm for a mid autumn evening. I was out grilling and what I had cooking needed to cook slow. The extra time outdoors gave me a few un-rushed minutes to walk around the yard see what, if anything interesting, was happening in the garden.

I love it when the clouds cooperate and set up these beautiful scenes that beckon to be shot. Sometimes the clouds clutter the sky and block the light in such a way that it appears washed out and dull. Not this time! Tonight there was a nice mix of cloud types and heights which gave my frame lots of interest. Not only do we have a pretty colorful sunset, we also have supporting texture and subject matter like silhouettes at the bottom forth and some nice dark clouds scattered throughout.

With Beer In Hand ..

I took my time on a slow careless stroll the entire way around the house.

When I made it almost the whole way around and back to the grill, I noticed our baby Saint John’s Wort plant. I was given a start of a plant a couple of years ago from my mother, and planted it in the side garden. After two seasons the plant looks awesome! Very full and even in growth like it was purchased at a nursery. One wouldn't even realize that this was once a funky looking sprig of a plant.

The plant seems to be doing very well in the spot, thus I am thinking about purchasing a couple more of them to fill in this garden. I had to remove a rosebush it wasn’t doing very well at the beginning of the year. So, there is a gap or that used to sit and another two or three Saint johns wort plants would look great here.

The Flowers ..

While I was admiring the structure and healthiness of the plant I noticed that they were a couple of new flower buds and one open flower on the plant. This was pretty exciting because most of the plants are done flowering for the season. This plant was the only one that I noticed had any sort of flowers blooming. Most of what I have planted within the gardens, is done blooming for the year and is even starting to die back or they are starting to drop their leaves.

These flower buds are closer to the soil level which makes sense, since it is warmer ground level rather than at the top of the plant.

Take a look at how beautiful these flowers are. Only the very edges show a few signs of damage due to cold temperatures. Otherwise they are very beautiful still.

Here are a couple of close-ups so you get a better look at how bright and yellow flowers are. There are five petals and a greenish yellow stigma and style in the middle, Surrounded by white to yellow anthers full of pollen. These were lots of fun to take photo's of. There was a slight breeze which made it a bit trickier to take non-blurry shots, but I managed to capture a few keepers.

On days like today, when I take the time to really look at these flowers and their details, they remind me of an exploding firework. It looks like the anthers are exploding outward from the style/stigma. Like a little explosion of color.

If you set a short depth of field, you can get a nice blurred effect in the background which makes your shot stand out that much more.

How About That Sunset!

I can’t neglect the pre-winter sunset that is forming toward our backyard, and the opportunity it is giving me for a more artistic shot of these bright yellow flowers. As I’m taking these pictures I notice the colors starting to emerge and grab a shot of a sunset in the background with the Saint Johns Wort flower in the foreground. The background is out of focus on purpose so that the flower in the foreground will stand out. I am not always that good at grabbing these types of shots, but I am impressed with this one I was able to pull off.

So What Do We Think Of These Shots?

“I have been finding treasures in places I did not want to search. I have been hearing wisdom from tongues I did not want to listen. I have been finding beauty where I did not want to look. And I have learned so much from journeys I did not want to take. Forgive me, O Gracious One; for I have been closing my ears and eyes for too long. I have learned that miracles are only called miracles because they are often witnessed by only those who can can see through all of life's illusions. I am ready to see what really exists on other side, what exists behind the blinds, and taste all the ugly fruit instead of all that looks right, plump and ripe.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

The Orchid Lovers Community!

Love Orchids? Consider joining our community. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

The Orchid Lovers Community

A place for people who Love Orchids!