Arboretum Wildflower Walk

Members of the Arboretum Photography Committee and the Johnson County Camera Club had the privilege yesterday to go on a guided wildflower walk and photoshoot at the Overland Park Arboretum. Our guides were native plant expert Ken O'Dell and the Arboretum Volunteer Coordinator Phyllis Merrick. Phyllis said the wildflower display at the Arboretum is the largest collection of wildflowers in a six-state area. I will spend some time later this week identifying all of the flowers below. Ken identified the flowers as we walked through the grounds but, we photographers were too busy finding the next flower to photograph to take notes!

It was a perfect day for the photography since the sky was cloudy and there was no wind. A sunny, day would have created too much contrast between lights and darks in the forest. Wind would have made the images of the flowers blurry since they would have been moving while the shutter was open. All in all, it was a great day, a learning experience and a fun subject to photograph.


















I couldn't resist taking some other photos today with my macro lens. This is a clematis in my sister's front yard. It was a beautiful specimen.



The next three were taken in the entry to the Arboretum grounds. The tulips were as beautiful as I've ever seen and they were in perfect bloom. The first photo is a pine bush in the planter with the tulips.

In the flower photography class I teach, I talk about the interplay of colors. This photo is a good example. I liked the red behind the tulips and the contrast it made with the yellow and green.



Again, playing with the depth of field.



More of an abstract macro shot.



Enjoy!

Snow at the Arboretum

It's March 1 tomorrow and we had our deepest snow of the season today. Plus, it's going to get down to 4 degrees tonight. That temperature brings terror to my heart since I had upstairs pipes freeze, break and demolish my kitchen the day after I returned from Phoenix in January. The kitchen is still open to the rafters, so I hope the heat keeps the pipes toasty warm tonight.

Today was a great day to get out to the Arboretum with a camera in hand. It was the perfect snow - the streets were clear since it has been so warm but the snow was deep enough to cover the grass. My niece joined us and I've attached some of my photos and hers. Enjoy!

This is a photo of my niece. It was blowing snow for most of our visit. And, as you can see it was COLD.














The below photos are my niece's - pretty nice for a 14 year old!!



This is a self portrait my niece took of herself.



One of her favorites - more of a stealth self-portrait.





You can see the snow blowing in the two photos above.



A nice abstract - she has a great eye for composition





Strange weather - frigid today and in the 60's and 70's later this week.

More Luminary Walk

The Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum is held for two weekends. Here are some photos I took on the second weekend.  It was pretty chilly that night but attendance was still great.  It's wonderful to see so many families enjoying this annual event.  There's lots to see as you wind your way through the lighted paths.   The campfire below, next to the hot cider tent, is a favorite for kids.  The sounds of the Christmas carols that are sung 'round the campfire fill the night air.  

This is a fun tunnel for the kids.  It gets shorter and shorter as you walk through it.   It's a surprise for the adults as they have to bend lower and lower!

One of my favorites this year was the teepee with the lighted bears playing soccer.  The pink you see in the clouds was a fleeting few minutes of sunset reflection.

If you didn't make it out to this great event, there's always next year!

Overland Park Arboretum In Winter

As far as I'm concerned one of the absolute best times to be outside with a camera in hand is right after a snowfall.  Somehow, the chill leaves the air and I'm never cold when I'm wandering around enjoying the peacefulness of a quiet, snowy day.   I often head out to the Overland Park Arboretum after a snow.  Generally, the only other folks I see are other photographers.  We all try not to leave footprints that will intrude into a photo.  

The above photo was my first entry into a photo contest.  It was a second place winner, which was quite a thrill for me.  It wasn't without controversy, however.  It turns out the little red barn had been on loan to the Arboretum for the annual Art Fest for Kids that had been held a couple of weeks before the snowfall.  I learned years later that there was a lot of discussion about whether or not to award a prize since some questioned whether the photo had been taken at the Arboretum.  I'm glad someone recognized that  it truly was a photo of the Arboretum! 

The below photo is one of my favorites.  It's so serene, with the hint of blue in the sky.

Luminary Walk at the Arboretum

One of my favorite winter traditions is to attend the Overland Park Arboretum's annual luminary walk.  Although the Arboretum is beautiful in any season, it is transformed two weekends a year to a twinkling fairyland. Anyone who has ever photographed lights at night knows it is a challenge. However, you can improve your chances of taking a nice photograph if you take your photos during twilight.  Did you know that whether it is  a cloudless or cloudy sky, or raining, as it was tonight, during the half hour after the sun has set, the sky photographs as cobalt blue?

Below are some photos I took over the last two nights, some at twilight and some later.    The second weekend for the luminary walk is next weekend.  If you live in Kansas City, it's well worth a visit, even in the cold, crisp air!  

The above photo is the same photo as the one below.  When I was processing the original in photoshop, I accidentally made a change I didn't intend.  I thought the result was kind of interesting - half infrared-like and half winter twilight scene.   Let me know what you think.  

Overland Park Arboretum

The Overland Park, Kansas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is one of my all-time favorite places to visit with my camera in hand in any season.  I refer to it as the hidden jewel of Johnson County, Kansas.  Countless volunteers put in an extraordinary number of hours to keep developing and beautifying the Arboretum.   I've included a link to the Arboretum's web site.   www.opkansas.org/_vis/arboretum/index.cfm

Above are some of my Spring and Summer photos taken at the Arboretum in previous years. A photographer can go out week after week and find something different and beautiful to photograph - the gardens are ever changing.  If you like photography and live around Kansas City, visit the Arboretum - you won't be disappointed.