Detail of a bluebell flower
Base of a bluebell flower, Eustoma exaltatum.
A dense colony of wildflowers, like yesterday’s bluebells, is pretty in the aggregate, but I often prefer taking a close look at a single flower. In this case make that part of a flower; although some people don’t like a truncated view, I find that it emphasizes abstract forms.
© 2011 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!! I believe Georgia O’Keeffe would agree. The essence of bluebell.
susie fowler
June 15, 2011 at 8:13 AM
Thanks, Susie. I love your phrase “essence of bluebell.” Can we bottle it?
wordconnections
June 15, 2011 at 1:02 PM
I still want to do a show here, for your work, perhaps Labor of Love would work. We should talk so I can think through the music to accompany the art show.
susie
yes, bottle it.
susie fowler
June 15, 2011 at 1:57 PM
I totally agree. Reminds me of Georgia O’Keeffe. Beautiful!
Kac
June 15, 2011 at 9:50 AM
Thanks, Kathy. I’ve liked Georgia O’Keeffe’s work since I was in high school. I wasn’t consciously copying her style, but I may have internalized some elements of it.
wordconnections
June 15, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Amazing colours!
beatingthebounds
June 15, 2011 at 4:10 PM
Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed the portrait.
wordconnections
June 15, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Thanks for the comment on my blog..nice to meet a transplanted Long Islander. Long Island out east, is still a beatiful place, despite much recent development. Gorgeous wildflower portraits here..Blue Bell is stunning..
Cindy
June 15, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Thanks, Cindy. I appreciate your comment. Say hi to Long Island for me.
wordconnections
June 15, 2011 at 5:30 PM
I like that shot. Closeups do bring out things otherwise not seen, especially color patterns and textures. Photos like that are clearly a distinct art form.
montucky
June 15, 2011 at 11:49 PM
Hello,
Thank you for commenting on my wildflower photograph and also for leading me here. Your work is beautiful and I absolutely love the abstract form you speak of. I too have considered the ‘macro’ viewpoint just as, if not more interesting than the ‘collective mass’
This shot is stunning.
Many thanks.
Fiona
fionahersey
June 16, 2011 at 3:10 AM
Thanks, Fiona. I’m always pleased to meet another lover of abstract forms and of close views of things.
I’m really curious to find out what created the intriguing patterns in your photo at
http://fionaherseyphotography.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/guess-what/
wordconnections
June 16, 2011 at 6:28 AM
I certainly agree with you about closeups. I encourage my viewers to take a look at the many detailed photos of wildflowers that Montucky has posted on his blog about western Montana. Sometimes species there closely resemble species that grow here in central Texas. Let’s hear it for connectivity!
wordconnections
June 16, 2011 at 6:04 AM
[…] Who could tell, without already having seen it, that a bud like this will soon become a flower like the bluebell shown yesterday? […]
A bluebell bud « Portraits of Wildflowers
June 16, 2011 at 6:48 AM
I don’t think someone can truly appreciate nature and nature photography without looking deep inside a flower, a bud, a leaf form. You have a beautiful capture. Thanks so much for sharing your work.
Barbara Sammons
June 16, 2011 at 8:55 PM
And thanks to you, fellow photographer, for appreciating it!
wordconnections
June 16, 2011 at 11:37 PM
A great detail shot- thanks for posting it!
Watching Seasons
June 18, 2011 at 6:17 PM
You’re welcome. The bluebell is one of our great Texas wildflowers—when you can still find it.
wordconnections
June 18, 2011 at 6:37 PM
[…] I’m bouncing around between bluebells and mountain pinks, with bluebells again this morning. Here’s how they look from above, where […]
More about bluebells « Portraits of Wildflowers
June 21, 2011 at 2:58 AM
Many watercolor artists are flattered when someone says that their painting looks like a photograph. I hope you feel flattered (I mean it to be) when I say this photo of the “Base of a bluebell flower…” looks like a watercolor painting. It is amazingly beautiful! I may have to try a watercolor of your photo!
Nan
June 22, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Thanks, Nan. You aren’t alone in seeing this photograph as a watercolor painting. At least one other person has told me that, and others have likely thought it. By coincidence, last night I was fooling around with some software that can make a photograph look like a painting in the style of Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” though I used the picture of the wilting sunflower to experiment on. If you do make a watercolor of the bluebell I’d like to see it.
Steve Schwartzman
June 22, 2011 at 11:30 AM
[…] I mentioned when posting the detailed picture of a bluebell a couple of weeks ago, some people don’t like views that crop off parts of the subject. Over […]
More white « Portraits of Wildflowers
June 29, 2011 at 6:31 AM
One link leads to another. 😉 Love this. The form, color, but especially the truncated view. I would like this nicely framed and hanging on my wall…
Lynda.
pixilated2
October 13, 2011 at 7:08 AM
We now live in a linked world, don’t we? I’m glad your trail led you here and that you like what you found.
Steve Schwartzman
October 13, 2011 at 7:23 AM
Wow this is really beautiful. A new camera with macro capabilities is on my Christmas list. I didn’t intend to get into photography, and the learning curve is a little frightening. I only photographed native plants for my own records, but I am realizing the power of a striking photo in promoting the use of natives in the landscape, and I want people to see these amazing plants.
Guess I’ll have to step it up.
Oh, and your sumac-ade comment on my blog resulted in a new post…
May I add this blog to my blogroll?
wyominglife
November 1, 2011 at 11:50 AM
Thanks for your comment on this picture; you’re certainly welcome to add the blog to your blogroll.
You’re right that I wouldn’t have been able to take it without my macro lens, which has turned out to be the lens I use the most often of the three I normally carry with me.
I’m glad that the comment on sumac-ade aided you in writing a new post.
Steve Schwartzman
November 1, 2011 at 2:21 PM
Thanks. Looking forward to more portraits.
wyominglife
November 4, 2011 at 10:34 PM