Posts in Category: wildflower
Maine! Bee in rose
Bumblebee in wild rose: Along the Kennebunk Bridle Path while looking for Egrets, this bee in a lovely wild rose caught my eye. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with insect recognition and my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Alsike Clover
There were many different kinds of clover in bloom along the Kennebunk Bridle Path when I went walking yesterday…including this one which is new to my awareness. I have probably seen it a thousand times, but I can’t say that I have ever appreciated it. It was way too windy for focus-stacking, so this is a straight up tele-macro at 800mm with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom. The flower head is about 3/4 of an inch across so even on phone you are seeing it larger than life size. OM System OM-1Mkii in Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Late Ladies
When I went out looking for Lupines near Emmon’s Preserve in Kennebunkport/Arundel, I was surprised to find a few late Lady Slipper Orchids blooming along the trail into the Batson River falls. Lovely wherever and whenever you find them. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 12-45 f4 Pro zoom at 48mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Lady Slipper Bouquet
Maine! Lady Slipper bouquet — Lots of Lady Slippers still along my secret slope. This clump was one of many within sight. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 12-45 f4 Pro zoom at 26mm equivalent. Program mode. In-camera focus stack. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Lady Slipper
I went back to the woods to check on my patches of Lady Slipper Orchids here in Kennebunk, Maine. At least some of them have come out fully in the past 5 days and I spent over an hour on the slope where they grow. Others will still require another few days of warm sun. They are all somewhat small this year, maybe because of the peculiar weather we have been having…I don’t mean short, though most of them are…but the blossoms themselves seem a bit undersized compared to past years. This intentionally odd angle shot, an 9 frame in-camera focus stack, really shows off the bloom. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 12-45 f4 Pro zoom at 42mm equivalent. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Trillium
It is Painted Trillium season in southern Maine, but, at least in my experience, they are becoming hard to find. I used to know of several patches, but it is down to one now. If anyone knows of any accessible spots where I could respectfully photograph them I would appreciate it. This is a program mode focus stacked image at 1600mm equivalent (1x) using the digital tele-converter in the OM System OM-1Mkii and the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom, taken from about 4 feet. The remaining flowers I know of are quite small for Painted Trillium, and seem to be getting smaller year to year. ??
Maine Landscape
Trout Lily (Adder’s Tongue, Yellow Dog Tooth Violet), Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA. July 2024 — One of the first wildflowers of spring in Southern Maine. OM Systems OM-1 with M.Zuiko 12-45 f4 Pro at 40mm equivalent. Program mode with in-camera HDR. Processed in Photomator.
Maine Landscape
Not exactly a landscape, but part of the early spring landscape in the Southern Maine woodlands. In this case Emmon’s Preserve of the Kennebunkport Land Trust. I went a week ago to check the Trout Lily (Adder’s Tongue…I just found out it is also called Dog Tooth Violet, though that was a distinctly different plant in upstate New York when I was growing up) and the leaves were just barely above ground. This week there are a few in full blossom, but only a few in the most favored of spots among thousands of plants. This is a hand-held in-camera focus stack with the OM System OM-1 and M.Zuiko 12-45 Pro zoom. Program mode. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Goldfinch in Joe Pye Weed
American Goldfinch: York County, Maine, USA, September 2023 — Though it looks like it might be an exotic, this plant is growing, thriving in fact, in a display of native plants at a local reserve…It is Joe Pye Weed, and it is the perfect setting to show off the bright yellow of this fall Goldfinch. As you can imagine there is an interesting story behind the name of the plant. It is named for the Joe Pye, who, legend has it, was a New England tribal medicine man who treated typhoid among early European settlers with native plants…though not, probably, the Joe Pye Weed…though it has been used to treat fever, among other ailments. It is a great host plant for bees and butterflies, and, apparently the Goldfinches enjoy it as well. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 1600mm equivalent (2x digital tel-extender). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Bee in Goldenrod
Common Eastern Bumblebee: Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve), Wells, Maine, USA, September 2023 — At least three species of bees and one of hoverflies were out in great numbers in the Goldenrod at Laudholm Farms on a sunny afternoon…all busy harvesting pollen. This Bumblebee is well on the way to carrying a full load. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent from just over 4 feet. Program mode with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.