BRILLIANTLY LIT CONEFLOWERS

The night before I had checked the weather and the forecast was to be mostly overcast with partial sun breaks during the early morning hours at sunrise. So, off I went leaving the house by 4:30 a.m.. I had photographed many sunrises this year and wanted to focus my attention on the wildflowers of Wildflower Park. I knew exactly where in the park to head to photograph the wildflowers, which is the opposite area of Wildflower Lake. I started my hike with camera gear and tripod in hand and it wasn't long before I began seeing some of the wildflowers I would be photographing this morning, cup plant, wild bergamot, blue vervain and eastern daisy fleabane just to name a few. The sun began to shine bright through the clouds as the colors of the sunrise came to fruition appearing behind the box elder trees that line Eakin Creek West. The abundance of beautiful wildflowers on this prairie landscape scene were out in force. False sunflowers were the dominant flower with blue vervain, cup plants (silphium perfoliatum), eastern daisy fleabane, queen anne's lace, teasel weed and a few giant ragweed plants. After photographing the abundance of wildflowers on the prairie with the sunrise, I moved on through the oak savanna that makes a large s-curve to Eakin Creek West. It was here that I seen 3 green herons up in a peachleaf willow tree. Only a few meters away were more wildflowers that were being illuminating brilliantly by the morning sun. Purple and yellow coneflowers were in perfect bloom, some wild bergamot was near as was false sunflowers and goldenrod that was yet to blossom along with a couple rosinweed plants. I set up the tripod, camera and focused on the coneflowers, composed and began shooting. The wildflowers this year were spectacular with lush greens and vibrant colors of yellows, orange, purple and other colors. It had been a great morning to be out photographing the beauty of the area. (516--159)