As I look out onto my very bare backyard through my studio window, I yearn to make these challenging terraces a beautiful scene of flowers that I can photograph from April until October. Tulips, hellebores, lilacs, daffodils, roses, clematis, crabapple trees, poppies, peonies … I know there are so many more! I’m not even sure if I can grow all the things here but I’m going to give it my best try. It would just be wonderful to be able to go into my backyard and pick a beautiful stem to photograph.

This gorgeous red tulip was part of a bouquet that I received. The color is what drew me to it with its deep yet bright red tone and the light yellow interior. My instinct is to always photograph blooms simply, no elaborate setups or backgrounds. I like crisp white backgrounds because it’s very peaceful to the eye and lets the bloom really stand out. Plus for this red tulip, the red and white went beautifully together.

When I photograph a flower I always start with the obvious but I like to pay attention to the little details. Like the green leaf on this tulip. Its natural state was to stand straight up and was a bit ‘pointy’. So I decided to also curl the leaf downward which gave the leaf a different movement and softer feel. When you turn a bloom its shape also changes so I like to photograph it from many different angles and also change its position to the light. This process is all very relaxing to me and brings so much joy. Taking something ordinary like a tulip out of a bouquet and letting it’s beauty shine for all to see is something my heart and creativity thrive on.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you found a little joy in these images. – B.