Here’s a scenic photo for you; the view from a coffeeshop deck in Poulsbo, Washington. Ah, the sights of August! Can’t you just smell the fresh air?

You can find lots of neat photos at Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, A Piece of Heaven, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, and Skywatch Friday. Thanks for visiting, and be sure to browse around this blog first!

Last week at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show I was lucky enough to see and photograph the exquisite bouquets in the daylit lobby area. I think that this year they were exceptionally beautiful. When you have such a stunning subject, it’s not too hard to make a really good photo (if I do say so myself!). As I always say, it’s not the camera. For some common-sense tips on how to take better photos that are not dependant on a fancy, expensive camera or complicated settings, you are welcome to download my “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” on the right.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! This floral image expresses love and perfection to me. I hope you enjoy it. And even though not many people have commented yet on it, I love this image and I am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday, Thursday Challenge (Love), Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Friday and Pink Saturday for other interesting and beautiful photos. Have fun! If you’ve arrived via a link and there is only the one bouquet photo below, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner to see the entire blog. Thanks for visiting!

Yesterday I was at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, which is open through Sunday, volunteering at the booth for the Volunteer Park Conservatory. It was great to see such an outpouring of concern and support for Seattle’s threatened icon. Before my shift, of course I wandered around taking photos. The Orchid Society’s display with the big wooden structure evoking the facade of our beloved Conservatory and helping to celebrate its Centennial was the greatest. Here is one of their perfect orchid specimens.

Please visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Pink Saturday for lots of lovely pictures from around the planet. As always, a reminder to click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if you’ve arrived via a link and see only the one post below.

All my photos lately are of ice or other winter subjects, and I’m tired of it. Let’s have some summer sun! These picotee (different color on the petal edge) gladioli, or glads for short, were in my garden early one August, just about six months away from today. That means our Australian friends are seeing these for real! Our day will come, of course. Just you wait.

Lots of fun things to see at Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Pink Saturday if you love photography. Isn’t the internet wonderful? If only one photo is below, do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner on top to see the whole deal here.

Even though the focus is a little softer than I’d like, this image of pink cyclamens from a recent Garden Club district meeting flower show pleases me. It’s funny how challenging it can be to photograph something that is so beautiful, graceful and perfect in person, so full of life and freshness, and make it convey even a small amount of that liveliness. You’d think the camera would just record it, but no. Such is the challenge of a person who loves to take photos of flowers.

Do wander over to Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday for more photo fabulousness. And of course, if there is only one photo below, you can click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above to see the entire blog.

It may be a long haul until actual spring that has flowers and warm weather, but I am all psyched when I see these little shoots of daffodils emerging in winter’s melting snow. So brave and yet so tender looking! This inspires me, so I am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Have a look at Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday and Watery Wednesday for more neat photos. Perhaps do a search here for snow, or winter, first? Always return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This cheerful cactus houseplant blooming on my windowsill is very happy, and making me happy in the process. It’s called hatiora (ha-tee-OR-a) or Drunkard’s Dream because the teensy cactus stems sometimes look like bottles. The flowers are only a quarter inch or a centimeter.  I call it a matchstick plant, but that’s incorrect. I actually have several plants, for one reason or another, and this is the only one blooming, and it’s covered in blossoms. I guess in the northern Seattle lattitude, full southern exposure is the way to go.

Why don’t you check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for some great pictures around the world. Find lots more interesting photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

More brilliant magenta pink/red springtime azalea flowers for you from May while I deal with the grayness outside. It’s interesting how a review of photos I took several months ago shows me that my ideas on what makes a good photo sometimes changes. This one I had tagged with one star (Worth Keeping). But now I compare it with other azalea photos taken that day and I like this one better than the others I tagged with more stars. It teaches me to look at what I preferred then but to take another look at what I set aside. You never know.

Take a look at Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday 2 and Pink Saturday to see more wonderful photography. Browse around here first by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

I know we’ve barely started winter, but I saw a tiny bulb shoot today! So naturally I’m dreaming of spring. Here’s a pretty pair of May tulips for you, under a neighbor’s tree just leafing out. I can dream, can’t I?

Check out Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Mellow Yellow Monday for lots of fascinating photos around the blogosphere. Find lots more searchable photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos here or above.

Yes, it is raining outside, but no foxgloves are now in the yard. Wait six months and there they’ll be! I really like the way the raindrops hang from the edge of the flower, and I hope you do, too.

Happy Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Watery Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Floral Friday, Wordless Wednesday and Pink Saturday. You can find lots more cool photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos any time you like.