I really love how a macro gets you looking more closely at things. This is a very simple shot, taken with that little “flower” icon setting on my little pocket camera (a Canon Powershot 95S). As an aside, I took all the photos in my book with this little pocket camera. Be sure to download your free copy of Secrets to Better Flower Photos at right. You do not need a fancy camera to take excellent photos.

I find the delicacy of both the maidenhair fern fronds and the pink azalea petals to be very satisfying. Each leaflet on the fern is about 1 cm, or less than half an inch.

Maidenhair fern and double pink azalea at Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Joining up at Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the my latest fave images.

Seattle’s beloved Volunteer Park Conservatory was looking fine today. The sun was out and the light on the orchids was just spectacular. Below the lady slipper orchid macro, check out the pretty metalwork and Clise Orchid Collection from 1921 sign decorating the display.

Brightly colored lady slipper orchids on display at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Graceful metalwork at the Clise Orchid Collection in the Conservatory

Happy to join up at Today’s Flowers, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2,  Pink Saturday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Shadows), NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here first!

Here’s another image available as a print for your wall, one of 15 stunning images, an exciting bromeliad “flower.” All are 8″ x 10″ archival quality photo prints from my book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory: Blooming Month by Month. They have no watermark, of course. I’ve firmly matted them in white to 11 x 14″ and signed each one. You can check them all out and order here or by clicking on the Prints tab above.

Photo print of lavender bromeliad looks like a starry flower

This image is right in line with Pantone’s Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. Linking to Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above if you’d like to see more of the latest images.

Taken at Seattle’s VPC in August, this macro of a tropical rhododendron or Vireya is a picture of perfect pinkness.

A pink tropical rhododendron or Vireya blooms at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Joining up at Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, Water World Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest images I love.

This photo was taken on a warm and perfect August evening in Moses Lake, Washington. Doesn’t it almost look like a rainbow in the water reflection?

Scenic sunset sky reflected at water’s edge at Moses Lake, WA

Visit Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Blue Monday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Thursday Challenge (Distant), Unique Exposures Photo Challenge (Reflections), Weekend Reflections, Water World Wednesday, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate very much your stopping by here and hope to see you again soon.

A summertime sunset scene, at the Des Moines, WA marina. Summer will come again!

Boat masts at sunset in August

Linking to Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Thursday Challenge (Distant), Water World Wednesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here, and you might click on a tag like Puget Sound to the right if you like water shots.

I think this is macro of a hibiscus flower, but I am not really sure. It must be a cousin if it isn’t a real hibiscus. It was blooming recently in Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, and I just love the swirl of the petals and the funny center thingie that looks like a robot.

Pink hibiscus flower blooms in the Conservatory in Seattle

Linking to Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, and Saturday Show Off.  Click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see more of my, and I hope your, fave images.

Clerodendrum quadriloculare Verbenceae or “Fireworks Flower” is blooming at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, and it’s a great way to start the year off!

Fireworks flower blooms in January at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Participating in Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off.  Thanks for visiting here, and don’t forget to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for more pretty pictures.

Still haven’t gone up on the huge new ferris wheel in Seattle, but here’s a photo of it at dusk I took last week. The LED lighting on it up plays in many patterns. You can see the viaduct, soon to be no more, at the bottom.

Seattle’s Great Wheel in a wintery sunset scene, looking out over Puget Sound

Joining up at Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Blue Monday, Thursday Challenge (Clouds), Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Water World Wednesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here, and be sure to try a search of something like ferris wheel, just for fun.

An exciting skyscape for you on this first morning of 2014. May this be the very best year of your life so far! Thank you to all the loyal and appreciative readers of this blog. Your unfailingly positive and insightful comments have been one of the true blessings in my life. Yay, blogging!

Dawn breaks over Mt. Rainier in Washington State

Joining Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Thursday Challenge (Clouds), Wordless Wednesday and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here, and don’t forget to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest several pretty pictures.