I enjoy photographing wildflowers this time of year. Prairie crocuses and yellowbells have been in bloom for at least a couple of weeks and I’ve been admiring them on some of my recent hikes and walks. It wasn’t until a couple of days ago, though, that I packed my camera gear along with the intention of taking a few pictures.
Overcast days generally provide the best lighting conditions for photographing wildflowers, because the clouds act as a natural light diffuser. Direct sunlight can create bright highlights on flowers and cast harsh shadows. Early mornings and evenings can provide nice lighting, too, especially this time of year when the sun is low on the horizon.
Yellowbell
Wildflower photography takes patience. The slightest breeze can cause delicate petals and leaves to move, and unless it’s dead calm outside you often have to wait for the right moment to press the shutter button. While you can take good wildflower photos by hand-holding the camera, your images will be sharper if you use a tripod.
It won’t be long before other colorful wildflowers appear, including shooting stars, Indian paintbrush, and calypso orchids. Over the next couple of months, there will be plenty of opportunities for viewing and photographing them.
Sleeping Crocus
If you enjoy wildflowers and would like to learn more about them, you might be interested in attending the annual Waterton Wildflower Festival, taking place June 15 – 20. For more information, check out the link to their website in the previous line.
Waterton Park Crocuses
2 Comments
Very nice shots!
Hi Kurt,
Thanks! There’s lots of crocuses out along the Crowsnest River now. We had a couple inches of snow last night, so they are probably all covered up today. Water levels have been increasing over the past week on the river and the clarity is down to about 18 inches this morning. It won’t be long before the spring runoff begins.