Sky Watch Friday-Summer Brings Dramatic Scenic and Flower Photo Opportunities

Canon 30-D: 17mm-40mm F4 at 17mm ISO 200

One of my favorite summer activities is a walk in the backcountry on a clear morning. It is best to be afield before sunrise and in position to catch the sun coming over the mountains. The owner of this area does rent a portion of his farm to a commercial farmer and the foreground of the photograph above is an area that was sprayed in preparation for planting a crop, but for whatever reason, nothing was planted or if it was it did not grow.

The owner is however, a dedicated naturalist and makes certain that a significant portion of his land is undisturbed so that meadow wildflowers may be found in abundance.

I had the 100mm f2.8 macro lens along, but decided to forgo the inconvenience of changing lenses, as the wildflowers I found today were large enough to make pleasing images with the 500mm.

Both are members of the morning glory family and are considered weeds. They are undesirable when they invade ornamentals as they are vines that twist around host plants and "take over" thereby destroying the desired plants.

With that being said, both are beautiful wildflowers and are harmless in an area such as a natural meadow.

Wild Sweet Potato: Canon 30-D-500mmF4 1/400 sec f8 ISO 100

Hedge Bindweed: Canon 30-D- 500mmF4 1/125 sec f 11 ISO 100

A stunning sunset is always a fitting conclusion to a day afield!

Canon 30-D: 17mm-40mm F4 at 27mm 1/200 sec f8 ISO 200

For more sky watch photos visit Sky Watch at its' own website this week. I don't know quite how it works yet and I am posting early so nothing is up yet, but the other sky watcher's photos should be up by mid to late afternoon eastern daylight savings time.