We’re big into Sunflower Season here. This past weekend, there was a music festival called Wormtown just down the road from our Sunflower Field at Camp Keewanee. Everyone seemed to arrive on Friday and leave on Sunday. To say it was good for the sunflower selling business is to be blunt.People around here tend to take the sunflowers for granted – driving by and remarking to themselves how beautiful they are. (That's what I imagine.) Actually, they rush by, not having the time to stop and pick up a bunch or two. The people from Wormtown were different. Hoards (okay, maybe not hoards on your block, but on our block we consider it hoards) of youngish music loving adults stopped and purchased sunflowers. What fun to be rewarded for our beauty with a bit of cash-o-la.
And speaking of cash…. I wish I had a dollar for everyone who stopped to take a photo. Oh, how great would that be. …… Not exactly rich, but at least be able to contribute to a meal. I don’t mind if people take photos, but common courtesy would be to ask, wouldn’t you agree? And then maybe buy a sunflower. I guess I now know how photogenic peasants feel in Mexico or Guatemala? If I ever go there, I will be sure to give the peasants some money.
I’ve been talking with a few photographer friends the past few days and they kept remarking to me how beautiful and magical the light is just before sunrise. Now me, I’m not a morning person to say the least. But I decided to bite the bullet and get up before dawn and see what all the fuss was about.
Okay, I admit, I have learned something. It is beautiful at that time of day. The light is similar to sunset but different. I took photos for two mornings before the sun had risen and the sunflowers truly do seem magical. Unfortunately, my photos do not do the scene justice.
Two days of rising before sunrise and stomping around in the very cold dew really did make me respect what good photographers do to “get the picture.” Timing and training, practice and a good eye are everything. I also know I don’t want to be a photographer. I just don't have that eye for light that I know it takes a professional photographer be successful. And the equipment? Oh, it really takes something to learn how to work it all. My hacking around with these blog pictures is good enough for me. But enjoy our sunflowers (and my lousy photos) at sunrise.
7 comments:
Love your sunflowers. I reminds me when we first moved to our present home 27 years ago and the first year the field behind us was nothing but sunflowers. It was just beautiful. Good luck with your sales. For a few years we sold pumpkins, corn stalks and straw. It's a lot of work to keep everything going, but also fun. Urban sprawl has come to our area and we stopped selling things out in our yard. Jackie.
Beautiful sunflowers! Wish I were close, as I would buy several bunches, and then come back for more. Do you leave some for the birds? Sometime you must list the varieties that are best for cutting. I would be no competition for you with less than a 1/4 acre and living on Vancouver Island, but I do love to cut them for the house and some seem to come with just one or maybe two large heads.
Glad sales were good with the extra people coming along.
Enough with the modesty. I subscribed to your blog because of your photos. I've looked at a lot of knitting blogs, and believe me, good photos are rare in them. Yours are good. Yes, I agree with what you say about the demands of professional photography. However, there are demands of blog photography, too, and you, as far as I'm concerned, have met them.
I like your knitting too. :)
Sunflowers are one of my real favourites and yours are just stunning. There is nothing more beautiful than a field full of sunflowers so thank you so much for sharing yours :o)
Those are beautiful sunflowers! I only wish I lived nearby so I could stop and take pictures of them too! :)
I never knew there were so many varieties! They are gorgeous!
The sunflowers are beautiful! If I were in MA I'd drive over and get some bunches, just to enjoy for September and October!
I, too, am not a morning person or photographer. If I ever pursued photography as a profession (in another lifetime), I would go for the night vision or the sunsets. I'm just more awake then.
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