Stop and Smell the Dandelions

Each spring, when the rains finally cease and the warm sun once again breaks through the clouds, I venture outside with my "nice" camera in hopes of capturing on (digital) film the delicate beauty of the season's first blooms.

I adore taking pictures of Will, Hallie, Tux, my niece, Lily, and nephew, Carter. (And I hope to someday soon take pictures of my newest nephew, Forest.) But kids scream and cry and refuse to smile and smile like someone's threatening them and run away.

Flowers, on the other hand, do none of the above.

I photograph flowers because for me, the process is both soothing and invigorating, simultaneously calming and inspiring. That moment when my camera lens allows me to see how a seemingly simple element in nature is, upon closer inspection, actually brilliantly complex…MAGIC.

I also photograph flowers because of Hallie, who takes the generic suggestion to "stop and smell the roses" quite seriously (though she tends toward flowers other than roses because of their thorns). I want to join her as she wanders through grassy fields picking weeds and assembling bouquets and sampling scents, but the grown-up in me struggles to slow my pace and admire yet another dandelion. When I carry my camera, however, I can see what she sees.

I took the pictures below on our San Antonio trip, in between fulfilling Hallie's repeated requests to take pictures of her in front of every flowering tree and canon on the Alamo grounds.

My favorites in this batch are the first two and last one, of a Lily of the Valley, which I plan to someday print and frame for my Lily.

Happy spring, friends. Take a minute to stop and smell the dandelions.

If you enjoy these spring flower pics, or if you live where spring has yet to grab hold and need a bit more color in your day, below are links to a few of my past flower power posts.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Sheep
Tradition: Bluebonnets
Flower Power