Staple sources of beauty in Central Florida can be found in the form of bougainvillea, hibiscus, oleander, Egytptian starcluster and of course, azaleas. We have at least two parks, that I can think of, in the greater Orlando area, which have been dedicated to the azalea: Dickson Azalea Park and Kraft Azalea Gardens.
Not to be taken for granted though. I’m so glad that these awesome staples are here to provide some cheer to the city intermittently thoughout the year.
Life can feel so dreary and mundane cruising around on the same dusty streets everyday… but then a splash of color jumps out at you somewhere… it smacks you in the forehead and says: “snap out of it… life ain’t so bad. You have me to remind you of love and beauty and other cool stuff like that.”
Beautiful flowers are such great mood boosters… I suppose that’s why you see them at so many celebrations, not to mention hospitals and funerals…
Capturing the Snow White Azalea has proved to be somewhat troublesome by way of getting the photos to come out in a manner that does them true justice. Photographing white flowers calls for increased attention be paid to get the focus just right. If not, the details simply will not pop. These are the first ones I’ve felt confident enough to post although they still could have been much better given ideal lighting. No Ansel Adams here. Can’t stand out in the park all day waiting for the perfect beam of sun. Folks may start to talk.
I’ve been rehashing my old beloved activity of going on little flower-finding excursions here and about. Because of this, I now have quite a few new flower photos in my reserves for future postings!
Sometimes I take other people along but I also often go alone. A bit of narcissism maybe… I want to search and enjoy uninterrupted.
Hope everyone is having a great week and a great Wednesday!
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The Sunstone Journal 
Gorgeous, JoAnn!
Sure, we have azaleas up north too, but they don’t compare with the stunners you’ve photographed. Ah, to be among such wonders.
Your refinements are all the more praiseworthy when considering the difficulties of picture-taking out in the open. The lightest breeze takes a bloom set perfectly, and blurs it out of focus, seemingly at whim. Then there’s the random passing cloud, ruining in an instant a beautifully-lit shot.
Yet, despite it all, you’ve brought us exquisiteness. Brava!
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Yes, getting that perfect shot isn’t always easy. I’m really floored at how awesome my iPhone camera is though. I’ve been playing around with the focus lock and have marveled at how much it’s improved since upgrading to a new model. It’s been breezy here off and on for a few weeks plus my hands tend to be kinda shaky anyway. Photos that I didn’t think would come out have ended up being much better than expected. Thanks for the kudos!
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Oh yeah, sister, for sure!
My grasp is much steadier ever since I kicked a Three-Pepsi-a-Day habit a couple years ago, but it still can use some practice. For me, many of my indoor shots were taken from somewhere which offers a stabilizing brace of sorts.
When summer brings the cooking and eating outside, however, I lose that key ally.
This ramble’s point being, your kudos are well-earned.
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Three pepsi a day?? You’re shattering the perfect image I have of you in my mind. Oh well, I suppose it has to happen. No one can perfect all the time!
Indoor photography with a tripod is ideal. That’s how I used to shoot a lot of my photos until I started going out on photo expeditions. Food photography can be a lot of fun… one of these days I will get back into that!
I suppose I could take a tripod out with me but it just seems kinda tacky and too formal… like I’m shooting a wedding. There ‘s something nice about just going out and winging it sometimes.
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Isn’t there, though, JoAnn? Just this afternoon – which was absolutely glorious, by the way – I snapped some pics of cherry blossoms that turned out really well. In fact, you may see some of them one day. If the rumors are to be believed, that is.
Creative simile about the tripod. See, I’d use this effect to advantage. Set up the tripod, and anytime someone ventures within fifty feet, hiss, “I need my space. Please…please. The bride is coming this way any minute now. I..just..need..to…get…this…shot!”
Oh, you poor, anguished, sensitive, misunderstood artist, you.
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Ha ha that’s so funny!
I’m sure those cherry blossoms are beautiful. I would suggest posting some of theose photos on your blog but then I guess you would have to tie in into food somehow I suppose. Can one eat a cherry blossom?? I have no idea but perhaps you could start a cherry blossom eating revolution here right here in America!
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Lovely photos, JoAnn! ❤ When I lived on the East Coast of Florida, there were no azaleas. In SW Florida, we have a few. I think they have to be pampered here. in order to survive. When I visited my son in Tallahassee last year, their azaleas were amazing! Take care!
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How interesting. Either they are choosy about the weather or there are a lot of appreciative cultivators here in Orlando… maybe a bit of both.
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Getting details out of white flowers is one of the more difficult things to do. Photography does not have the same kind of response to very bright and very dark things as the human eye does. It was a problem back in the days of silver based photography and still is today.
Nothing wrong with a little narcissism. 🙂
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Hey, we are all guilty of it from time to time, right?
I do find it interesting how the camera goes about picking up details in images… sometimes there is more there than you originally thought and sometimes there isn’t. 🙂🌸
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A real beauty!
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Thank you!
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