sunflower

All photos available for print and licensing >

I did it. I went back to the sunflower fields again. But this time, I went with IGDC. I was a little reluctant to go last weekend because it was just so hot and humid out but I’m so glad I did.

It was so great to see so many of my friends and going out and taking pictures with them. It made the whole experience so different. I felt like I was able to see the sunflowers in a different light. Instead of just concentrating on the blooms, I was more interested in the interactions of my friends with the sunflowers. While some people brought ladders and drones, others had props like picture frames and colorful umbrellas. It was pretty interesting to see the kind of shots everyone was trying to take.

At one point, I was asked to go out into the middle of the field with the umbrella to pose for some images. I agreed and my friend, Birch said that she would go in the middle with me. After my job as “model” was done, Birch and I took some time to just stay in the middle of the field to take some pictures of our own. Luckily, we brought out this ladder so we had an elevated view of the field.

But when it was Birch’s turn on the ladder, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could get a sun flair or something coming from her shoulder. I got some shots but then I ducked down a little bit and loved the way this super tall sunflower was framing her. I love how you’re able to get the sunflower petals on top of the image but also see sunflowers in the distance. A shot I probably would have never gotten if I kept on going to the sunflowers by myself 🙂

My camera settings for this image is F22 and 1/60th of a sec and ISO 200 with my Sony A7II and 16-35mm wide-angle lens.

PS: click here to see this image on the Washingtonian

All photos available for print and licensing >

The third best thing about summer- sunflower fields!

The first is obviously the beach, the second being fireworks, and then comes sunflowers. LOL.

But if you’re in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area, I highly recommend stopping by McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area. There are rows and rows of sunflowers, at times it can feel endless. Plus they have multiple fields, so if one isn’t looking it’s best or too crowded, it’s really simple just to hop to the next field. But there aren’t really any signs for the fields so be sure to check out this map before you go.

On this visit, I decided to try to get a little bit closer to the sunflowers. Not necessarily macro shots like I have done in the past, but using one flower to frame the other. This particular flower caught my attention because I liked how some of the pedals were folded in. I thought I’d use the flower in the foreground to sort of fill in that spot.

But while I was out photographing the sunflowers last week, I was just reflecting on all the times I’ve photographed these summer flowers. It’s crazy to think how many times I’ve been to this sunflower fields. Check out this video from 8 years ago! Talk about a blast from the past:

Yes, I miss my long hair too.

Yes, I still feel like running through the fields every time I go. LOL

I definitely want to go back at least one more time this season to try to capture some more of these yellow beauties.

My camera settings for this image is F7.1 at 1/1000th second and ISO 320 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm zoom.

All photos available for print and licensing >

DC isn’t just the monuments. It’s a beautiful place with so many things inside the city and surrounding states. Here are a few of my personal favorite images from this past year.

Part 3: Around DC

In no particular order… Click the image to find the original blog post and the story behind it.

chinatown, washington dc, blizzard 2016, jonas, snowzilla, street, black and white, snow, winter,This year started off with a crazy snow storm. Crazy but beautiful.

capital ferris wheel, national harbor, maryland, md, to do, potomac river, fog, sunset, night, ferris wheel, visit, ride, reflection, fog

The Capitol Farris Wheel in the fog on a warm February evening

smithsonian gardens, smithsonian institution, washington dc, landscapes, interior scapes, horticulture, collections and exhibits, national mall, constitution ave, outdoor gardens, magnolias, pink, trees,

Smithsonian Gardens is definietly the hot spot for springtime. I mean C’MON!

flowers, pink, tree, magnolias, smithsonian, garden, look up, dream,

A little close up for all you flower lovers.

newseum, news and jounalism, northwest dc, nw dc, musem, washington dc

Standing outside of the Newseum, creeping on people walking by. I mean watching people walk by.

national portrait gallery, exhibits, modern, contemporary, museum, exhibits, bones, skeleton, shadows, walk with locals, washington dc

Inside the National Portrait Gallery. I had never been to the very top floor. Very cool! Highly recommended.

Electronic Superhighway , america, neon lights, tvs, Nam June Paik, national portrait gallery, washington dc, exhibit, art, modern,

A modern take on America in the National Portrait Gallery.

sunflower, sunflower fields, sunflower seeds, maryland, ms, mckee beshers, yellow, sunset, poolesville, summer, clouds, storm

Beautiful sunflower fields in Southern MD. My favorite summer time flower.

fall leaves, great falls, yellow, golden, sun burst, virginia, autumn, fall foliage,

Great Falls Park is the perfect place to go in Virginia to catch the fall leaves changing colors.

Thank you all so much for tagging along with me on all my crazy adventures this year. It was definietly a blast, but I know 2017 is going to be even better! Cheers to you! <3

In case you missed the previous two posts:
My favorite images from travel
My favorite images of the DC monuments

 

All photos available for print and licensing >

It’s back-to-school time and I don’t know about you, but I’m sooo glad I’m not in school anymore. I never really liked it and I was never that good at it either. I just don’t think my heart was ever that into it.

It’s weird though. The parts that I hated most about school was reading, running the mile and waking up early. All of which I do now as an adult and all on my own… What does that mean?!