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Yellow, Red, Orange – Part III: Distant Close-Ups (or, No Sunflowers were harmed in the filming of this post series)

When our uphill neighbor grew these amazing towering sunflowers, how did we manage to get photographs like this with a macro lens?

The answer is sometimes you have to put the Photographer on a tripod!

Photographing at Dusk with a flash and close-up focus prevented the sunflower centers from appearing as a flat black disk, especially for photographs later converted to black and white.

That combination of lighting also tuned out the cars, mailboxes and houses nearby.

 

The seed packet promised beautiful-bountiful-bunching-blooms (try saying that 10 times fast!), which have been a delightful subject to photograph.

 

 

 

They also provided the challenge of learning how to  aim around and Photoshop out extra blooms for the parts of the Yellow, Red, Orange Tale that focused on a single character/flower.

 

 

We’re sure that sunflower seeds must be brain-food, since the flowers have exercised our brains so much!

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Yellow, Red, Orange – Part II: Working Title

 

“Photoshop vs. Nature:  Smack-down in the Garden!” . . .  catchy  right?  This was our Tale’s first title.

We wanted an interesting presentation to show a sampling of  post-photography color changes.

A. As the camera saw it B. Brush, color replaceC. Adjust hue/saturationD. Paintbucket

However, as these wonderful sunflowers grew, this working title didn’t really match the garden’s mood.

When our Garden-Enthusiast Neighbor and her husband put up this netting to protect the sunflower bed from local wildlife, the young plants looked like toddlers peeking their noses over a playpen as they grew.

Then, as the flowers inspired photographs like these . . .

. . . the gist of the tale gradually became a moment of inner conflict on the path to maturity for the young “teen”flowers.

There is a certain irony with the plot of the tale, since photographing the flowers was actually the most peaceful time of the workday!

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Yellow, Red, Orange: An Original Pictoral Tale by A. and K. Metcalf

Once upon a time there was a Yellow Sunflower.

Yellow Sunflower had grown with the loving care of its Gardener who protected it from every danger as seed and seedling, marveled at its hourly growth . . .

 

thrilled at the new bud opening. . .

and eagerly watched each petal unfold . . .

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Sunflower was so occupied with BASKING IN THE SUNLIGHT, DELIGHTING THE BEES, AND GROWING SEEDS FOR THE BIRDS,  that it was oblivious to the special care it received from the Gardener.

What did catch Yellow’s attention was one day overhearing the Gardener’s excitement that there was a Red Sunflower about to open!

“Hey!”, thought Yellow, “Red Sunflower gets ALL the attention!”

 

  The gloominess grew in the garden. 

“Red Sunflower must be very special to get all that attention”,  glowered Yellow, “all I get to do is get a tan, hang with the bees and go to seed.”

 

 

Continuing in the same vein, led to this light green tint of envy:                                “Red flowers probably get to roller skate,

eat ice cream

and watch TV!”

“I want special attention like Red Sunflower!”

Yellow was puzzled about what to do:“You might even say, ‘I’m hueless about how to change color!”

Yellow had an idea:  “wait a minute!  I’ve READ the most recent posts, I know what to do! ” (Yellow Sunflower, being an only recently opened blossom, had never heard of homonyms.)  So, Yellow sampled various ways to change color.

Whew!  Yellow Sunflower was beginning to lose its sense of Self, as though being erased away:

Then, one day Yellow looked around and saw:

Real Red Sunflower was beautiful!  But more importantly, Red Sunflower BASKS IN THE SUN, FEEDS THE BEES AND GROWS EQUALLY NUTRITIOUS SEEDS!

Dawning of realization can occur after sunset for Sunflowers.  For the benefit of those Dear Readers confined to a tiny screen:And then, Yellow Sunflower realized the beauty in the garden was that ALL the sunflowers equally GLORIED IN THE SUN, NOURISHED THE BEES and GREW SEEDS TO SHARE IN THE FUTURE!  Sharing one’s gifts is wonderful of course, but recognizing them in one another is what makes them feel like a gift!  When Yellow appreciated Red’s gifts, Yellow felt special too! Red Sunflower was so occupied doing its own thing that it was completely oblivious to all this drama!

This is a true tale as recounted to us by Orange Sunflower, who was witness to the whole spectacle!