Capturing Nature's Beauty

Well, I have finally done it; I bought myself a digital camera. I have been out shooting flowers and trees, birds and bees, and anything else that strikes my fancy! So, since this is an extra article for July, I thought I'd post some of my images of nature's beauty. I hope you enjoy them, but keep in mind that I'm very new at this and still learning, so if you have some tips you'd like to share on how to take better pictures, I would be grateful for them.

I'm a morning person, up and at it by 5 AM. By 7 AM, I have done my chores, my exercising, and then, after breakfast, I am ready to go outside again, and see what wonders nature has in store for my new toy. The first picture I took was this one, of my hibiscus shrub. My friend Jan, who is an artist with both paints and camera, tells me the picture isn't bad, but to try and hold my breath, next time I snap it. Holding one's breath, she informs me, will result in a steadier hand and clearer picture. Okay, I'll try that.

There are 300 different species of hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) around the world, mostly growing in tropical and subtropical regions. A member of the mallow family, hibiscus is well loved and widely cultivated. The hibiscus pictured is a double hibiscus, with gorgeous red flowers. Although the flowers only last for a day or so, new buds appear every morning until fall, so the hibiscus is constantly in bloom. Besides being supremely beautiful, the hibiscus also has medicinal value. The flowers are an astringent, while the root contains mucilage, a substance that soothes the mucus membranes that line the respiratory and digestive tracts. And the petals make a delicious and tasty tea!

Although hibiscus is an evergreen shrub, and can grow as tall as 30 feet in the wild, in my part of the country I have to transfer it into my sunroom in the fall, or it wouldn't survive. And after the initial shock of the move, the hibiscus recovers and blooms all winter indoors! It is late July, and the mid-summer blooming wildflowers are in their full glory, especially since we've had plenty of rain this month. A great example of these summer bloomers is a showy pumpkin-orange colored one in my meadow, looking like a mirage in the summer heat. But it isn't a mirage at all; it is a butterfly weed, (Asclepias tuberosa) a member of the milkweed family. The butterfly weed is aptly named, because monarchs, swallowtails and many other butterflies frequent it when it is in bloom, and I saw several of them around the plants, but this gorgeous Great Spangled Fritillary, was the only one that wasn't camera shy!

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