19 Mar 2015 Capturing the beauty of wildflowers

Posted at 8:52 AMh in Travel by

Story and photos by Linda Henderson

Wherever you live in the 501, wildflowers will soon be making a brilliant but fleeting show very soon all over the 501. With spring on the horizon, my thoughts will start turning to finding and photographing beautiful wildflowers.

Arkansas has a large variety of wildflowers. They can be found from February until the first killer frost, usually sometime in late October, in woods, bluffs, near streams, dry prairie areas and open fields. The majority of Arkansas wildflowers will be found along rural roads and secluded areas.

The Arkansas Highway Department has a program under way to preserve native wildflowers and bring them back to the roadways, Several of the state parks in the 501 host wildflower events each spring that include hikes and identification programs.

Generally wildflowers are very fragile and will wilt and perish if picked. Wildflowers will only grow in a specific habitat. If they are removed from that habitat and planted in another landscape they will not survive. Many wildflowers are now available commercially from catalogs or nurseries and should be obtained that way if you would like to grow them in your home landscaping.

Wildflowers also provide habitats for birds and small mammals as well as nectar for butterflies and bees. Their colors and shapes vary. Most found in the 501 area will be white, yellow, red, pink and purple in color. Some have beautiful fragrances and others have a rather noxious scent.

Wildflowers provide those who enjoy the outdoors as well as those who enjoy photography the perfect excuse to get out and appreciate the wonderful array of scenery, flora and fauna that are in the 501.

A few tips for photographing wildflowers:

Most point-and-shoot cameras will have a flower setting; by all means use it. One of the advantages of photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot is the size of the camera and the ability to get it into small and tight places.

Isolate a single flower.

Bring attention to the flower, not the background.

You can even bring a piece of black or neutral fabric to position behind the flower. If possible, shoot on an overcast day. Direct sunlight will cast nasty shadows and overexpose the bright parts of the wildflower. Clouds act as a perfect diffuser of harsh sunlight.

Use a tripod.

A tripod will help get a sharper photo. Even light tripods will ensure that your camera doesn’t move if you are using a point-and-shoot type camera. Don’t just start snapping away. Look around and find a perfect flower and a composition that is pleasing.

Please respect and protect wildflower habitats. Be careful not to step on a flower or disturb the soil around it.

Take only photos and memories with you. Leave wildflowers as you find them for the next outdoor explorer, photographer, butterfly or bee.

Linda Henderson
Latest posts by Linda Henderson (see all)
Tags: