Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.
~ Russell H. Conwell
I think I’m going to forever associate sunflowers with my mother’s illness and death. Not in a bad way, but in a way I can’t fully explain just yet. Perhaps I’ll never be able to explain it completely other than to say that somehow sunflowers brought a measure of beauty, peace, light, and comfort into my life at a time when I most needed those things. Some of my sunflower photos even served as expressions of my feelings — feelings I couldn’t put into words — on my blogs.
I was going through my collection of sunflower pictures when I came across this one, in a possibly-rejects file (the “possibly-rejects” are those photos I couldn’t make a decision about in regards to saving or deleting). I don’t know why I didn’t like it at the time or why I suddenly see something in it now that I didn’t then, but I’m glad I saved it. It was, for me, worth another look.
Bountiful Healing 
That is a gorgeous picture of a sunflower with such vibrant colors. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers so I love the picture.
Thank you, Maggie. And thanks for visiting. 🙂
Oh, I’m glad you didn’t reject this one. The two sunflowers, one at its peak, one in decline. Really beautiful. And these particular sunflowers, with orange streaks. They seem a bit exotic, like the kind I normally buy at the Growers Market, not the kind that grow wild around my yard.
Thanks, Ybonesy. 🙂
There is something to it, I see it too, though I’m not sure what. All your sunflower pictures are so special, this one feels… maybe like a memory. Not perfect. But it fills the page.
*hugs*
Like a memory… leave it to you, Am, to come up with the right words. 🙂
It’s a beautiful photograph, Robin. I’m very glad you didn’t trash it. It has so much in it. There’s color and perfection without being perfect; there’s contrast between the stages of each flowere; there’s light and shadow. Everything is here.
It’s a perfect one to keep and bring out every once in a while.
This is such a beautiful photo. I especially like the flower with the petals turned down. And this reminds me NOT to delete shots I’m unsure about – who knows how I’ll feel about it when I look at it sometime again in the future.
When I’m undecided I tend to save rather than trash. It means there is something to it that can be appreciated another time or in another way.
The strongest elements for me in this one are color, contrast, composition and use of depth of field.
Corina, KalaMarie, and Norm: Thank you. 😀
I’m glad you saved this photo because it is especially lovely in its expression and composition. The colors are excellent. I love sunflowers without any reason, just do. Beautiful photo and post, Robin.
Thank you, Anna. 🙂
Sunflowers make for great photos….ever considering doing a photo version of van goghs painting?
It would be interesting to try, Matt, that’s for sure.
It looks like a happy flower in a sad mood. Perhaps that spoke to you at the time.