Flowers, Wildflowers and other images in my South Carolina Backyard - Amateur Photography

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By Don Bobbitt

A simple Wildflower in shadows

This shot was a great one that allowed me to accent the beauty of the flower itself over the dark shadows of the background.
See all 17 photos
This shot was a great one that allowed me to accent the beauty of the flower itself over the dark shadows of the background.
Source: Don Bobbitt

Beauty is Everywhere you might go, if You Just Look

Beauty truly is Everywhere in this World of ours, and the Amateur photographer is just as capable as a professional photographer, with today's modern high resolution cameras, to capture such natural wonders, as you see here.

The examples I have included in this article are but a small sampling of the pictures I have taken in my own backyard, over the past few years.

I do have a very nice NIKON D90 camera with several lens' but I also have a small NIKON handheld S8000 camera, that is such a good and easy to use unit, that I carry it almost anywhere with me.

These photographs were taken mostly with the small handheld and just a few were taken with the higher end Nikon D90.

You really just need a NICE camera with decent resolution and not necessarily a PROFESSIONAL camera to take great shots of the Nature around you.

So, you should never be intimidated by those people walking around with their setups that cost thousands of dollars.

Sure, your shot might not be able to be blown to get a big professional print, say 24x36 inches, but you can get a nice 5x7, 8x10, and often, depending on your camera's resolution even larger prints that have fantastic resolution.

My wife and I lived in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, and we have done most of the landscape work ourselves, and we tried to have year-round flowers blooming as much as possible.

This is a slow process for the amateur gardener, but we keep things interesting with the constant changes.

We really enjoy them when they bloom, and we can just sit on our back patio, or walk around the yard and be surprised by the varieties of color that confronts us at times.

Now, don't get me wrong, we're not one of those couples who have planted row upon row of carefully planned layers of greenery that will take turns blooming throughout the year.

No, we have picked plants that we, personally, like, and we placed them, almost randomly in spots so that we, ourselves, can enjoy them, and not some garden club.


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Bee on Wildflower

Bee on Wildflower
Bee on Wildflower
Source: Don Bobbitt

Using Wildflowers in your Yard for abundant natural color

Helen and I love wildflowers.

You can purchase your exotic plants if you want.

But, Helen and I really do get more enjoyment out of a couple of three-dollar bags of Wildflower seeds, than almost any of our other flowers in our yard.

We keep a ten-foot by six food oval of planter space, in our side yard clear every year for Wildflowers.

We just rake it, broadcast a mixture of wildflower seeds over the dirt, and then rake the seeds into the dirt.

Everyone gets to enjoy them as they bloom one type and color after another.

An added treat for us, is the number of Bees, Butterflies, and other insects that are attracted by the flowers all during the blooming season.

They are great to watch as they attack the different blooms for their nectar. And they, in turn, draw all types of birds, which are also great to enjoy as they fly around in our bushes..

Ivy in Pot

Ivy in Pot
Ivy in Pot
Source: Don Bobbitt

Ivy in a Fallen Pot, one of my favorite shots

This Ivy plant was originally in this pot, and on a table in our Sunroom.

I neglected it I guess, and it died. Or at least I thought so.

I took the Pot, full of dirt, and with just ,some dried up brown twigs outside and placed it on a root of a tree to dispose of later.

And I promptly forgot about it, with the intention of salvaging and reusing the Pot as another time.

Helen pointed it out to me the next year, and the Ivy had obviously recovered well!

Source: Don Bobbitt

take care with Tropicals in South Carolina

What great Colors and Shadows there are on this Tropical plant, the Bromiliad Fasciata.

We keep it in the Sunroom in the winter season just in case of a cold spell.

We have found that even though South Carolina is designated as being in the tropical zone of the US, there are many tropical plants that cannot survive the cold snaps that occur relatively often in the Myrtle Beach area.

I caught this great shot in the late evening light.

Palm Tree

Palm Tree bark
Palm Tree bark
Source: Don Bobbitt

Palm Tree Textures

I love Palm Trees. and we have several in our yard that love the local South Carolina climate.

What I really enjoy, along with the overall beauty of the total tree, is to walk up, when the light is right and taking a close look at the Coloring and Texture of the structure of a Palm tree, itself.

I have used this photograph to generate a number of different thumbnail pictures for use in my Articles, Short Stories and other writings on my HubPage site.



Pampas and Maple Blowing in the Wind

Pampas and Maple Blowing in the Wind
Pampas and Maple Blowing in the Wind
Source: Don Bobbitt

Pampas Grass and Maple Leaves

Sometimes, a picture containing contrasting plants or flowers can turn into a great picture, like this one.

I took this picture in December, next to my house. It was a relatively cold day, and the wind was blowing pretty steady.

I walked around the house, and caught this picture with the fading Maple leaves competing with the Pampas Grass in the wind. Great Colors, that I hope you can enjoy.

It really looks great when enlarged 24x36.

Just Look Up!

Just Look Up!
Just Look Up!
Source: Don Bobbitt

Just Look Up!

Sometimes, you just have to look up

You can be surprised by what you might see. Especially in the Autumn, when the leaves are going through their seasonal change in color.

I was walking into the woods, and caught this shot with the evening light shining through the trees and their leaves.

Late Magnolia Bloom

Late Magnolia Bloom
Late Magnolia Bloom
Source: Don Bobbitt

A new Magnolia Bloom

Actually, this is not my Magnolia Tree, but my next door neighbors.

The shot was so tempting, I just had to sneak across their yard and capture this picture, before the bud opened fully.

Magnolias love the Southern climate and you will find them everywhere.

An Orange Wildflower in Shadow

Source: Don Bobbitt

Japanese Maple leaves - Autumn

A Japanese Maple in Autumn
A Japanese Maple in Autumn
Source: Don Bobbitt

Fading Camelia

Camelia
Camelia
Source: Don Bobbitt

Gladiola in Bloom

Gladiola
Gladiola
Source: Don Bobbitt

Tiger Lilies

Tiger Lilies
Tiger Lilies
Source: Don Bobbitt
Source: Don Bobbitt

Rose Bloom

A Rose in Bloom
A Rose in Bloom
Source: Don Bobbitt
Source: Don Bobbitt

Dons Creative Commons License

This means that I own this article and you have the right to use and enjoy it personally, but if you want to use it commercially then you need to get my permission, in writing.
This means that I own this article and you have the right to use and enjoy it personally, but if you want to use it commercially then you need to get my permission, in writing.
Source: Don Bobbitt

Dons Books on Amazon

Food Facts: A Reference Guide for the New and Beginner Cook
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Old Recipe Collection: from the CENTRAL Region of VIRGINIA
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Comments

resspenser profile image

resspenser Level 4 Commenter 2 years ago

Good hub and great pictures. What kind of camera do you use? I am going to guess a Nikon but that is just a guess. I use an Olympus and do not get results quite this good.

Don Bobbitt profile image

Don Bobbitt Hub Author 2 years ago

Yes, Nikon. Just before I retired I reviewed my financials, and realized I had one shot at getting the best, after a lot of years making other brands work for me. So I got a good Nikon body, and a few really good (for me) lenses, Flash unit, tripod, studio lamps, etc. Some new and some used.

Now, I can take a decent Pic, and I use both Nikons editing software as well as Photoshop. Between them I can manage my Pics to look the way I want. I am really glad you like the Pics. I selected just a few from my library.

Thanks again for the great commment.

paulgc profile image

paulgc Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago

Excellent work Mr Bobbitt, your flowers look great and the decision to invest in some good equipment has really paid off, you cant beat good glass for bringing out the best in a subject.

shelbyK 2 years ago

Beautiful coloration, light, and everything . . . and I do well to tear the paper box from my little throw-away camera, roll that little wheel around, and catch the visage of my cat! Well . . . we can't be ALL things now, can we?! An artist on canvas, another with glass and lens, a lover of good music, and lately an excellent writer - makes one wonder what you may could have done if you had settled on one of these and strongly persued it years earlier. Of course, it is never too late. I have always remembered and loved the article one of my music teachers at Sweet Briar had hanging on her office door about the woman who had an MD degree, was a lawyer, was a successful CEO of a huge company, and now at the wonderful age of NINETY, had decided to retire to take up the violin. Has to give you, me, anyone who longs and thinks with an artistic soul, hope! Or . . .anyone who just wants some great shots of something of particular interest to them to frame and place on their wall, or - as you have said earlier - some written family history to leave for their children/grandchildren.

Carry on Mr. Bobbitt. You still have my attention and are amazing me!

plinka profile image

plinka Level 4 Commenter 6 months ago

How beautiful the world is. Some of your photos like poetry. Thanks for sharing. Voted up!

NatalieSack profile image

NatalieSack Level 2 Commenter 3 months ago

Lovely! Just the thing I needed on a snowy western Pennsylvania day. I particularly like the shot of the palm tree bark.

moonlake profile image

moonlake Level 7 Commenter 3 months ago

Beautiful pictures. Your yard must be so pretty with all these plants in it. Voted Up.

Don Bobbitt profile image

Don Bobbitt Hub Author 3 months ago

nataliesack- you made my day! If my pictures brightened someone's day, I am. ecstatic! Thanks so much for your comment!

Don Bobbitt profile image

Don Bobbitt Hub Author 3 months ago

moonlake, thanks for dropping by and reading my Hub with my yard pictures. Nature loves the tropics and adorns it so plentifully!

thanks for the kind comment.

thesingernurse profile image

thesingernurse Level 6 Commenter 2 months ago

Gee, your backyard was blessed with so many of nature's priceless wonders. And you captured them perfectly in your photos. Not amateur for me at all. I love the flowers... Very relaxing to look at.

Voted up and sharing! :)

amberld profile image

amberld Level 4 Commenter 2 months ago

Beautiful pictures! I absolutely love taking pictures of my plants when they are in full bloom too. I can't wait for my zinnias. I even love photographing my squash. Voted up!

Don Bobbitt profile image

Don Bobbitt Hub Author 2 months ago

thesingernurse- Thanks so much for the kind words about my backyard pics. I really enjoyed catching these bloomers at their peak of beauty, and as you can see, I like to play with the lighting to enhance the shot.

amberld- I like Zinnias also when they are in bloom. I think I have some good shots somewhere on my hard drive. I will look and if I find some, I will expand this Hub with some more pics.

Thanks again for the kind words.

Happyboomernurse profile image

Happyboomernurse Level 8 Commenter 2 months ago

I love this hub and your stunning photographs which prove your point that a small hand held camera with decent resolution can yield quality photos if the person taking the shots pays attention to details of beauty that can be found everywhere.

I love texture shots like the bark on the palm tree and close ups on flowers, especially with interesting light such as what's shining on the Bromiliad.

I also love how you've used natural, contrasting backgrounds.

Great hub. Voted up, useful, beautiful, awesome and interesting.

Don Bobbitt profile image

Don Bobbitt Hub Author 2 months ago

Thank You so much, Happyboomernurse, for your kind comment.

I plan to update this Hub with some other Pics that I have in my library very soon.

Today, it really is true, that ; Photography is for everyone.

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