Tag: orange

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Sunflower Power

Nearly everyone loves sunflowers, the most popular flowers of summer.

The sunflower stands tall to meet the rays of the midday sun – it stands tall and reaches high into the sky. Golden hues of sunshine are reflected in the petals, making this wonderful yellow bloom among the most popular flowers of summer.

sunflower images college
College of Sunflower Photographs from the Bill Swartwout Photography Gallery.

A field of bright yellow sunflowers is one of summer’s most popular sights and with good reason. These cheerful, cheerful flowers are easy to grow, requiring only a sunny spot to thrive. Sunflowers are also easy to customize for any occasion: add stakes or wire for height, use in bouquets, or leave them out as the centerpiece on your kitchen table. Did you know the the flower petals within a sunflower’s cluster are usually in a a spiral pattern?

Sunflower Field near Roxanna Delaware
Field of Sunflowers near Roxanna, Delaware
sunflower with bee gathering nectar
Even the bees love sunflowers – for their sweet nectar.

Sunflowers are usually yellow or orange. They can also be red or white, but yellow is the most common color for sunflowers. The petals on each flower all face one direction, making the sunflower look like a bright disc when it faces the sun. Sunflowers are native to North America and were first cultivated by Native Americans.

What’s not to love about sunflowers? They’re bright and cheerful, they grow in fields and on farms, and they are the most popular flowers of summer.

In fact, sunflowers have been grown for thousands of years—and they weren’t even originally intended to be flowers! They were actually used as a food source by Native Americans. The seeds were ground into flour or roasted like popcorn. Every 100 pounds of sunflower seeds yields about 40 pounds of oil, 35 pounds of high-protein meal and 20 to 25 pounds of other by-products.

Sunflowers are native to North America, but now grow all over the world. They have become an important part of many cultures around the globe, including China, Africa and South America. When Europeans got their hands on the plant it quickly became one of their favorite things to grow in their gardens.

Heliotropism – a plant’s propensity to face, and follow, the sun…

A young sunflower has a supple stem that responds to the sun. The flower will follow the sun from its rising in the east to setting in the west. Over night the stem will tend to grow more on the west side – from the “afternoon sun” and will make the head swivel back toward the east. This repeats every day for a part of the plant’s growth cycle. But as the plant matures and the head becomes laden with seeds and quite heavy, it can no longer swivel during the day. Therefore the older, larger and mature sunflowers tend to face east – toward the rising sun – and stay that way until the harvest.

Use the links below to browse or shop more of Bill’s photographs of Sunflowers and other Flora .

Link to: Sunflower Photographs

Link to: Bill’s Flora Collection

Link to: Bill’s full Gallery at Fine Art America/Pixels

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Sun Setting in the Trees of Assawoman Bay

Every sunset is different even if you view them from the exact same location.

The setting sun disappears into the trees at the western edge of Assawoman Bay at The Point of the Live Bayside Community. This golden sunset is in southern Delaware to the west of Ocean City, Maryland, and Fenwick Island, Delaware.

Sun Setting in Trees of Assawoman Bay

As the sun sets, atmospheric factors begin to play a much larger role in determining what features of the sunset we can see. Where we are in relationship to the horizon will greatly affect how much of the sun will be visible above the horizon. The same can be said for atmospheric conditions. If a sunset has a lot of clouds and haze, less of the sun will be visible. If it’s perfectly clear, this will allow more of the sun to shine through and illuminate additional parts of the sky. In essence, all sunsets are different because every atmospheric condition is different, but there are certain tendencies which we can observe as consistent patterns.

A black and white presentation of a gorgeous orange-sky sunset may lack the color but the monochrome emphasized the shading a detail of the trees. B&W also “works” in a more modern decor environment and even in a business office.

Sun Setting in Trees of Assawoman Bay Monochrome

Click the links for more information and to browse or shop the variety of wall art and decor items available.

Link: Sun Setting in Trees

Link: Sun Setting in Trees in Black and White

Link to: Bill’s Fine Art America Gallery

Link to: Bill’s Pictorem Ocean City Gallery (w/ Free Shipping)

I have been to this exact location on several different occasions over the years and I have never seen a sunset from this vantage point that can quite match this one.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that so many sunsets can look so different. But if you’ve ever watched one in the same spot over several days, you get to see all of the different ways the sun can set on a warm summer evening or at the end of a frigid wintry day. This golden sunset is in southern Delaware to the west of Ocean City, Maryland, and Fenwick Island, Delaware.

This is probably my favorite sunset. It couldn’t have been any more perfect. The sun prints the water perfectly while the clouds are there to add some drama to the sky. This shot reminds me of being on vacation and seeing these gorgeous sunsets day after day. I hope you enjoyed this beautiful example of one of nature’s splendor!

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Sunrise Over Fenwick Island, DE

While the silhouetted trees may look like the Serengeti, it really is coastal Delaware.

Of course, we do not find lighthouses in the desert, but here we do see the Fenwick Island Lighthouse in silhouette – just to the right of the rising sun. Some photographers will add a “flying shore bird or two” into scenes like this. But not here, that seagull is doing a photobomb on his own volition, without realizing the importance of his appearance.

Sunrise Over Fenwick Island, Delaware

A sunrise is suppose to be full of vivid color, right? Well, not always. Often, a black and white presentation helps to define textures and outlines. Monochrome images are also useful in modern home decor and/or in an office setting. This landscape seems to work well in both color and B&W. What do YOU think. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments area at the bottom of the page.

Sunrise Over Fnwick Island DE in Black and White

Click these links now for more information, see larger images and to browse or purchase.

Link: Sunrise over Fenwick Island

Link: Sunrise over Fenwick Island in Black and White

Link to: Bill’s Fenwick Island Collection at Fine Art America

Link to: Bill’s Fenwick Island Collection at Pictorem (w/ Free Shipping)

Sunrise over Fenwick Island by Bill Swartwout. This photograph depicts the sun rising above the Atlantic Ocean and above the town of Fenwick Island, Delaware. This is one of a kind photograph is available digitally printed in vivid color or black and white on archival fine art paper or museum-quality canvas.