Every now and then I have to remind myself and others that I am not a botanist. I got that tag a couple of years ago when my photos of wildflowers started circulating. I was learning the names and affinities of lots of flowers in my region because I was interested, but my background was in zoology, particularly in reptiles and amphibians. Now I think of myself as a naturalist because I am interested in all of nature, but I am not a research scientist. Yesterday, while wondering why Google didn't design a logo for Shakespeare's birthday, I was doing my usual search for wildflowers to photograph on my way home from work. It was an easy day to remember I am not a botanist because all the photos shown here are of flowers I do not know - their names, that is. The amount of botany I have studied makes it easy to identify a plant's family most of the time, and that's a huge head start toward eventually figuring out the species. When I accomplish that, the etymologies of both the common and scientific names are often fascinating and I have shared lots of those here. I'm also excited when I get to witness pollination and other activities that are part of the plant's role in the ecosystem. It's also exciting to discover a new floral aroma. Sometimes my photography is driven mostly by the urge to catalog flowers for future identification. But, most of the time, like yesterday, I am filled with an aesthetic sense and am looking for interesting lighting and angles of view and, for a time, do not care what species I'm photographing. When I'm in that mood, virtually every plant has its aesthetic appeal - even thistles, poison oak, and invasive weeds of all kinds. So, if any viewers of this page recognize any of these flowers, feel free to send me your knowledge. Meanwhile, on the next rainy day or after sundown, I will consult the field guides and see what I can discover.
Every now and then I have to remind myself and others that I am not a botanist. I got that tag a couple of years ago when my photos of wildflowers started circulating. I was learning the names and affinities of lots of flowers in my region because I was interested, but my background was in zoology, particularly in reptiles and amphibians. Now I think of myself as a naturalist because I am interested in all of nature, but I am not a research scientist. Yesterday, while wondering why Google didn't design a logo for Shakespeare's birthday, I was doing my usual search for wildflowers to photograph on my way home from work. It was an easy day to remember I am not a botanist because all the photos shown here are of flowers I do not know - their names, that is. The amount of botany I have studied makes it easy to identify a plant's family most of the time, and that's a huge head start toward eventually figuring out the species. When I accomplish that, the etymologies of both the common and scientific names are often fascinating and I have shared lots of those here. I'm also excited when I get to witness pollination and other activities that are part of the plant's role in the ecosystem. It's also exciting to discover a new floral aroma. Sometimes my photography is driven mostly by the urge to catalog flowers for future identification. But, most of the time, like yesterday, I am filled with an aesthetic sense and am looking for interesting lighting and angles of view and, for a time, do not care what species I'm photographing. When I'm in that mood, virtually every plant has its aesthetic appeal - even thistles, poison oak, and invasive weeds of all kinds. So, if any viewers of this page recognize any of these flowers, feel free to send me your knowledge. Meanwhile, on the next rainy day or after sundown, I will consult the field guides and see what I can discover.
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