Finding and Photographing Wildflowers the Low-Impact Way

Photography is an art, but so is finding a subject without destroying the local ecology.

I will show you how to find wildflowers and photograph them without harming the environment. These suggestions work anywhere; the pics I will be sharing were taken, literally, in my own back yard.

There is no pic for this step, as it obviously varies greatly on personal taste, resources, and skill. I do suggest that you keep the following in mind when making your camera choice:

• Ease of Use...it's nice to have something uncomplicated so you aren't required to lug equipment around on your hike
• Macro Settings...you'll want to use these most of the time. Practice with them, if possible, before making your purchase and definitely before making any long, once-in-a-lifetime trips
• Rechargeable Battery...you're reducing waste, and personal experience tells me these keep their charge longer. The square type is best; rechargeable AAs and AAAs don't seem to be any better for holding a charge over time than disposable counterparts

Wildflowers grow everywhere; don't neglect to notice those that are right in front of you. I found some growing right next to my front porch, and against the house.

Take a moment to consider letting nature have its way with your yard, and you may not need to plant flowers at all to enjoy a colorful landscape. Native flora has the benefit of being disease- and pest-resistant, as well as requiring less water and little to no fertilizer. Go green by letting Mother Nature do her own gardening!

Look around, find your subjects, and snap your pics.

• Be observant; flowers can grow anywhere
• Get low and close to the object you wish to photograph
• Take your time to get a good angle and focus properly; use the macro setting for best results
• Consider shadows, including your own, and bright sunlight
• Keep a steady hand

New buds are future blooms. Dried petals are evidence of those you've just missed. Plan your next photo-op accordingly!

Don't focus on flowers alone; take in all of the landscape and enjoy the scenery as whole.

Do NOT dig up plants! This is harmful to the individual as well as the population. With fewer individuals, there is less genetic diversity. Transplanted wildflowers are extremely fragile and rarely survive the shock of being moved. Enjoy, but don't destroy.

Littering is obviously a very very bad thing to do, but so is overlooking trash that is already there. Be kind to the earth and pick up others' messes! Even if a place is relatively untrod by man, there is unfortunately sure to be items occasionally introduced by wind or rain runoff. It is helpful to bring a bag specifically for this purpose. It's a pain, but Mother Earth will thank you.

You can skip this step if you aren't a total geek, but I like to know what I'm looking at!

The easiest way to identify what you've found is to use a book (with pictures!) or website created for that purpose. I simply googled "Missouri wildflowers" (I'm in Missouri), and the first result was an excellent site. Compare pics in the book or on the site to yours; they're usually organized by color.

Here's what I found, all less than 500 yards from my house:

• Sheep Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)
• Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
• Common Blue Violet (Viola papilionacea)
• Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
• Hairy Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus)
• Rue Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides)
• Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)
• Blackberry (Rubus occidentalis)
• Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)