In the words of Bruce Springsteen, and later, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band: “Mama always told me not to look in the eyes of the sun. But Mama, that’s where the fun is…”

This is the second installment on how shooting into the sun can bring some dramatic results to your garden photography. The previous post covered foliage effects; this one is all about the flowers.

I shoot with a basic Nikon D50 with an 18-55mm kit lens. I’m embarrassed to say I always set it to “Program,” which is one step above “Auto.” Someday I’ll read my manual and learn how to get the most out of my camera. But I’m pretty happy with my results so far.

For example:

Change happens fast this time of year.  In Cincinnati (and in much of the Eastern U.S.), the average high jumps 10 degrees from April 1 to April 30.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, the changes are more gradual, but still significant.  Here are some brand new oak leaves on April 4 in Portland.