April 24, 2012
Dwarf Dogwood in Glacier National Park, Montana

I made this image of a Dwarf Dogwood in Glacier National Park last July. One key to making successful wildflower images is finding a bloom that is in prime condition. That means no insect bite marks, no dust and gravel from a nearby road, and (usually) minimal pollen scatter on the petals. Of course, one can remove some unwanted items in post, but it's so much easier to get it right in the camera. This bloom was one of many really close to a road, and I spent a few minutes finding just the right bloom to photograph. By positioning my camera parallel to the bloom, I could get the whole thing in focus. The mostly uniform green background helps the bloom stand out, and the radial pattern in the background points to the subject too.