This summer’s excessive, record-breaking heat has opened new thoughts in my head as the perennial Sunflowers get ready to bloom. This one is a Cup-Plant (Silphium perfoliatum), a native of midwest prairie lands. The name comes from the cup shaped leaves. Like many Sunflowers in the prairie it grows up to eight feet tall, which guarantees its attention among the tall summer grasses. I used my Micro Nikorr AFS 105mm len’s short focal length to draw attention to the opening flower by allowing the leaves to become part of the out of focus background. My phone’s automatic sharp images can’t yield this kind of image design and mood. May our sights this sunny summer show us clearly that we must care now. Copyright 2023
