By Eve Sweatman,
Chaumont, N.Y.
"This garden, which was completely planted with plants purchased from Dutch Gardens, was in its second year of growth. It not only includes the beautiful Moerheim Beauty Helenium and Globe Thistle featured in my photograph, but also Frosty Morn Sedum, Blue Star Sea Holly, Goatsbeard, the Hardy Geranium Collection and Goldenrod. As you can see there are a few wild daisies and sunflowers planted by my local feathered friends that work well with my Dutch Garden flowers. I live in a cold, dry zone 4 landscape with poor clay soil, so I picked the hardiest plants for my area. And hardy they are! The Moerheim Beauty has become one of my most favored flowers for its beautiful color and tough character.

"The photo was taken in the afternoon when the sun was not hitting directly on the bed. It's best to take pictures in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid harsh shadows. For soft lighting, it's great to take pictures on overcast days. For the portrait feel, use a small F-stop, which is a large aperture opening. That will focus on your subject and blur the surrounding areas. It's always wonderful when you have a great color combination like the rusty orange Moerheim Beauty Helenium and the beautiful blue Globe Thistle."

My camera: Canon EOS 5D, using a 70-300 mm lens set at 300 mm. Camera settings: F/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 100.

By Debbie Stoneking,
Franklin, Ohio
"I have been taking pictures of flowers in our flower beds over the past few years. We have a huge yard and I have managed to put in 14 flower beds where I seem to spend all of my (spare?) time in the spring, summer, and fall. Not only are these bulbs [Lucifer Crocosmia] easy to grow and beautiful, they also attract hummingbirds.... I took this picture with a digital camera (Canon EOS Rebel XT) using a 75-300 mm lens. I shot the picture in Sport mode, which is fully automatic. The shutter speed recorded for this picture was 1/125, and the aperture value was 18, using ISO speed 1600 (very fast). The most difficult part in taking the picture is that my camera and camera lens do not have image stabilization, so I find myself holding my breath so not to get 'camera shake' when taking my pictures."

More Good Photos

Click on the thumbnails below to see full-size images in the Photo Center. To see all of the images, go to the album in our Photo Center: 2007 Entries: Winners and Judges' Favorites

By user izruth	By Judy A., Eugene, Ore.	By Shirleen, Rancho Cucamunga, Calif.
By Patti D., Richmond, Texas	By Krista I., Groton, Mass.	By Debbie Y., Maple Grove, Minn.