The Daffodils are Blooming

“Then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.”
― William Wordsworth

There are two places that I simply must visit in late winter and early spring when things begin to bloom.  These are Magnolia Plantation and Gardens located in Charleston, South Carolina and

Gibbs Gardens, located in Ball Ground, Georgia.

I had to decide which garden to visit Saturday.  When I found that the daffodils were blooming, I decided to head to Gibbs Gardens.  Gibbs Gardens is about 4 1/2 hours drive from my home.  I got up Saturday morning before 4:00 a.m. so that I could be at the garden gates when they opened at 9:00 a.m.

Each time I visit a familiar location, I try to come away with different images than I already have.

Of course, I had to take some shots of the overall scene with daffodils lining the hills.  It is truly a spectacular sight to behold.

Once I took some of the standard shots, I started to look for something else.  There are many water features at Gibbs Garden.  I took a look at the types of reflection images I have not already created there.

I typically focus on many daffodils while at Gibbs Gardens.  As something different, I focused on only one flower and was thrilled with the results.

Lining the ponds of the garden were many frogs.  It apparently is mating season and the frogs were mating, laying eggs, and singing in hopes of finding a mate.  I was drawn to the edge of the pond by their songs.  It was amazing to hear.

There were beautiful yellow bushes being backlit throughout the garden.  I wanted to incorporate these bushes into a composition.  I experimented with different apertures to see which depth of field I preferred.  In the end, I opted to allow the background to go out of focus in order to convey what I was seeing and feeling while there.

The light was absolutely perfect for photographing the daffodils.  We were treated with sunlight in the morning to backlight the flowers.  In the afternoon, there was a nice cloud cover which provided a wonderful diffused lighting situation.

Although I was extremely tired driving home Saturday afternoon, I knew the trip was well worth the effort.   I thoroughly enjoyed welcoming spring amongst the beauty of millions of blooming daffodils in Gibbs Gardens.  I am already looking forward to my next visit.