Sunflowers

I joined friends, both old and new, for a day of photography at McKee Beshers WMA, shooting sunflowers at sunrise.  Now to achieve the sunrise part of this equation involved rising and preparing to leave the house at 4:30 then driving for an hour.  The morning fog hugged the horizon as I drove closer to this unfamiliar spot.  Unsure of the exact location, my mind was at ease once I came across a small grassy impromptu parking area with hoards of others toting photography gear into the woods.  I had arrived!

This 2000 acre Wildlife Management Area is adjacent to the Potomac River and each year the state of Maryland plants thousands of sunflowers to attract birds.  What a wonderful oasis for the over 200 songbirds who visit.  As the sun began its rise, their song filled the air.  Bees, still in a pollen induced drunken slumber, seemed unfazed by the sudden burst of activity  as we set up our gear.  An almost overwhelming sense of where or how to shoot began to set in. Thousands of sunflowers lay in the field before me with their bowed heads turned, hopeful toward the rising sun.  

What a beautiful way to begin the day.  As my friend Nadia says, their bright color can't help but put a smile on your face.