Nature Photography by Allison Pluda
Carpet of Bluebells, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.In just a few months, the bluebells in this photo will be entering their peak blooming season that only lasts for a few weeks. It seems like this time in winter just seems to drag on forever and looking at beautiful nature scenes like this gives me hope and something to look forward to!
Click here to see more photos of the bluebells, or here to see some information on where to find this hidden secret!
Coreopsis, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.As the winter months drag on and whatever remaining color is covered in white snow, i start to dream of the vibrant colors of the warmer months! This photo was taken at hight noon right from my backyard, and just the right angle and settings naturally gave me this black background. There are techniques where you can use some paper and the right angle to create a studio looking flower portrait outside but i prefer to just look for the right conditions.
These flowers are one of my favorite summer blooms. Coreopsis blooms from early summer all the way to early fall and provide a continuous bright splash of color to any garden. They are easy to grow and love full sun, and since they bloom all summer, they make an excellent source of kitchen table flowers 
Twilight Summer Flowers, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.
Sometimes I find it difficult to make flowers look muted and soft when it is high noon on a bright summers day, but as they always say, practice makes perfect. This shot was taken with a blaring, hot, sun at noon on a summers day, despite how none of those qualities were captured in this photograph, which is one of the reasons why I like it. Photography is amazing how you can hone in on a certain mood or feature you want and leave all the others behind.
Roadside Daylily, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.I seem to find the most day lilies just along the side of the road. They are beautiful for about two weeks but soon die and flop over due to the massive weight of how tall they are. I found this bunch on the corner of two roads and had some real problems getting to them without getting hit! With the right cropping and focusing selections, you can easily make a street picture appear to be tranquil and removed.
Nature is all around us.. you do not need to go to a big National Park to get some beautiful shots, you just need to learn to have a good eye to pick up the small details of the wilderness right in your backyard, or in this case, the street! The small depth of field hides the fact that they gray in the background is not some natural formation in some hidden and removed nature area, but in fact the road That disciplined eye or that awareness and capability to find natural beauty anywhere is really what i find my nature photography to be about, and is what i strive for as my personal goal.
White Wonderland, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography. Its cold days like there where I find myself searching back through old photos that I took during the spring and summer. Sometimes taking a break from looking at photos gives you a whole new appreciation for their beauty since now i see less of what i should have done differently, and more of how much i wish i was there right now!
I have many more photos from this place… check out my flickr to find them.
This photo was taken from one of Virginia’s secrets: the Bluebell Trail at Bull Run Regional Park. The virginia bluebells only bloom for about 2 weeks in April. The whole forest is carpeted with bluebells and Spring Beauty and the scent itself is intoxicating. It looks like a fairyland that seems to mezmorize everyone who visits and picnics there. They have a short 3/4 mile loop that you can walk along.. i encourage everyone to experience it one, especially if you are not normally a hiker or nature person.
Purple Tropical Waterlily, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.
Another troipical lily from Longwood Gardens, PA. Except unlike the previous post, this one only blooms during the day.
Night Bloomer, originally uploaded by senecacreekphotography.
On a long trip to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania (which i highly suggest visiting!) we went outside to the water gardens to find theses lilies. They are tropical and only bloom at night.
My flash was too strong and washed out the colors yet it was too dark to be clear. Another photographer was using some piece of paper over his flash so i asked. He uses a type of thick tracing paper that you can get an any craft store. By folding it enough times so that i got the right lighting i saved myself a lot of money on a fancy diffuser!
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