First wildflower of spring

[Steve Foss]

There may be a wildflower that blooms up here earlier than the round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana), but if there is I don't know it.

Found this sweetie this morning. Of all the hapatica I came across (hundreds), this was the only one past the bud stage.

Spring is here! Finally! I threw in a bonus image that I noticed on the way back along the trail.

Canon 30D, Canon 100 f2.8 macro, iso400, 1/100 at f8, handheld (braced against ground).

30D, 100 macro, iso100, .8 sec at f32, tripod, mirror lock-up, remote shutter release, +1 exposure compensation off evaluative metering

[finnbay]

Good to see some flora coming alive! Thanks for getting the ball rolling!

[Hwood]

I thought the bonus was legs as it first rolled up. Birch bark will do.

[panthrcat]

oh yea! this is my kind of thing, I love flower shots and wild flowers are the best!! great job on both images Steve!!!

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, folks.

Sue, probably a bunch of longer-term posters on this board are sick of my flower images. Once the forest greens up, I photograph a LOT of wildflowers and have been posting them here for quite awhile. Guy's gotta do what he's gotta do.

Next, I reckon the marsh marigolds will be blooming. Yeah!

[mmeyer]

I never get sick of them Steve! Great stuff!!.

[jonny_redhorse]

Nor do I Steve....I started years ago on our site here with the flower macros...one of my favorite things in nature to photograph....as we evolve (and get older ) we learn to appreciate the "little things in life's path "...I can hardly wait for the "warm up" to get more of these type images....may it be a frond of ferns,jack in the pulpit,, emerging anemones.....the beauty of the forest!....Were "locked up" up here in the frozen north land for over 5 months so to see something green or colorful popping out of the warming earth, we feel like a kid in a candy store!...I certainly never tire of the flower images!...great photopps lie ahead!....Nice image Steve of the hepatica...

[dockothebay]

These are both lovely! Getting the fuzzy leaves on the hepatica amazes me. I am learning to look at detail much more closely after seeing all the wonderful images here. And thanks for posting the exif data as well. It helps me to learn to get better technically.

[gatorhunter]

I'm a wild flower aficionado too Steve! Keep their photos coming for sure!