There are many benefits of being a morning person. For example, I see a lot of sunrises – even in the summer when the sun comes up well before most people are awake.
Last weekend, I got up early and drove out to our Platte River Prairies to catch the sunrise.
I’m sure glad I did.
Stiff sunflowers (Helianthus pauciflorus) greeting the sunrise in sand prairie. TNC Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.
It’s black-eyed susan season!
Black-eyed susan flowers (Rudbeckia hirta). The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.
How can I not photograph these flowers? I have more than enough black-eyed susan flowers in my photo files, but they’re just so STRIKING! After returning from our Texas vacation, I spent much of Monday scouting our Platte River Prairies to see what prairie seeds were ripe and where the optimal harvest locations were for each species. For a while, the sun was poking in and out of thin clouds, so I pulled the camera out and looked for something to help me capture the light. I really did try to find something besides black-eyed susan to photograph, but I just couldn’t do it.
I photographed them from the front, side, and back. I photographed the flowers, stems, and leaves. These are just a few of the shots from the 10-15 minutes I spent satisfying my need. I may have a problem…
The Prairie Ecologist 