Greg Molyneux Photography

New Jersey landscape and nature photography

  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Archives for echinacea

Bloom Squad

August 3, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

85mm photo of several purple coneflowers spread in full bloom. Smooth bokeh and shallow depth of field move the eye in and out of the picture.

I happened myself into an opportunity to shoot a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens for the first time on Saturday. Ho boy is it something else. This beast is the size of a grapefruit and weighs in at a hefty 2.26 pounds. You feel this lens. It’s a fine piece of engineering, and the chunk of glass within its blackened frame is prodigious.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 85mm bokeh echinacea flora purple coneflower

Born of the Purple

July 27, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

35mm out of focus photograph of a bunch of purple coneflowers backlight by a striking sunset and smooth bokeh. The echinacea blossoms are set glowing in powerful pastel pink and purple tones.

Life is full of happy accidents. We must take them as they come, for they are cherished boons. The lesson—missing out on a thing does not mean we lose a thing. Instead it gifts opportunity to see a thing in a different, more diffuse and loving light. We work with what we’ve got, and that is where we create the real magic to capture our forever.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 35mm bokeh echinacea flora out of focus purple coneflower sunset

Working Class Hero

July 12, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

100mm low key macro photo of a single honey bee pollinating purple coneflower pistils. A strong single light source creates stark contrast of highlights and shadows. A deep blue monochrome treatment drives a dark, serious mood.

Dutiful honey bee plying her trade. Drinking her nectar and loading her pollen basket, she works with intent. With energy and purpose she minds her craft. Even alone the hive is on the mind. Her community needs her; needs her singular focus to feed and to provide. To sustain the group. Bounding atop pistils by […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh echinacea film noir flora honey bee insects low key lyrically inspired macro monochrome pollinators purple coneflower

The Technician

July 11, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

100mm high key macro photograph of a honey bee feeding and pollinating a purple coneflower blossom.

On the perils of labels. It is easy to apply limits in how we label ourselves. There is a push-pull tearing at the labels we self-apply measured against the labels others seek to apply. In this post I take a look back at how I’ve evolved my own self-limiting thinking. Analyzing how I worked to embrace a wider array of labels related to my photography and writing. Reviewing my progress from technician to creator.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh echinacea flora high key honey bee insects macro pollinators purple coneflower

Courage to Grow

July 10, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

100mm macro photograph of one purple coneflower with its blossom forming a crown. Processed in a low key blue hued monochrome.

Hardship is inevitable. It comes sure as a summer storm. Negative energy builds, tensions rise only to bow to the pressure. The storm hits, emotions roil and churn, and then, at the nadir of the struggle, the onslaught slackens. The skies clear and we stand ready to learn, left only with the courage to grow. This is our choice.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh echinacea film noir flora low key macro monochrome

Upright

July 1, 2020 by Greg Molyneux

100mm portrait orientation macro photograph of single a purple coneflower blossoming. Soft bokeh smooths the background with pastel and green colors.

With COVID-19 again on the rampage, and society disrupting as we take a long hard look at our centuries old problem of racism, we stand assaulted by uncommon uncertainty. The friction is causing extreme heat and pressure looking to loose. Not since the Second World War has the United States faced such intense difficulty. Riven and fractured it is essential we challenge ourselves to remain upright during such an extreme moment in history.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh COVID-19 echinacea flora macro purple coneflower

Flowered Sun

July 27, 2018 by Greg Molyneux

100mm black and white macro photo of echinacea.

Looking close and slow upon a flower is a practice in patience with which all should partake. Particularly true to heal closed hearts and open stagnant minds. It is both window to the soul and outlet to the universe and it unveils the underpinnings of nature’s truth. Take this nascent echinacea blossom. Still early in […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm black and white bokeh echinacea flora low key macro purple coneflower

Corona

July 18, 2018 by Greg Molyneux

100mm macro photo of a blooming purple coneflower.

There is regal majesty in the echinacea’s journey from bud to blossom. With the subtlety and finesse borne of fine stock she transforms with noble grace. Gentle petals work outward—a green coronet becoming the crown befitting her station. The purple coneflower corona hits its zenith only to unfurl to its full purple petal. Long and […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh echinacea flora macro purple coneflower

The Small Blue

July 29, 2017 by Greg Molyneux

Macro photo of eastern tailed blue butterfly atop purple coneflower.

Editor’s note: [July 29, 2017] This is not a small blue butterfly. It is an eastern tailed blue butterfly. It’s the small thin tail that earns this distinction. Shout-out to Dave Blinder who coincidentally posted a shot of an eastern tailed blue on his Instagram today thus unveiling my error. It’s always good to learn […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh eastern tailed blue butterfly echinacea flora insects macro purple coneflower

Liquid Lunch

July 25, 2017 by Greg Molyneux

Macro photo of silver-spotted skipper feeding on purple coneflower nectar.

I made the most of strong midday sun and an anxious butterfly battling for a sip. While I may have contributed to this silver-spotted skipper’s general unease, to be sure it was a dive bombing carpenter bee who proved the true villain. Selfish to the last this boring bee, not content with undermining wooden structures, […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 100mm bokeh echinacea flora high key insects macro purple coneflower silver-spotted skipper butterfly

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Looking for something?

Search by Keyword

14mm 35mm 40mm 100mm barnegat bay black-eyed susan black and white blue hour bokeh cedar run dock road cross processing echinacea flora frozen golden hour great bay boulevard greg molyneux hdr high key insects jetty landscape long beach island long exposure low key lyrically inspired macro marina night photography pinelands power lines purple coneflower reflection salt marsh selected works ship bottom snow soft focus square format stafford forge wildlife management area sunset sunset park sunset point surf city weather

You can find me here

FacebookInstagramTwitter Flickr E-mail

Copyright © Greg Molyneux 2014–2021

Photos from the archives

Low key macro photograph of a late season purple coneflower (echinacea). Buttery bokeh and shallow depth of field tell the story here.
35mm out of focus photograph of a bunch of purple coneflowers backlight by a striking sunset and smooth bokeh. The echinacea blossoms are set glowing in powerful pastel pink and purple tones.
Heavy mesoband snow and wind batter Barnegat Lighthouse as winter storm Juno skirts the New Jersey coast in this low key black and white photograph of a resolute and unmoving Old Barney at night.
An HDR photograph taken from the southern side of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge overlooking the Atlantic City skyline at sunset.
Low key black and white macro photograph of a purple coneflower

Copyright © 2021 · Modern Portfolio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in