Upside Down Umbrella

“Upside Down Umbrella”

Picher Plant Flower

Pitcher plants are in a league all to themselves—after all, they are carnivorous. To stand even out more, they produce an upside down flower. 

Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Revealed

"Revealed"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

It's funny how the Lord orchestrates details in our lives. 

I went to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference again in 2016. For the last few years, I have left the conference and travelled the short distance to the Biltmore Estate to photograph the gardens for the day.

I prayed I would meet who the Lord would have me meet. As I stood at the back of my car getting my gear ready for the day, another visitor said something to me.

As we conversed, I found out she too was at the conference. The conference lasted five days, yet we never met.

We went to the greenhouses and admired the beautiful flowers and plants. As we passed the canna lilies, she noticed a small drop of water beneath the flower.

The beauty of the flower captured me, and I had to photograph it. I'm sure I looked like a three ring circus as I set up my tripod, camera, and then used my diffuser to block the strong early morning light.

Thank you Joni Vance for pointing out the beauty I would not have noticed.

Location: The Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Sweet Dreams

"Sweet Dreams"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

A fellow photographer and I met at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia yesterday to shoot. I was intending to photograph hummingbirds until my friend Heather mentioned she saw a sleeping bee.

While I was photographing the one she showed me, I told her to look for more. I enjoyed photographing the bees, but I had to be quick as the morning sun was waking them up:)

Location: The State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Underneath

"Underneath"

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

While at Gibbs Garden in Ball Ground, Georgia this weekend, I had an older couple stop and ask me if they could help while I was photographing a flower. I held my translucent reflector over the tulip to block the harsh sunlight, used another hand to move the background flower out of the way while I pressed the shutter release. It must have looked comical. The couple stated they would have come to help earlier, but he fell asleep in a chair.

The man was intrigued as to why I would have photographed an ugly flower. I told him to come look through my camera because the flower was beautiful. I saw the beauty of the flower and envisioned the final outcome of the shot while he was just looking at the surface. 

On the surface, we may look different. We may have a few rough edges and aren't quite so polished, but if we have invited Christ in our hearts, there is something very beautiful we can show to others.

Location: Gibbs Garden, Ball Ground, Georgia