My high school math teacher used to say of some problems, “Same thing only different.” Yesterday, I happened to think of that expression when I asked my friend Tracy to blow the seeds from a dandelion so I could get a picture. I envisioned a small cloud of seeds dispersing into the air, but instead I got clumps of quickly falling fluff. Wondering why this happened, I did a little research and found this was a “false dandelion”. It looks like a real dandelion, only it’s different. Most likely, this flower is actually a weed called a Catsear.
An interesting note about real dandelions, though: I found out that they can be used for all sorts of useful things such as herbal remedies for digestion or even wine. They are actually rich in vitamins and minerals too. Who knew they were more than just a pesky weed? The University of Maryland Medical Center has some information on their website, if you are interested in other dandelion uses.
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Still a cool shot, Jolene! Fresh spring dandelion leaves are excellent in salad (don use the large, older leaves-they can be bitter) and Ray Bradbury wrote a book called Dandelion Wine.
Dandelion shots are some of my favorites. This is gorgeous!
I love that you manage to capture the flowers, stems/pedals, as they actually were in motion. Can I ask what kind of lens you were using?
Hi Callib – I was using a Nikkor 18-200 mm lens. I had to use manual mode to capture this, because in auto mode, the lens will continuously refocus, and the shot will be completely blurry.
Ya, I’ve had the same problem with these micro/up close shots. Thanks.