Although I don’t have my own garden, I am blessed to have a neighbor and friend, Cindy Dyer, who loves to plant photogenic flowers, like these beautiful bearded irises that are now in bloom. Cindy is a self-employed photographer and graphic designer who I consider to be my photography mentor and muse. She and her husband Michael make up the rest of my “pod” that has helped to sustain me through this past pandemic year.
What else does Cindy do? Here is a little extract from the “Stuff About Me” page of her blog.
“Oil and acrylic painting, photography (portraits, glamour shots, nature, macro, floral/botanical, travel), cement leaf casting, crocheting hats like crazy come winter time (what else can a gardener do when it’s cold out?), needle felting, sewing, murals, faux painting, Polaroid transfers (if it’s something crafty, I’ve probably at least tried it once), biblioholic (any topic, you name it—we probably have at least one book on the subject…don’t even begin to guess how many gardening books I’ve amassed!), animal lover—currently three cats…”
You can get a look at some of Cindy’s photography and writing on her blog at cindydyer.wordpress.com. If you want a real treat, though, you should check out the slide show of her portfolio at cindydyer.zenfolio.com, where your eyes will be delighted as you see an amazing series of stunning images.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful and so much variety
Thanks. The good news for me is that I know that there are more to come–Cindy loves to plant such a wide variety of flowers that sometimes she is surprised by what pops up.
Deep purple always my favorite!
Me too, Molly. For me the purple and yellow ones, which happen to be my college colors, are always my favorites.
Thanks for sharing Cindy Dyers’s stunning bearded irises and talents. These three are so lovely, and your photos are crystal clear, Mike, and highlight the details of each lovely flower.
Thanks, Jet. What you probably can’t tell is that I shot them in bright sunlight at almost noon. Normally that would create harsh shadows and washed out colors, but one of the tricks that I learned from Cindy is to use a hand held diffuser to soften the light. It is one of the things she pointed out several years ago in this article that Nikon published about her garden photography (https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-grow-your-garden-photography-skills.html).
They are so pretty
Thanks, Dan. They are pretty enough to cause me to stop and photograph them, even though I tend not to take flower photos very often.
Beautiful photos, Mike. Cindy has lots of energy, that is for sure! 🙂
Thanks, Eliza. She has quite the set of eclectic interests and is one of the most creative persons that I know. She also likes to cook and I am the beneficiary when she decides to make a big pot of homemade soup–chicken tortilla soup is one of her specialities–or homemade pesto–she sent me home tonight with a container from her newest batch.
A fine friend and neighbor to have! 🙂
Great series of Bearded Irises Mike! Enjoyed seeing them!
Thanks, Reed.