Oh good morning! Here's a brand new one from my studio, for your Thursday enjoyment. Need a last minute holiday gift? I can help with that. Check out my 2026 UV Floral Calendar - it's a stunner, guaranteed to impress. www.rainhayes.com/product/2026... #flowers #photography 𝑂𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑚

Curiosity and attention are behaviors that allow us to disengage from the rapid-fire chaos cycle and stay grounded. Medium and subject are not really important. Find something interesting and let it take over your mind for a bit. Enjoy the refreshment! 🌿 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑓 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑘𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑑 #flowers #photography

You know there's deep meaning and symbolism in a winter-blooming flower called Lenten Rose. Anxiety, delirium, scandal... but also hope in darkness. Wishing everyone a strong and peaceful week. #flowers #photography

I made a 2026 art calendar with my UV floral images. It's super glossy and the flowers are just electric against the black backgrounds. You should get one. :) They also make easy gifts with serious 'wow' factor, so take advantage of this limited run! www.rainhayes.com/product/2026...

Is there a more lush beauty than the coral peony? Four thousand years of cultivation brought this perfect specimen to us. I try to bring flowers into my life every day. They remind me that beauty and perfection are easily accessible, if you just stay open. #flowers #photography

Methods of distraction include wigging out over the hidden details of nature. Proven effective time and again! Unrelated pro tip: There's only one way to host Thanksgiving, and that is to do as much as possible in advance. #flowers #photography

Ooh somebody made a 2026 calendar. Just sharing! Happy Friday everyone #flower #photography #calendar

Check out this pincushion protea I found growing on the other side of the lake! It almost looks like something microscopic you'd find growing IN the lake. The 2026 calendar is looking great and I'm excited to share, but had to take a time out to photograph this beaut first. #flowers #photography

Just your garden variety starfish... or a teeny, single milkweed flower. Man, the things you can find growing right out of the ground are just amazing. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend with plenty of offline, outdoor time. Happy Friday, everyone! #flowers #photography

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Before I tried UV, I worked in a different 'invisible' light, Infrared. I started doing infrared macro flower portraits, like this clematis seed head, during the 2020 pandemic isolation. People are often still drawn to this one amid all my colorful UV work. I agree, sometimes minimalism is best.

A "weed" I found growing in the verge. This may be the happiest little flower I've seen all year. 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚 #flowers #photography

I will soon be offering a 2026 calendar of my floral images. Greeting card sets as well. I can't wait to see them from the printer! #flowers #photography

Gold dust! Fall mode, time to pull out the wool comforter and consider thinking about possibly making an apple pie. #flowers #photography

The best part of doing the Autumn Lights Festival Art Market last weekend was the kids' reactions to my UV macro floral photos. Shout out to the little boy who asked, "Are these all different diseases?" I will always enjoy that. #flower #photography #macro

I've got a ton of images in the Autumn Lights Festival this week. Come see it! Bring the kids! It's a super fun time. There'll be food trucks, a wine bar, and of course a million amazing light-based art installations. gardensatlakemerritt.org/autumn-light... @oaklandside.org @sfgate.com

I'll be showing over 80 images in the 2025 Autumn Lights Festival. Here's a little teaser clip of my garden video installation. bit.ly/RainHayes_Ni... There are still tickets available for this awesomely fun family event, Oct 16 - 18 in Oakland, CA. bit.ly/AutumnLights... #photography #flowers

This Coleus flower smells strongly like skunk. I think it's pretty neat looking, but it needs to go wait outside after our glamour shots session. #flowers #photography 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑎

Have you ever noticed how beautiful thistles are? We have so many varieties here in California. They're generally regarded as "noxious weeds" but they're an extremely important food source for pollinators, and help restore poor soil. They are wonderful. #flowers #photography 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑢𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑢𝑠

When I was five years old, I snuck a frosting flower from my cousin's wedding cake and devoured it in one huge bite. Friends, it was the most awful, bitter thing I had ever tasted. Just horribly disillusioned. These milkweed flowers, which look like delicious little candies, bring it all back.

Live view of one of my brains cells at the moment I was jolted awake by a strong, *very close* #earthquake last night at 3:00 AM. (Not actually, but sometimes my botanical subjects are a good representation of how I feel.) Good morning, #BayArea! #flowers #photography 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑎 seed head

I recently discovered that this all-yellow Azalea bud turns into a disco queen under black light. I do enjoy nature's little surprises and distractions. #flowers #photography #PhotographersOfBluesky

This is called an African Wonder Flower, and that may be the most exciting and optimistic thing I've heard all week. Part of the fun for me is learning about each subject. We take reading for granted, but I think a lot about how it's changed my life. #flowers #photography 𝑂𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠

An allium flower, apparently taking the old 'dance like no one's watching' adage to heart. I love its unruly spirit. #flowers #photography #PhotographersOfBluesky

After three glorious days in the Sierra Nevada, reentry to city life and media is a shock to the system. View from our campsite at an alpine lake, right about at the treeline. #landscape #photography

Pie for breakfast thoughts: I bet nobody is creative in just one field. I spent yesterday making pot roast and apple pie for my darling's birthday. I love cooking – it's fully engaging, I'm always learning, and it serves a purpose – so my inner 'be productive' nag stays blessedly silent. Mm... pie.

A curious visitor says hello. I am enjoying the distraction of flowers now more than ever. #photography #flowers #photographersofbluesky 𝐿𝑒𝑢𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚

I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as this ameno... anen...anenem... this flower that I have such trouble pronouncing. In any case, this is what I'm up to today, and tomorrow, and hopefully all my days beyond that. #flowers #photography 𝐴𝑛𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑝𝑒ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠

This pure white Bougainvillea shows its true colors of coral, periwinkle and lilac under UV light. Naturally, I'm off to ponder the nature of reality and perception for the rest of the season. (Just kidding – see you tomorrow as usual.) #flowers #photography #interior #interiordecor

Because I do long exposure, and nothing sits still, I rarely get a live critter 'on film'. I did capture some plant lice on a phacelia bloom once. These bugs are highly UV reactive – they glow like Slimer, and sometimes create motion streaks.

Abutilon flowers remind me of my grandma hanging colorful paper lanterns around her patio. I know those things are a dime a dozen but they still seem a little magical to me. #flowers #photography

I heard it was razzle dazzle Wednesday, so here's a neat little protea flower I photographed over the weekend. People often associate my flower images with sea creatures, but this one looks to me like it's coming at us from outer space. 🪐 🌺 🔭 #flowers #photography

My newest favorite 'wall flower' is a delicate butterfly ranunculus. As ever, we'll be printing this at maximum size. #flower #photography

The aggressive push toward gen AI makes me want to double down on all my analog skills: photography, writing, woodworking, welding, blacksmithing, sewing, painting – all of it. Why would I (or any of you) want to give up any part of your most deeply satisfying activities? Real is gold. 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎

Oh, hi! Ready for some more botanical weirdness? This sweet pea bush flower, with its outer petals removed, sort of reminds me of Rodin's 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑟. Perhaps I've just been too lost in my own thoughts and need to get out more. 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑦𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑎

Check out the beautiful compositions and color treatment in Marie’s landscape zine.

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Even as a long-time career technologist, I just cannot get into AI for creative work. Art isn’t just self-expression; it’s a way to find out about the world. Doing things in an analog way absorbs excess energy. Why would I give that up? #flower #photography 𝑃𝑎𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎, a rare b&w for me

Milkweed flowers are about bloomed out, and seed pods are forming. Next, the plants be taken over by milkweed bugs. They help reduce the prolific spread of the floofy seeds, which, pre-floof, remind me of tadpoles. Such a fascinating botanical character! #flower #photography 𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑎

In our darkest times, we must remember that we can't possibly know what tomorrow will bring. We just can't. We keep going simply because the future might hold something good. Or even pretty amazing. #flowers #photography 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑠

This borage blossom from spring is a cheerer-upper. I can't believe days are getting shorter again already. #flowers #photography

Throwback to proofing one of my first truly large-scale prints. I loved working on this with my clients in Southern California. Printing was done by Dickerman in San Francisco. Large or small, always be printing. #photography

While we sigh and droop in the summer heat, it's still early spring in the deep shadow of the forest. I've just photographed my 125th species under UV light. It's peak bloom time, so many more will follow. Still, I need to break from shooting and do more editing and sharing. #flowers #photography

These translucent milkweed florets would make cute gummi candies. Looking forward to spending all my free time in the studio this weekend, the height of the season. #flowers #photography 𝐺𝑜𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑢𝑠 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑢𝑠

The formidable Bull Thistle. It's an invasive species, considered a noxious weed, but I still love its weaponized armor, spider web-like filaments, and flamingo pink Punky Color updo. I will be foraging for different thistles today. Do send band aids! #flowers #photography 𝐶𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑣𝑢𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑒

Thinking a lot lately about the role of artists in times of trouble. I'd like to rise above the passivity of "providing distraction". Down the line, we will all remember where we were today. Anyway, here's a strange flower to ease your worries. #flowers #photography #irony 𝑃𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑛𝑖𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑚

At age 22, I drove across the country, alone, in a VW Rabbit that leaked half a quart of oil a day. Over the stress of it, I whipped a left turn at Albuquerque, ended up in the high desert, and discovered the astonishing beauty of cacti in bloom. A life changing 'bad' day. #flowers #photography

Phacelia buds, just starting to sprout. See the tiny aqua-glow critters near the bottom edge? Those are plant lice, almost too small to see with the naked eye. They don't hold still for long, usually showing up 'on film' as a Slimer-esque dayglo-green streak, if at all. #flowers #photography

In daylight, this Cape Fuchsia blossom is purely yellow. UV light reveals a different color dimension, including the teal markings (invisible to us!) that point pollinators to the nectar within. Off to do a podcast – stay tuned, if you're into that sort of thing! #flowers #photography 𝑃ℎ𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑠

Good morning! Showy milkweed has entered the chat, thanks to Oakland's invisible cast of renegade gardeners. We grow subversives of all stripes here. 𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑎