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.

Yes

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

A beneficial free radical from the garden. I took a break from socials over the long weekend. It felt quite peaceful and focused. I did miss you all, as well as your beautiful images, insightful writing and deeply gratifying snide humor. (The politics, not so much.) #photography 𝑁𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎

Same genus, different species. There are no wrong choices to be made here. Pretend seriousness aside, it's a good day to get outside, and to recall what (and who) is important to you. We can do more together than alone. #flowers #photography #FlowersOnFriday

Such pure, wholesome little flowers. For me this stuff really softens the effects of living with our hard, cynical and competitive modern zeitgeist. I hope you get some joy from it, too. #flowers #photography #bloomscrolling 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑚

Wild allium season has ended here, but I'm still enjoying watching it ramp up (ha) in other places around the world. I find so many little characters in wild garlic buds and blooms. I think this one looks like a dog leaping off a dock into the lake. #flowers #photography 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑚

Heavy is the head that wears the ruffly crown of petals. I'm excited to get off the computer and do some tactile creative work today, and then maybe go foraging for evening photo subjects. #flowers #photography

Pricklicious! Every Pincushion Flower seed head looks a little different from all the others. It's a beautiful day, and I urge you to put away the internet, go outside, and study closely all the flowers in your area. Quickly now! #flowers #photography 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑎

I found this colossal proton swaying in the breeze at my local city garden. #flowers #photography 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠

🎵 Karma camellia, red, gold and green... It's a glorious Monday morning somewhere, and my inner world is going to find it. #flowers #photography

Flowers are made of stardust, too. Some more apparently than others. Happy Friday, all. Make the most of your impending freedom. #flowers #photography #flowersonfriday 𝑃𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑢𝑚

It's time to look at this fuzzy, glowing borage blossom and let your thoughts stray for a few minutes. It feels like we've turned a corner weatherwise, and the days are finally warming up. If you need me, I'll be exercising every excuse to be outside. #flowers #photography

A helleborus for us, in a not-seen-before color. Just back from exploring Pinnacles and two nearby mountain ranges for the weekend. We saw rattlesnakes, owls, and tons of raptors. Wildflowers are just about peak as well. California is enormous, and so beautiful. #flowers #photography