Blueheart - photo courtesy Lynn Dukelow

Lynn Dukelow has spent many a season crawling around on her knees in the damp edges of a pond, or bent over and being honked at by passing vehicles.  Her mission?  To capture with her camera as many of Port Franks wildflowers as is humanly possible.  And a fine job she has done of it.  Botanists and conservationists have her on speed-dial so they can quickly discover the blooming status of some of the rarest plants in Canada, including this Blueheart, shown at left. 

Lynn spoke to the Port Franks and Area Camera Club on September 26.  A rapt audience learned how tricky this close-up flower photography can be, what with the wind blowing the petals into a blur and the tendency of some plants to prefer life in the middle of a pond, resulting in a condition known as “photographer wet-foot.” 

Wild Alfalfa - photo courtesy Lynn Dukelow

She told us what lenses she uses, which f-stops work best and how to light the underside of tiny blossoms. 

Her photos were superb.  Whether her shots showed the intricate details of a 1/2 inch wide floret or environmental views of water lilies in their pond, each photo was a work of art. 

Thanks for sharing, Lynn.