I have many favorite photos from this year, but here I've narrowed the field to my top picks. These represent my practice of contemplative nature photography: images that capture well my experience of spiritually aesthetic moments while on nature walks. All were taken at the Longwood and Chanticleer gardens, with an Olympus OM-1 camera and M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens with the MC-14 (x1.4) teleconverter, at maximum focal length (unless otherwise noted), handheld, using only the natural light in which the plant was growing.

#1:  SNAKE PLANT

Taken at Longwood on 1/9/25 at f/10 and 1/1250sec.

#2:  SMALL YELLOW WATER LILY

Taken at Longwood on 5/11/25 at f/10 and 1/3200sec.

#3:  CANE-LIKE BEGONIA

Taken at Longwood on 1/2/25 at f/9 and 1/60sec.

#4:  HEART-LEAF PELARGONIUM WITH BUDS

Taken at Longwood on 3/2/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#5:  YELLOW TULIP

Taken at Chanticleer on 4/23/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#6:  CAPE POND LILY

Taken at Longwood on 3/14/25 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#7:  FORMOSA LILY SEEDPOD

Taken at Chanticleer on 3/27/25 at 130mm, f/11 and 1/800sec.

#8:  POPPY SEEDPOD

Taken at Chanticleer on 6/20/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#9:  CAMELLIA

Taken at Longwood on 1/17/25 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#10:  PRAIRIE DOCK WITH ONE PETAL REMAINING IN LATE SUMMER

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/11/25 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#11:  CLEMATIS SEEDPOD

Taken at Chanticleer on 10/10/25 at f/9 and 1/1600sec.

#12:  BLEEDING HEART

Taken at Chanticleer on 6/1/25 at f/9 and 1/800sec.

#13:  WATER LILY BUD AGAINST SUBMERGED PAD

Taken at Longwood on 5/26/25 at f/9 and 1/320sec.

#14:  CROCUS CLUSTER IN DAPPLED LIGHT

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/11/25 at f/9 and 1/800sec.

#15:  LIGHTBULB PLANT WITH SHADOWS OF STAMEN

Taken at Longwood on 3/2/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#16:  MUSICAL NOTES FLOWER

Taken at Longwood on 5/18/25 at f/9 and 1/1600sec.

#17:  MUSSAENDA

Taken at Longwood on 10/16/25 at f/9 and 1/3200sec.

#18:  JULIA JANE DAFFODIL

Taken at Longwood on 3/23/25 at 175mm, f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#19:  FACE OF A DIETES IRIS

Taken at Longwood on 3/23/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#20:  LILY BUD

Taken at Longwood on 1/30/25 at f/10 and 1/2000sec.

#21:  QUEEN'S WREATH, IN POND

Taken at Longwood on 3/7/25 at f/9 and 1/2000sec.

#22:  SALMON WATER LILY AMONG PADS

Taken at Longwood on 8/3/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#23:  POPPY

Taken at Chanticleer on 6/20/25 at f/9 and 1/5000sec.

#24:  HARE'S FOOT FERN

Taken at Longwood on 3/2/25 at 102mm, f/9 and 1/1600sec.

#25:  HIMALAYAN BLUE POPPY

Taken at Longwood on 4/9/25 at 160mm, f/10 and 1/60sec.

#26:  HIBISCUS FACING INTO THE SUN

Taken at Chanticleer on 8/27/25 at f/13 and 1/640sec.

#27:  CLEMATIS OPENING

Taken at Chanticleer on 6/1/25 at f/9 and 1/800sec.

#28:  MINIATURE ROSE IN PROFILE

Taken at Longwood on 4/28/25 at f/10 and 1/250sec.

#29:  MINIATURE ROSE ANGLED

Taken at Longwood on 4/28/25 at f/10 and 1/800sec.

#30:  HAWORTHIOPSIS

Taken at Longwood on 4/28/25 at f/10 and 1/500sec.

#31:  ORNAMENTAL ONION, MID-BLOOM

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/7/25 at 150mm, f/10 and 1/400sec.

#32:  SUPERSTITION MALLOW

Taken at Longwood on 4/28/25 at f/9 and 1/2000sec.

#33:  BEGONIA WITH PISTILS IN SUNLIGHT

Taken at Longwood on 3/10/25 at f/9 and 1/640sec.

#34:  ORNITHOGALUM CLUSTER WITH SINGULARLY LIT BLOSSOM

Taken at Longwood on 3/10/25 at f/9 and 1/640sec.

#35:  CROCUS, FIRST OF THE SEASON

Taken at Longwood on 3/10/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#36:  PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS

Taken at Longwood on 1/17/25 at f/10 and 1/2000sec.

#37:  PEACH WATER LILY

Taken at Longwood on 5/26/25 at f/9 and 1/1200sec.

#38:  ORNAMENTAL PEPPER BLOSSOM

Taken at Longwood on 10/1/25 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#39:  STRING OF BEADS FLOWER

Taken at Longwood on 1/17/25 at f/11 and 1/500sec.

#40:  Thalia Stalk in Fall

Taken at Longwood on 10/9/25 at 130mm, f/9 and 1/800sec.

#41:  POPPY CENTER

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/25/25 at f/9 and 1/250sec.

#42:  ANEMONE CENTER

Taken at Longwood on 3/23/25 at f/9 and 1/400sec.

#43:  SATURN SUNFLOWER

Taken at Chanticleer on 8/27/25 at f/13 and 1/250sec.

#44:  LOTUS BACKLIT

Taken at Longwood on 7/13/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#45:  LOTUS AMONG LEAVES

Taken at Chanticleer on 8/7/25 at f/9 and 1/3200sec.

#46:  WHITE TULIP

Taken at Chanticleer on 4/17/25 at f/9 and 1/6400sec.

#47:  YELLOW PLUME

Taken at Longwood on 1/30/25 at f/10 and 1/160sec.

#48:  PURPLE WATER LILY WITH REFLECTION

Taken at Longwood on 6/12/25 at f/9 and 1/2000sec.

#49:  WHITE WATER LILY WITH REFLECTION

Taken at Longwood on 8/3/25 at f/10 and 1/2500sec.

#50:  YELLOW WATER LILY

Taken at Longwood on 8/3/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#51:  PURPLE WATER LILY WITH PAD

Taken at Longwood on 8/17/25 at 100mm, f/9 and 1/5000sec.

#52:  WATER LILY PAD IN LATE SUMMER

Taken at Longwood on 8/30/25 at 170mm, f/9 and 1/3200sec.

#53:  LOLLIPOP PLANT

Taken at Longwood on 5/18/25 at 102mm, f/9 and 1/1000sec.

#54:  CANTERBURY BELL FLOWER

Taken at Longwood on 3/21/25 at 160mm, f/10 and 1/250sec.

#55:  COSMOS

Taken at Longwood on 7/21/25 at f/9 and 1/5000sec.

#56:  BULBINE

Taken at Longwood on 3/14/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#57:  QUEEN ANNE'S LACE

Taken at Chanticleer on 8/10/25 at 140mm, f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#58:  LILY

Taken at Longwood on 11/29/25 at f/11 and 1/160sec.

#59:  LANTANA

Taken at Longwood on 8/3/25 at f/10 and 1/1600sec.

#60:  DATURA BACKLIT

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/4/25 at f/9 and 1/4000sec.

#61:  DATURA BUD

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/26/25 at 105mm, f/9 and 1/800sec.

#62:  BILLBERGIA

Taken at Longwood on 8/3/25 at f/10 and 1/60sec.

#63:  CORAL BUSH BLOSSOM

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/26/25 at f/11 and 1/1000sec.

#64:  CLIVIA

Taken at Longwood on 12/22/25 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#65:  CAMELLIA OPENING

Taken at Longwood on 12/12/25 at 140mm, f/9 and 1/200sec.

#66:  MEXICAN TREE FERN

Taken at Longwood on 12/12/25 at f/8 and 1/200sec.

#67:  BALLOON PLANT

Taken at Chanticleer on 11/2/25 at f/9 and 1/1000sec.

#68:  COPPERTONE HIBISCUS LEAF

Taken at Longwood on 10/16/25 at f/9 and 1/640sec.

#69:  REFLECTION OF A WATER LILY IN ITS POND

Taken at Longwood on 8/17/25 at f/9 and 1/160sec.

#70:  BEE OVER WATER LILY, WITH SHADOW

Taken at Longwood on 7/21/25 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.