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, Chanticleer, and Winterthur gardens, with an Olympus OM-D E-M1ii camera and M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens at maximum focal length (unless otherwise noted, as with a teleconverter attached), handheld, using only the natural light in which the plant was growing.

#1:  HIMALAYAN POPPY

Taken at Longwood on 3/25/24 at f/10 and 1/320sec.

#2:  SINGLE FLOWER ON A GIANT ORNAMENTAL ONION

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/31/24 at f/10 and 1/250sec.

#3:  BLEEDING HEART

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/1/24 at f/9 and 1/640sec.

#4:  CHASMANTHE

Taken at Longwood on 3/21/24 at f/10 and 1/800sec.

#5:  CLEMATIS SEED POD

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/15/24 at f/9 and 1/800sec.

#6:  CLEMATIS

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/31/24 at f/9 and 1/800sec.

#7:  FIRST FLOWER OF AN ORNAMENTAL ONION BLOOM

Taken at Chanticleer on 8/21/24 at f/10 and 1/1600sec.

#8:  LOTUS BUD AND POD

Taken at Chanticleer on 7/19/24 at f/10 and 1/1250sec.

#9:  BEGONIA CENTER

Taken at Longwood on 2/29/24 at f/9 and 1/1600sec.

#10:  TULIP IN MORNING LIGHT

Taken at Longwood on 2/29/24 at f/10 and 1/640sec.

#11:  DATURA BUD UNFOLDING

Taken at Chanticleer on 7/19/24 at f/10 and 1/2000sec.

#12:  COSMOS

Taken at Longwood on 7/26/24 at f/10 and 1/1600sec.

#13:  CLEMATIS SEED POD --TRANSITIONAL

Taken at Chanticleer on 10/31/24 at f/10 and 1/400sec and 210mm.

#14:  SNAKE PLANT

Taken at Longwood on 2/9/24 at f/10 and 1/500sec.

#15:  BIRD OF PARADISE

Taken at Longwood on 9/2/24 at f/9 and 1/160sec.

#16:  GLOBE AMARANTH

Taken at Longwood on 7/19/24 at f/10 and 1/1250sec.

#17:  ANNUAL EVERLASTING

Taken at Chanticleer on 9/15/24 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#18:  EGYPTIAN STARFLOWER

Taken at Longwood on 3/14/24 at f/10 and 1/640sec.

#19:  IRIS

Taken at Winterthur on 5/21/24 at f/10 and 1/1600sec.

#20:  NASTURTIUM

Taken at Chanticleer on 10/31/24 at f/10 and 1/1600sec and 210mm.

#21:  PORTEA BUD

Taken at Longwood on 3/1/24 at f/10 and 1/320sec.

#22:  WAX MALLOW LEAF

Taken at Longwood on 4/22/24 at f/10 and 1/320sec.

#23:  PERSICARIA

Taken at Chanticleer on 10/6/24 at f/9 and 1/1600sec.

#24:  LOLLIPOP PLANT

Taken at Longwood on 6/15/24 at f/10 and 1/250sec.

#25:  LIGHT BULB PLANT

Taken at Longwood on 2/3/24 at f/10 and 1/500sec.

#26:  GREEN TULIP

Taken at Chanticleer on 4/14/24 at f/10 and 1/800sec.

#27:  EUPHORBIA

Taken at Longwood on 3/1/24 at f/10 and 1/640sec.

#28:  MEXICAN RED SUNFLOWER CENTER

Taken at Chanticleer on 11/2/24 at f/10 and 1/2500sec and 210mm.

#29:  BRONZE LEAVED GLORYBOWER

Taken at Longwood on 2/29/24 at f/10 and 1/500sec.

#30:  FERN WITH SORI SPOTS

Taken at Longwood on 1/22/24 at f/8 and 1/320sec.

#31:  MILKWEED LEAF

Taken at Chanticleer on 10/25/24 at f/9 and 1/1000sec and 170mm.

#32:  CORNFLOWER

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/22/24 at f/10 and 1/640sec.

#33:  LONGHEAD POPPY AFTER DROPPING PETALS

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/31/24 at f/9 and 1/1250sec.

#34:  SINGLE FLOWER ON A BULBINE CLUSTER

Taken at Chanticleer on 6/28/24 at f/9 and 1/2500sec.

#35:  BRAZILIAN CANDLE

Taken at Longwood on 2/21/24 at f/10 and 1/400sec.

#36:  SUNFLOWER

Taken at Longwood on 8/12/24 at f/9 and 1/1000sec.

#37:  CANNA LILY LEAF DETAIL

Taken at Longwood on 6/8/24 at f/9 and 1/125sec.

#38:  PURPLE TULIP

Taken at Longwood on 4/22/24 at f/10 and 1/1250sec.

#39:  POPPY ANEMONE AMONG PANSIES

Taken at Chanticleer on 5/22/24 at f/10 and 1/2000sec.

#40:  TI PLANT LEAF

Taken at Longwood on 6/10/24 at f/9 and 1/200sec.