Not only is this my favorite photo for April 3, it is one of my all time favorite flower images.

I was driving by Ohlone College in Fremont California and spotted a cluster of poppies on the campus. I got my camera and put on a 15mm semi-fisheye lens which has a 180° diagonal angle of view.

The camera was hand held. I was on the ground and my head was in the dirt so I could get the lowest possible angle of view. I deliberately placed part of the sun behind a flower petal. The sun star is a natural result of using a small aperture. The sunlight bends around the places where the aperture blades meet.

Several years ago I entered this photo in a nationwide photography competition and received the first place “People Choice Award”.

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Series: Favorite Photos by Date – all about this series