R. Fraley

I found this cluster of Rue Anemones in a patch of damp woodland just after rainfall — their petals still glistening with droplets. The forest was still mostly brown, but these flowers lent a faint color to the understory. Their slender stems trembled at the slightest wind, true to their name — “windflower.”

Rue Anemone in filtered light
Rue Anemone in filtered light
At the season’s edge, Rue Anemone opens its petals before most leaves have returned. Its blooms may last only days, yet they mark the beginning of green in the woodland year. • Size: 1200×800

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 200 • Aperture f/13.0 • Shutter 1/6 s

Rue Anemones in soft spring light
Rue Anemones in soft spring light
Blossoms emerging through tender green leaves.
A small colony of Rue Anemones opens beneath the forest canopy — the morning air still cool, the forest floor alive with new color.
Size: 533×800

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 200 • Aperture f/13.0 • Shutter 1/8 s

Rue Anemone pairing in woodland shade
Rue Anemone pairing in woodland shade
A pair of blossoms catching filtered light.
Two flowers share the same stem, their petals patterned faintly with violet veining. Between them, a droplet rests on a heart-shaped leaf — a single moment of stillness in the forest’s quiet rhythm.
Size: 533×800

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 200 • Aperture f/16.0 • Shutter 1/8 s

Rue Anemone bloom detail
Rue Anemone bloom detail
Purple-veined sepals and golden anthers in focus.
This close view reveals the delicate contrast of violet-striped sepals and bright yellow stamens — the intricate, fleeting beauty of a woodland ephemeral.
Size: 533×800

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 200 • Aperture f/9.0 • Shutter 1/8 s

Rue Anemone with morning dew
Rue Anemone with morning dew
Soft petals holding the last drops of rain.
The lavender-white sepals shimmer under diffused light, their color deepening near the tips — a quiet reminder of how briefly spring pauses to rest.
Size: 800×533

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 200 • Aperture f/14.0 • Shutter 1/8 s

References