Tag:sunflowers
Victoria bursts to life each year with a sea of golden-yellow hues as sunflower season takes centre stage, drawing locals and tourists alike to its stunning, sun-kissed fields. Sunflower season is a much-anticipated event showcasing these towering blooms’ beauty. It’s also a delightful experience to wander through fields filled with these iconic flowers.
When is Sunflower Season in Victoria?
Sunflower season in Victoria typically runs from December through March, although blooming times can vary slightly depending on the region and weather conditions. Sunflowers thrive in warmer months, and the Australian summer provides ideal conditions for their growth. During this period, fields around the state come alive with vibrant blooms that can reach up to two meters in height, offering a truly mesmerising sight. To catch the flowers at their peak, aim to visit in January or early February, when the fields are usually in full bloom.
Where to Find Sunflower Fields in Victoria
While Victoria may not be as famous for sunflowers as Queensland or New South Wales, there are several locations where you can enjoy these radiant fields.
1. Tatura and the Goulburn Valley Region
The Goulburn Valley region, known as Victoria’s fruit bowl, is one of the prime spots to experience sunflower fields. Located two hours north of Melbourne, Tatura and the surrounding areas are home to numerous farms that grow sunflowers commercially. Many of these farms open their fields to visitors during peak season, allowing you to stroll through the blooms and snap that perfect Instagram photo. This area also has numerous wineries and orchards, making it an ideal destination for a day trip filled with scenic beauty and delicious local produce.
2. Yarra Valley
Renowned for its wineries and vineyards, the Yarra Valley is also home to several sunflower fields during the summer. (Girasole will open in 2025 for visitors). Some vineyards even plant sunflowers as a complementary crop, providing a unique combination of wine tasting and sunflower spotting. The Yarra Valley’s fields may be smaller than others in Australia, but its rolling hills and scenic vineyards make it an incredibly picturesque location. After a morning of sunflower viewing, you can spend the afternoon sampling local wines and enjoying the stunning natural surroundings.
3. The Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges, just an hour from Melbourne, is another fantastic spot to see sunflowers in bloom. Known for its cool-climate wines and lush landscapes, this region is a favourite for nature lovers. Some farms in the area plant sunflowers, and the cooler climate here makes it a unique location for sunflower photography. The region’s charming villages, such as Kyneton and Woodend, are also worth exploring, offering boutique shops, cosy cafés, and galleries that make for a well-rounded trip. Sault at Daylesford has both lavender and sunflower fields
4. Private Farms and Pop-Up Sunflower Fields
Across Victoria, private farms often grow sunflowers for commercial purposes, and some allow visitors to enjoy their fields during peak bloom times. Keep an eye out for local announcements, as these fields may be smaller pop-ups that open only for a limited time. Social media is an excellent tool for finding these lesser-known spots, as farmers often advertise on Instagram or Facebook when the fields are open for public visits. Pick Your Own Sunflowers at Dunnstown is always worth a visit
Tips for Visiting Sunflower Fields in Victoria
When visiting sunflower fields, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a great experience and respect the property and flowers:
- Respect the Fields
Sunflowers may look sturdy, but they are delicate plants. Be mindful of where you step and avoid trampling the flowers. Always follow the pathways provided by the farms, and remember that many sunflower fields are on private property. Respecting the farmers’ efforts in cultivating these beautiful fields is essential. - Wear Sun Protection
Victoria’s summer can be intense, so wear sun protection when visiting. A wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses are essential, especially if you spend a few hours wandering the fields. The bright blooms and reflective soil can warm the fields, so staying hydrated is also key. - Come Early or Late for the Best Lighting
To capture the best photos, visit the fields early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is when the lighting is softer, reducing harsh shadows and enhancing the colours of the sunflowers. Many photographers find that the “golden hour” just after sunrise or before sunset provides the perfect natural light to make the sunflowers truly glow. - Dress Comfortably and Consider Footwear
While sunflower fields look magical, they’re still farm fields that can be dusty, muddy, or uneven. Opt for comfortable, sturdy footwear—ideally, something you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Light, airy clothing is also ideal for staying comfortable in the summer heat. - Bring Your Camera and Get Creative
Sunflowers are excellent subjects for photography, and there’s no shortage of creative ways to capture them. Experiment with different angles—shoot from below to make the flowers look even taller or focus on close-up shots of the flower heads to highlight their unique textures. Many sunflower fields even provide props, such as vintage bikes, picnic setups, or hay bales, to add a touch of charm to your photos.
Sunflower Season Events and Workshops
Some regions in Victoria host special events and workshops during sunflower season, catering to both photography enthusiasts and casual visitors. These events may include guided tours of the fields, photography workshops, or even yoga sessions among the sunflowers. Check with local tourism boards and social media pages to see if any special events align with your visit.
Supporting Local Farmers
Many sunflower fields are grown by local farmers who rely on visitor contributions to maintain these stunning blooms. Some fields charge a small entry fee, while others sell sunflower-themed products or fresh-cut sunflowers. By visiting these fields and purchasing their products, you’re supporting the local agriculture community and helping to ensure that these gorgeous fields remain open to the public for years to come.
Sunflower Season: A Celebration of Nature’s Beauty
Victoria’s sunflower season is a beautiful reminder of nature’s ability to bring joy and awe. Walking among sunflowers, watching them sway in the breeze, and enjoying the vast expanse of vibrant colours is a beautiful way to connect with the outdoors. Whether you’re visiting for photo opportunities, soaking in the beauty, or enjoying a unique summer experience, Victoria’s sunflower season offers something truly special.
So, mark your calendar, pack your camera, and prepare for a golden adventure in one of Victoria’s breathtaking sunflower fields this summer.
Sunflowers are known as ‘happy’ flowers due to their association with the sun. While not as plentiful in Victoria as the spring canola fields (the primary location of sunflower fields in Australia is NSW and Qld), there are still a few sunflower fields in Victoria to satisfy photographers. Western Australia also has an emerging sunflower industry.
Sunflowers are giant, bright, beautiful flowers popular with photographers worldwide. In Australia, they bloom from January to March. The meanings of sunflowers include happiness, optimism, honesty, longevity, peace, admiration, and devotion. No other flower exceeds it for its ability to make people smile. Popular with nature photographers and photographic enthusiasts, sunflowers look great, either as a single flower or in their thousands in fields.
Ethical Sunflower Photography
Photographing sunflower fields full of blossoms has become popular in recent years due to social media posts. However, that popularity has also brought out thoughtless photographers who ruin it for the rest of us. Like Canola fields, the critical rule when photographing sunflower fields is remembering the Do Nots.
Sunflower fields are farms on private land. However, some sunflower farmers will allow visitors into portions of their fields while protecting other fields. Visitors can take photos and pick the flowers for a per stem cost.
Grow Your Own
Many Sunflowers can be successfully grown in suburban backyards, from giant to dwarf types, such as Dwarf Sensation. For those who suffer hayfever or bee problems, you can even get pollen-free varieties such as ‘Teddy Bear’, though they look more like chrysanthemums than sunflowers.
Plant the seeds in late spring or early summer when the ground is starting to warm up—plant in well-drained soil enriched with some compost. Place them where they get six to eight hours of sun daily. They can even be grown indoors if you place them near a north-facing window!
Plant each seed 60cm apart and 2cm deep and give them deep regular watering in the mornings. They will flower in 8-10 weeks. Companion planting works well for sunflowers next to cucumbers, melons, sweetcorn or squash. However, keep them well away from potatoes and beans because sunflowers release toxins that will inhibit the potatoes and beans.
Fun Facts
- The tallest sunflower recorded was 9.17m tall (30 whopping feet!)
- sunflowers are the national flower of Russia and Ukraine
- the seeds are full of calcium
- each sunflower can produce 1000-2000 seeds
Where to find them
I know of three Sunflower Fields in Victoria that allow the public and photographers to visit. In no particular order, they are:
*Pick Your Own Sunflowers*
One of the largest fields in Victoria is Pick Your Own Sunflowers at Dunnstown. Entry is $5 per person, and kids under five are free. Pack your camera, bring your scissors or secateurs, have cash on you to pay for your sunflowers, and you are set for a great day. Leave your drone home as they are not allowed. Booking online is highly recommended, though you can sometimes pay at the gate.
*Sunflowers of Timmering*
Another great field was Sunflowers of Timmering, corner of Thornton Road and Webb Road, Timmering. However, they recently announced there would be no sunflowers this year. Due to the impact of floods across the region, they lost most of their crops, and to feed the livestock, they have had to replant on all available land. Unfortunately, this left no room for sunflowers. However, mother nature notwithstanding, they plan to be back in 2024
*Greendale Sunflowers*
Set in the rolling hills of Greendale near Ballarat, you will find Greendale Sunflowers at the corner of Lidgett’s Lane and Ballan-Greendale Road in Greendale Vic. The latest news is they expect to open in mid-February 2023. Usual hours are open Thursday and Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $5 per person, with children under five free. Sunflowers are available for sale at $2 each. Bring your own secateurs or hire for $2 a pair. Cash only.
Update: Greendale Sunflowers closed permanently in March 2023
Note: all pricing is at 2022 prices and is subject to change. It’s also a good idea to take gardening gloves or a bucket or roll of newspaper for your sunflowers. The sunflowers are pretty hairy and can be prickly and uncomfortable on your hands.
Photography tips and ideas
Sunflowers always turn their faces to the sun throughout the day, so it helps to consider the sun’s position when deciding on the background of your image.
- Close’ fill the frame’ images will bring out the detail of the flowers
- Use a macro to photograph just the very centre of the flower
- Don’t forget the back of the sunflower – they are just as interesting as the front
- Look for sunflowers that haven’t bloomed yet – they also make a great image
- Take a portrait or selfie against or in field of sunflowers (if permitted)
Safety First
When heading out to shoot in Victoria sunflower fields, be mindful that you are entering a working farm. Wear closed-toe sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Being summer, snakes are possible. Keep a watch out for wriggly sticks! Bees love sunflowers, as the sunflower provides nectar and pollen. Be careful not to disturb the bees. But then, it’s also a great way to get Bee images.
Across Victoria, the sunflowers are blooming. Fields of tall, large plants with daisy-like flower faces turned the sun attract photographers and tourists alike. To get the best results, plan how to photograph sunflowers before you head out to the fields.
Sunflowers in Victoria bloom from January to March.
Gear to Use
While you can use a phone camera – your best shots will come using a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. A lens such as the 12-24mm or 24-70mm range will work for all your shots if you photograph the sunflowers themselves. If you wish to shoot portraits against the fields, then go for a focal range of 35mm-85mm. If you want to shoot close-ups of the sunflowers, then a macro works best. But unless you have rock-steady hands (I don’t), put the camera on a tripod when using the macro.
Camera Settings
Firstly – shoot in Aperture Priority mode. If you are shooting portraits and want the narrow depth of field with background bokeh, then set your F stop at F/1.8 to F/2.8. For landscape shots, use F/16 to get as much in focus and sharp as possible. Keep your ISO as low as possible, ideally at ISO 100 or 200.
Shooting a model
If you are photographing people in the field, colour coordination becomes important. Ask your subject to wear white or blue clothing. They will need to avoid yellows and greens, or they will vanish into the field.
Focus Stacking
This isn’t completely necessary – and if you do, then use the tripod again. But if what is nearest to you is out of focus and the rest in focus, focus stacking will help if you want the entire scene in focus.
Best conditions for sunflower fields
Ideally, the best time is overcast days with no harsh shadows. However, that means you miss the beautiful blue skies (unless you sky swap with Luminar). Shooting at golden hour produces the best light – but most fields don’t open to visitors that early or late. To avoid the harsh shadows on a sunny day, try to time your shots to avoid the midday to 3 pm window.
Details
Don’t forget the back of the sunflower or the buds that haven’t bloomed yet. They are still interesting subjects.
Perspective
Get down low or go higher. Using a wide angle, try laying on the ground and shooting up through the flowers. Bring a step ladder along and get above the flowers.
Sunflower fields
Sunflower fields are not as plentiful as canola fields. And those that allow access are even fewer. The largest sunflower field in Victoria that allows visitors is Pick Your Own Sunflowers at Navigators Road, Dunnstown near Ballarat. Entry is $5 per person.
Its Spring! That means flower photography. The bees are buzzing; flowers are blooming. Cloudy winter skies are giving way to blue skies and sunshine. And lockdown or not – photographing flowers is something you can do economically from the comfort of your own home, and when it’s wet or breezy, you can still photograph inside – but give the impression they were taken outdoors. Try the following techniques for flower photography to get you started.
Gathering Your Subjects
A show-worthy garden is not required to photograph flowers. Look to your own or your neighbour’s garden. Pop into your local nursery and photograph their blooms (if you aren’t in lockdown). Take the camera on your walk and photograph the blossoms or wattle. Keep a pr of scissors in your pocket, and if you want to take a cutting home, you can snip a piece off from the blossom or wattle trees on the nature strips or parks as you go by. If you have no garden, a bunch of mixed flowers from the supermarket is a great place to start. Look for daises, lilies, daffodils, Gerbera, and sweet williams.
Outdoors
Consider wind when deciding what, when and where to photograph. A tripod is highly recommended using a macro lens, but this won’t help if it’s breezy and the flowers move like crazy. If your flowers won’t hold still – cut them and take them to a sheltered spot or indoors. Early morning or late afternoon will give you the best light and avoid the harsh shadows of the middle of the day when it’s sunny. Indoors you have more control over lighting.
Light
Natural light or flash? I prefer non-flash – so that the light is softer, and I prefer to compensate with a longer shutter speed on a tripod. If you use a flash (or a torch), direct the light to the background, not the flower, to reduce your shadows on the flower. Indoors, filtered side light from a southwest-facing window works a treat in either early morning or late afternoon. Lacey curtains will create exciting patterns while sheers will diffuse the light. A small reflector allows you to bounce light back to the darkest side. Don’t have one? An economical alternative is to cover a piece of cardboard with aluminium foil.
Composition
Fill the frame? Patterns, textures? Also, consider the plane of focus. For example, if you are photographing down into a flower with a deep centre, such as a lily or a rose, the stamens will focus while the side walls are out of focus.
Depth of Field
Do you want all the flowers in focus or just a part of it? If you use a macro, you will only get a narrow slice in focus regardless of your aperture; if you want more of the flowers in focus when shooting with a macro, consider focus stacking. With a zoom lens, more or all of the flowers will be in focus if using an F-stop or F7 or more. The silkiness of the background bokeh will depend on the lens utilised – and how far away from the flower the background is.
Inside or out?
With spring being windy – and lockdown limiting movement options – this is my preferred go-to at the moment. For this post, I picked up a bunch of flowers from the supermarket, gathered my tools and set them up near a window. I used a macro and my walkaround lens for the shots, and focus stacked the macro shots. With the camera on a tripod, I wasn’t concerned about shutter speed – I set the ISO to 200, the F stop to between 5.0 and 7 depending on which lens was on the camera, and I just adjusted the shutter until the exposure was correct.
Handy Tools To Have for indoor shoots.
- Printed backgrounds – I made mine in photoshop and blurred them to give me a silky DOF, but you can also use wrapping paper, placemats etc. You can also place flowers behind your main subject as a background. To start you off with printed backgrounds, there are four free ones to download at the end of this post. The ones I used were printed on A4 180gsm matt photo paper – there is no need for a large sheet when photographing a single flower.
- Bulldog clips to hold your backgrounds
- Pegs and Memo holders to hold a single flower or backdrop. slide a piece cut from a drinking straw or heat tube over the teeth, so they don’t crush the flower stem
- a specimen holder – I made my own with a mini tripod, alligator clip, and heat shrink plastic tube (thanx for the tip Stewart Wood)
- a glass (no water) to hold a single flower
- Vase or water to hold your flowers and keep them from wilting while working
Setup and my Final Shots
Each split screen below shows the setup – and the finished shot. There is no hard and fast rule I follow… most of the time, the backgrounds do stand up ok.. sometimes, I have to handhold. I haven’t glued them to more robust cardboard as the photo paper is double-sided, so I printed the background on each side… it’s not a huge problem to get them to stand up. I think a small easel might do the trick for the odd one that won’t play nice 😉
Setup One
This was the most straightforward setup of all. First, place your bloom in a glass to support it upright (no water needed). Next, choose your background, put it behind the image, and shoot. Support your printed background with a couple of large bulldog clips as stands; if using wrapping paper, try blue tac to attach it to the wall behind your flower. Then zoom in on the part of the flower you want to shoot… or use the macro.
Setup Two
For this shot, I held the Gerbera upright using two clothes pegs. My greenery behind was held with memo and bulldog clips, and my little specimen stand and another bulldog clip held the backdrop in place.
Setup Three
Bit of a lazy effort with setup Three. I used the Gerbera again – this time in the glass with the pegs holding it straight up in the middle of the glass. This background didn’t want to stand up, so I handheld it and took the shot.
Setup Four
I chose another Gerbera with setup number four and again situated it in the glass, held in place with pegs. However, I had to raise the glass a bit for this one with a book to get the part of the background I wanted in the right place. So again, I lowered the tripod, and shot with the macro, shot level with and side onto the flower.
I hope you enjoyed the Techniques for Flower Photography – at the bottom of the post are your free backgrounds.
Click the button below to download your four free backgrounds. It’s a zip file, so you will need WinRar or Winzip to unzip it. Both programs are free to download
One minor bucket list item of mine was to stay at a lighthouse. I have visited lots of them in the past but never stayed at one and itched to rectify that. Apart from the fun of staying at a heritage lighthouse was the theory that sunrise and sunset, would be so much easier being ‘johnny on the spot’. We chose Cape Nelson Lighthouse for our accomodation down near Portland and booked our stay.
The accom was fabulous. Comfortable beds with quality linen, well appointed kitchen and bathroom and cosy lounge complete with a fire. It also had ducted heating and cooling but we went for the ambiance of the fire 😉
Travelling Down…..
Leaving Melbourne we started driving to Portland via Lismore Vic., and decided to pop in and say hello to Jimmy Buscombe who was commencing work painting the water tower in Lismore Vic., We then travelled on via Warrnambool to see Jimmy’s artwork on the bridge in Warrnambool
Portland
Arriving in Portland we picked up the keys to the cottage and headed the last 18kms to the lighthouse.
Sunset was a complete bust that night.. and sunrise was no better… so much for being ‘Johnny on the spot’ LOL
Leaving next morning our luck continued. We stopped off at a Lavender farm that was closed, but they did allow us to take a couple of pics. We then drove into Port Fairy.. past a strange fence of shoes…
Arriving in Port Fairy Google Maps drove us around in circles… we never did find the Port Fairy Lighthouse. Deciding to cut our losses we headed straight for Warnnambool and lunch. And found another Jimmy Buscombe work on the wall near the cafe
After lunch we continued our journey back to Melbourne… and as a nice surprise came across a field of sunflowers. Two firsts in a weekend.. lighthouse stay and sunflower field.
Sadly the no sunset/no sunrise is all too common with our trips away.