I was driving on I-75 to the hotel for my weekend Macro Seminar in the Cincinnati area, and I saw a sign that said Cox Arboretum Gardens. I got off at the next exit and was hoping they might have a little indoor arboretum because it was a bit windy, and I didn’t figure I would have much luck shooting flowers outside.

They didn’t have an indoor garden, but what the heck, I’m here, might as well check out the outdoor gardens. Because it’s late in the season, most of the flowers were past their prime other then the mums, and again, much to windy anyways. The gardens did have some succulents that were not effected by the wind, but most I had seen before and wasn’t interested. I did happen to find one interesting succulent that was low to the ground and all though moving slightly in the wind, I was able to get a few shots. I really liked the look of this plant, but didn’t think that I would end up with anything spectacular. It was the only thing I shot, so thought it was just a waste of time.

When I got to the hotel, I had some time to play with some images I shot earlier at an airplane museum. After finishing with the plane images I decided to check out the interesting succulent I had shot. I ran it through the filters in Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 4, and when I clicked on the Solarization filter, Bam! Wow! what a look this filter gave this subject. I love what that filter did to this image.

So I got a great image from just one subject shot at the arboretum, when I originally thought I had wasted my time going there, so sometimes you just never know where your next great image will come from.

Get ready to bloom into a stunning flower photographer!

Join our exclusive online Flower Photography Club and learn from the masters!

• Expert guidance on capturing breathtaking images

• Connect with fellow photography enthusiasts

Ready to grow your skills? Click here: https://www.mikemoats.com/flower-photo-club

So that fall I planted them thinking these things are not going to make it. But when Spring came, they perked up and they formed new paddles and even had yellow flowers. I was amazed that this desert plant could thrive in a cold climate. So, this is the second Spring and here you see the new spouts (which are a slightly different green) growing from the old paddles and soon will have yellow flowers which I'll post when they happen.

Get ready to bloom into a stunning flower photographer!

Join our exclusive online Flower Photography Club and learn from the masters!

• Expert guidance on capturing breathtaking images

• Connect with fellow photography enthusiasts

Ready to grow your skills? Click here: https://www.mikemoats.com/flower-photo-club

For many years I traveled all across the USA teaching my weekend Macro Boot Camps. Even did one up in Alaska.

I planned my workshops in the suburbs of all the major cities. I would leave on Thursday and get back home on Monday and do it again on the next Thursday.

When covid hit, all travel and in person programs came to an end for a few years. I didn't mind the break. 

I've always said the only good thing to come out of covid was the online Zoom program.

Families learned about zoom and used it to connect with family members for birthdays, holidays, or just to stay in touch.

Camera clubs had to use zoom for their monthly meetings and found that they could bring in speakers from anywhere in the country to do a presentation to the members.

In September after covid closed everything down, the photography clubs started back up after their summer break, and I had lined up about 20 club presentations during that month. Each month after September I was getting lots of emails asking me to speak to their clubs through zoom.

The great thing about it was that I could stay home and still make money presenting to the clubs.

I learned that I could also run my programs that I taught in my Macro Boot Camps through zoom, charge photographers to attend the programs and still earn money without leaving my home.

Here it is six years later, and I have only traveled for a few workshops since the start of covid. Had offers to come and speak at photo conferences but turned them all down.

My last in person workshop happened last week on Madeline Island in Lake Superior, Wisconsin. It looks like that will be my last in person workshop I will be offering. 

I should never say never but I really like being able to stay home and just teach online. 

Right around the time of covid, I had started a Macro Photo Club online where members had access to over 290 instructional videos I produced. That club grew to 3,000 members from 29 countries.

My latest online zoom program is the "Flower Photography Club" where each month I have an expert in flower photography speak to the club members teaching their styles and techniques.

The new club started on February 2nd of this year, and we already have over 700 members in the first six months. 

If you are interested in information about the "Flower Photography Club" online click the link below.

FLOWER PHOTO CLUB - Mike Moats - Award Winning Macro Photographer

Here's a feather that I photographed on a beach.  The feather design was very cool, but lots of clutter within the feather.  So, this one took a lot of work in post processing to create something artistic with it.  I used my Photoshop Elements, Nik Software's Vivesa and Topaz Glow to fix this image.

Here is the finished image.

Here is the original image out of the camera. Not very pretty.

Save yourself some time learning flower photography by joining my Flower Photography Club online. Learn from the experts. FLOWER PHOTO CLUB - Mike Moats - Award Winning Macro Photographer

On Madeline Island teaching a flower workshop and here are a few of my images I shot prior to the workshop.