Sunflower Bloom of the Week

Sunflower – Bloom of the Week

Posted on July 7, 2025

Welcome to Bloom of the Week—a new feature on my website and Pixels print shop where I highlight a seasonal flower and offer fine-art prints of it at special pricing for one week only. This week, we’re celebrating one of summer’s all-time favorites: sunflowers.

Five Fun Facts About Sunflowers

Sun-seeking: Young sunflowers follow the sun across the sky, a behavior called heliotropism.
Homegrown heritage: Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are native to North America, thriving in the Southwest and coastal California.
Miniature marvels: Each “flower head” holds hundreds of tiny florets arranged in mesmerizing spirals.
Nature’s purifier: Sunflowers can draw heavy metals from soil and have been planted in environmental clean-up sites worldwide.
Record breakers: The tallest sunflower ever recorded reached over 30 feet tall! It was grown in Germany in 2014 and holds the Guinness World Record.

🌻 Where to See Sunflowers in San Diego County and Beyond:

Carlsbad Strawberry Company – Sunflower fields are open during the strawberry picking season, which runs through mid-summer, alongside berry patches.
Tanaka Farms – Seasonal u-pick sunflowers with family activities. See sunflower field info on Instagram →
Pumpkin Station – Fall sunflower field and corn maze with u-pick options.
Mellano Farm Stand (Oceanside) – Annual Sunflower Festival featuring tractor rides, live music, and acres of blooms.

To photograph this week’s collection, I brought home a cheerful bunch of sunflowers from Trader Joe’s—one of my favorite spots for picking up blooms to enjoy and photograph. I set up a simple photo session by my window, using the garden greenery and blue sky outside as a natural backdrop. I reached for my vintage Helios 44-2 lens, which performs beautifully in soft light and adds that signature dreamy bokeh I love. Shot wide open at f/2, it gave these portraits a glowing, painterly feel that perfectly suits the sunflower’s gentle boldness. Below are a few favorites from that photo session.

Golden Sunflower Close-Up

A cozy close-up showing the sunflower’s soft yellow petals, gently lit by window light. It’s amazing how much detail and warmth you can capture with just a simple setup at home.

Golden Sunflower Glow

I love how this sunflower seems to glow against the blurred green and blue backdrop outside the window. That glow? All thanks to the Helios lens wide open at f/2—one of my go-to choices for natural light sessions indoors.

Sunflower in Soft Focus

This simple portrait captures the sunflower’s sunny charm and soft curves. I wanted the mood to feel calm and glowing—almost like a quiet moment in the middle of summer.

🌻 Explore my Sunflower Gallery on Pixels to view and purchase fine-art prints of these radiant summer blooms. Prints from this week’s featured flower are on sale through July 14!

Love what you see in the Bloom Journal?
Discover a curated selection of San Diego and Southern California wildflower photography,
floral close-ups, and garden landscapes—available
as fine art prints and nature-inspired wall art in my Fine Art America / Pixels store → .

San Diego in Bloom