Sugarcreek Sunflower Sunset No. 1

The Story:      South of Bellbrook, Ohio, in Sugarcreek Township, Lucas Brothers Fall Fest has long carried the feeling of a working family farm and a favorite local fall tradition. While many viewers first think of the well-known sunflower fields near Yellow Springs, this scene comes from a different corner of Greene County … a field just south of Bellbrook, where rows of sunflowers opened beneath a remarkable evening sky. Photographed during the quiet uncertainty of 2020, the image captures several hundred sunflowers facing east while the camera looks west into the glow of sunset. Their golden centers seem to gather the last warmth of the day, with colorful clouds stretching above the field and soft evening light settling over the farm. It is a simple Ohio scene, but one with lasting emotional pull … a reminder that beauty, hope, and a sense of place can still be found close to home.   The Rest of the Story:  I photographed this during the pandemic, when so much of life felt smaller, quieter, and uncertain. Learning there was a sunflower field so close to my home felt like a small gift. It was not the famous sunflower field near Yellow Springs that many people associate with this image, but a field south of Bellbrook in Sugarcreek Township … close enough to feel personal. The evening gave me exactly the kind of sky I hope for but can never count on. The sunflowers were facing east, away from the sunset, so I raised my tripod into the air to gain a slightly higher perspective and capture their centers while still pointing the camera west toward the glowing clouds. In that moment, the field felt full of quiet encouragement. This print has since been chosen for large medical, government, and agricultural spaces, but for me it still begins with that peaceful evening when a nearby farm field reminded me that beautiful moments had not disappeared. If you’d like to see more of Sugarcreek Township and Bellbrook, Ohio, check out my Sugarcreek Township Art Prints.   There are 70 species that fall under the genus Helianthus, so if you’d like to see more check out my Sunflower Art Prints.   Sublocation:   Lucas Brothers Farms City, State:      Sugarcreek Township, Ohio Year:                2020   Sister Print:   Sometimes an evening is so stunning, I leave the moment with more than one image that I later chose to share as a print.  As the sun sank, I dwelled a little later and played with the impact of my flash in a print titled:  Sugarcreek Sunflower Sunset No. 3. Image Legacy: 2026 – Installed at a 9-foot high print inside the Ohio Agricultural Center, for its grand opening during the Ohio State Fair. 2023 – State of Ohio put out a call for art to decorate the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus.  They wanted photography that shows Ohio at its most beautiful:  winter, spring, summer & fall.  They received 339 submissions and selected 20.  They selected this one and Sunrise along Osage Orange Tunnel No. 7! 2023 – Ohio Artist Registry Exhibition,  Ohio Arts Council, Columbus, Ohio (1 of 36 selected from 419 submissions) 2022 – An eleven-foot tall print on display at the Kettering Health Huber Stairway