Macro photography is one of the most rewarding types of outdoor photography in early spring. In March, nature is still pretty much dull – can still be winter, trees are barren, grass still gray. The early spring flowers have the opportunity to shine! One of the most intriguing flowers at this time of year is Fritillary, fritillaria meleagris. Here I share some interesting facts about this flower and my best photos that I captured over the years. You will also find a link to my vlog where I share some useful tips how to photograph spring flowers in a simple and effective way.

Fritillary | Snake’s head lily | fritillaria meleagris | močvirski tulipan | logarica
This perennial flower from the lily family grows in lowland meadows and forests of Europe. I have seen photos of it from as far north as Netherlands, all the way to Slovenia. In Slovenia this is a protected species. Around Ljubljana there are numerous areas where it can be found. There is a meadow less than 100m from my home where I can find them each year. What I found out is that if they grow on a meadow, they tend to be quite low, not more than 15 cm tall. In the forest however, they can be twice as tall – they look much more fragile on their thin stem. They are very sensitive for pollution and wherever farmers fertilise the fields, they stop growing. So if you find fritillaries, this is a good sign the fields are natural.
Although the majority of the fritillaries are purple, there is an occasional white specimen to be found. Some kind of a unicorn or an albino 🙂 I was lucky only once – enough to get a nice photo of it.
Photos of Fritillary flowers, fritillaria meleagris
These are my best fritillary photos I took over the years. In Slovenia we call these flowers “močvirski tulipan” or “logarica”. They are protected and very popular among locals who are very proud of them. I have photographed them every year since 2012 in different locations in Slovenia.
If you watch my vlog you will learn how I photograph them or you can read this blog post for a quick tip that will improve your field macro photography instantly!
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