Vowing to look Closer

Image 1: Flower, square cropping

I love going to botanical gardens, breathing in the fresh and mostly fragrant air, moving about in the outdoors, and seeing thousands of flowers in their moment of glory in a beautiful setting.  Some flowers bloom only once a year for less then a week, so I make an effort to catch the blossoms often and at the best times.  The camera comes along to document the day and allow me to review later any discoveries.  My camera also encourages me to pause and take a closer look.  The pause and closer look may well be my favorite aspect of photography.

Image 2: Flower petals, square cropping

Stopping to study a flower, I notice the center, sometimes hidden and sometimes revealed, like a jewel placed in a surround of silk or tissue.  A group of flowers might have only one or two with their centers visible, or perhaps an entire area might be full of flowers striving to be noticed.  (People are similar to flowers - many times their core is hidden, and there are short magical moments when the sun comes out and they reveal some beauty not normally seen, for those who pause to notice.) 

When I review my photos, sometimes days or months later, I occasionally find myself entranced by an photo I took, when at the time it seemed just another photo in my day.  Macro photography allows me to see more, to "look closer".  Viewed later, a photo that didn't seem special then now becomes a favorite.  (Here I define macro photography as seeing the image at larger than life size).

Image 4: Anemone Flower with dispersed pollen

The Anemone above is an example - amazing color and shape, and fully opened compared to the others around it.  A beautiful flower, in peak bloom, amazing color and condition, but darn, I wanted to blow off (didn't work) or wash off all the pollen making the flower look dusty, which wasn't an option.  At home on my screen, however, I was entranced.  The pollen forms like a galaxy of stars around the black hole of the center.  or maybe it's like people leaving a stadium concert.  Not the typical photo of an anemone, but for some reason it speaks to me.  (Click on the image to see it big!) 

Discoveries like this have made me vow to look closer, often.  I now have a new goal - this year I vow to look closer.  

Don't forget to enjoy the flowers of the season - some flowers last barely a week!

Click on the images to see them enlarged.


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