I grew up believing that there were two categories of leaf, alive and dead. But then, a few months ago I found out about skeleton leaves. Somehow, the algorithm used by an online shopping service determined that I might be interested, and, just like that, a packet of etched and dried leaves was recommended to me for purchase. I guess deep down I'm pretty shallow, because, in fact, the algorithm was right -- I thought they might indeed be interesting to photograph. In the end, though, they were not that engaging as subjects and I soon lost interest. Just the other day, I was walking, as is my habit, and noticed a magnolia leaf on the sidewalk that appeared to be almost the same color as cement. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a skeleton. The naturally occurring version is far less perfect than the ones you buy online, with stains, dirt and other flaws. I'm not sure what caused the circular mark on this skeleton, but to me it is the most interesting feature of the leaf.
I hope you have good light this weekend.
