Seeing Things

The beautiful muted color palette of the rotting, decaying leaf were what first attracted me. It was only much later that I noticed the butterfly shape. Was that reading somehow operating at a subconscious level in my brainpan as I framed up and clicked the shutter? Some would say, yes. Moi, I tend to think it was just a happy accident? And I'm good with happy accidents.

Draped In Velvia

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the grounds keepers were all present and working on Tuesday morning at the botanical gardens. Someone was actually wading in the water and pruning the lilies, and I got a nice glimpse of the prickly underside of a mature Victoria leaf. I decided to give the photograph, taken with my ancient Fuji X-Pro 1, the Velvia treatment, which worked out pretty well in this case, I think. Green can be such a difficult color, expecially in digital photography...

Tense and Nervous, Can't Relax

Sometimes the world is a bit chaotic, and instead of seeing formal compositions I tend to notice tensions, conflict in the frame. I also tend to prefer monochrome, but sometimes color won't be denied... 

White Lotus

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is always an enjoyable way to spend a few hours, and yesterday's visit was no exception. The weather was mercifully on the cool side for this time of year. And I got quite a few decent images that will keep me engaged for a while. As you might expect, there are plenty of serious photographers with top of the line gear wandering the gardens, and I engaged in a little 'camera spotting' over lunch. I am pretty sure that I was the only photographer shooting with a dedicated monochrome camera. Of course, I missed a few opportunities by limiting myself to black-and-white, but I can always re-visit with a color camera should the impulse arise. 

Tasting notes: Pentax K-3 iii Monochrome, Pentax 20-40mm Limited lens. 

Unintended Consequences

Our mission was to have dinner at the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Ala., but we stopped off at the botanical gardens before hand. It was so hot and humid that afternoon that I had to change my clothes in the public restroom before heading over to the restaurant. Yes, we had planned for that eventuality. Anyway, I had never seen lily pads unfurling like this before, so I was glad to get a series of photographs. It is only when looking at the thumbnail of the image that it looks like a frowny face. Pareidolia it's called.

Living In A Glass House

There is something intrinsically photographic about green houses, I think. The transparency of glass provides a natural depth to the image. Reflections and diffusion of light are also provided free of charge. Plus, you can see how the structure is put together. Remember the 'Visible Man' kits? At the moment, we are having a new roof added to our home. Looking up, we can sometimes see the sky. It is a bit like being an exotic plant (personal preference) in a glass house.

Tasting notes: Olympus Pen FT, Ilford FP4+.

Giverny, But In Vienna?

 

Visiting botanical gardens can provide plenty of inspiration for leveling up your own garden at home. The problem is, seeing the number of gardeners at work reminds you of how damn hard it is. Like photography, it's about the process...

At any rate, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is a wonderful location to visit in Vienna, VA. It was a clear day, but I'm still glad I had a weather sealed camera with me. Because, you know, sweat.