Seeds of Renewal

Dear Diary,

A few days ago I posted a photograph of this papyrus plant bejeweled with tiny raindrops.  There has been no rain since but the plant is now covered with small seed heads.  I tried to capture the exuberance of this plant which is now one of my favorite annuals.  Applying the Orton effect, another favorite of mine, enhances the colors and drama of the plant.

Light can alter even a simple plant in wonderful ways and it really shows in this photograph.  Studying the play of light on objects is a fascination for most photographers I would say.  I just watched a wonderful documentary on Paul Strand, the photographer that most influenced my return to photography back in 2005. and my decision to travel to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.  I have begun to photograph in black and white again and I am finding it very enjoyable.  I am rediscovering the beauty and stillness of the monochrome image.

“The decision as to when to photograph, the actual click of the shutter, is partly controlled from the outside, by the flow of life, but it also comes from the mind and the heart of the artist. The photograph is his vision of the world and expresses, however subtly, his values and convictions.” – Paul Strand