Wall Flowers, Talence, France
Along the sidewalks there are all these cracks where plants, in the spring, push up thru to find their place in this season of renewal. These are growing up against an old basement door.
Becky's Passiflora (LPolTear)
I just love these flowers, they are so beautiful and primitive looking. I like how this one came out by layering two different effects together.
Becky's Passiflora (Vin9)
They are a wonderfully primitive and beautiful flower. Here in Talence, France there are bushes just full of them.
Paddle Plant
I grew up with succulent plants. San Diego is a great place to have them. I like how the sun brightened up the red on the leaves.
Day Lily
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Sea Lavender
My mother has always had these flowers in her garden. They are fascinating. Pretty little purple flower in a cluster that rattle when shaken and feel like dried flowers.
Cactus
These are found all over the Hill Country in Texas. I love the form and textures that they create.
Little Frog
While hunting for stone tools and arrow heads along a creek near the house I was living in the summer of 2019 in Texas, I had to take care not to step on one of these little guys (or gals). It's about an inch long.
Ball Moss
When living in Fredricksburg, Texas I saw bromeliads growing everywhere. I hadn't seen this since living in Costa Rica. When I saw these Ball Moss growing on the lines it reminded me of a 1950s SciFi.
From Red to B&W
This is a brilliant red flower. I decided to play around with it in B&W since red is an interesting color to work with in monotone. The details and textures just pop out making a more interesting and moody photo.
Pink Oleander
In a dark corner between our house and our neighbor's my mom planted a pink oleander tree. I was told to stay away from it for every part of it is poisonous. I did. I also enjoyed this small tree. It filled a corner with beautiful pink flowers thru the seasons. Now, while living in France, I see them everywhere...both light and dark pink and white ones. Most every garden has one. It brings back memories of my childhood.
Oleander Flowers
Though beautiful in color, the monotone photo emphasizes the texture, form and patterns of these lovely flowers.
Japanese Anemone (Robustissima)
These flowers were growing in the Sonnenberg Garden in Canandaigua, New York. I found them so Victorian in nature.
Monarch Butterfly
After a storm in the night I found one of the Boston Ferns on the ground. When I picked it up this butterfly was clinging on it. I placed the fern on the porch table and it would open its wings for a few seconds...just enough to take a photo. It stayed on the fern for 2 days and then flew away.
Butterfly Wing
As a child I had a microscope. I was fascinated looking at anything that light went thru under it. So it's no wonder that as a photographer I enjoy macrophotography and have a wonderful billows to use. I found this wing on a trail while hiking in Costa Rica.
Cone Flowers on the Prairie, Illinois
Prairie grass and flowers create a sea of beauty all their own. This was photographed while I was training for my walk across Northern Spain. I would go to local (in Northern Illinois) state parks looking for places with hills (not easy to find in N.IL). I loved watching the changes thru the seasons in the prairies. Digital high contrast B&W and color add digitally. Plan to make prints of this too and hand color.
Night Creeper
What can I say vines fascinate me.
Valle de Cinco Cataratas, Costa Rica
After living in Costa Rica for 13 years, we moved. Then years later we had to return for family business. A lot had changed including the construction of a trail in the Valle de Cinco Cataratas (Valley of Five Waterfalls). Before all one saw was the last that spilled out by the road now there was a trail built into the cliff with observation posts.
Lobster Claw, Costa Rica
Lobster Claw
Bark Owl
Like clouds, tree bark can make interesting forms.
Study in White & Yellow