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Married to the Mystery

This morning I began playing with some of the “failed” photographs from my recent trip to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. What can I see in my so-called failed images that sparks my imagination? Can I discover something I haven’t seen before? What is hiding in the depths of these images? I become Married to the Mystery I begin with a photograph of a purple coneflower in which I cut off the top of the flower. And it immediately captures my imagination. Look at the curving stem of grass behind it. And the sharper pointed blade of something in the foreground. Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Dazzling Dahlias

The dahlia test garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is one of my favorite late August photo destinations. The varied flowers’ delightful and whimsical blossoms fill me with joy. Dazzling Dahlias There’s something about dahlias’ many layers of petals that appeals to me. Some of the flowers have petals that are tousled and free and others have petals that line up in offset rows each one perfectly replicating its neighboring petals. Dahlias Work of wonder work of light. Bend to heaven dispel the night.    Paul Schneiter It makes me curious about how the plant breeders create the different varieties Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Creative Choices We Make in Photography

Yesterday I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum with my camera. This morning as I re-visited the photographs I made yesterday I was struck by an image that I had ignored yesterday. It reminded me about all of the Creative Choices We Make in Photography The same could be said for any creative endeavor. We make choices all of the time and we’re often not conscious of them. For example, I made the photograph at the top of this blog post at f/4.0. I chose to place the focus on the green spiky stem in front of the flower, leaving the Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Perfect Light

I awoke today to overcast skies. Though they may have looked dreary and dull to you, for me they looked like Perfect Light for flower and nature photography. I hurried up, made a reservation for entry at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, grabbed both cameras (just in case) and a second lens for my Olympus camera, and headed out. When I arrived at the Arboretum I found that it was indeed, perfect light. The clouds acted like a big softbox in the sky, softening the light and eliminating hot spots and shadows. The air was humid but cool and there was Read more…

By Marilyn, ago

Turn, Turn, Turn

Today as I walked the path down the hill from my house I thought of the song, To Everything There is a Season. And the refrain Turn, Turn, Turn kept circling in my brain. As I watch a few leaves begin to turn and the days get shorter I feel the turn of the season beginning. To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time to every purpose, under HeavenA time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal Read more…

By Marilyn, ago