Spring Bouquet

Day 167: For someone with quite a bit of shelf space devoted to vase storage, I seldom cut flowers to bring in the house. There are some regular exceptions to that rule: a single sprig of pussywillows to acknowledge the changing of the seasons, and one or two cuttings of daffodils, which I have in abundance. Flowers last so much longer when they're alive, and if I want to see them, I have only to step outside for a dose of colour or, if it's raining, look out over their heads from my windows. Spring has indeed arrived in my garden, and almost daily, something new is opening up. The lilac is in bud, the heather is in bloom, the Red-flowering currant's pink tips are swelling and almost ready to burst into panicles of Nature's own miniature hummingbird feeders. Grape hyacinths dot the flower beds, always popping up in unexpected locations, and in the shade beneath Big Doug, the incongruously-named native yellow violets show like tiny sparks of sunlight. Meanwhile, my calendar reminds me that it is time to sow gazanias indoors if I am to enjoy their blooms in August, and a rank of other seed packets stands behind them, awaiting their respective turns. Winter, I say with great joy, is done.

Arrangement In Black And White

Day 178: In the opinion of this photographer, monochrome images have a particular elegance and can be very effective for conveying mood to the viewer. Colour often blunts the effect, overwhelming the eye and distracting it from other compositional components such as arrangement and lighting. Colour sacrifices detail to flamboyance; it homogenizes. In colour, this image would be rather bland and boring, but in black and white, the eye is freed to discover light and shadow, spirals and curves, de-emphasis and focal points. The photograph becomes more of an essay, less of a capture as the viewer studies its elements. A simpler palette, black and white imagery can be quite complex, and most certainly, it is an essential tool in a good photographer's kit.