I’m into poppy art. The poppies I’m growing are almost magical, I love their colors and their forms, so I decided to do a portrait series on my poppies with my Leica 2, which takes soft and vibrant photos. I took four shots, then threw in a new Zinnia flower and a new Gladiola.
I think of it as my own quiet little art exhibit, and I am happy to offer it to you; no fee or membership card is needed. We had our first crisis today in the garden beds; wind from a storm blew them all over onto their sides. I think I got to them in time, but I’ll try to stake them in the morning.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the red interior of this poppy; the camera saw it before I did. So beautiful.
My birthday is coming up in August, and we just made some birthday plans. We going to see two plays at the Williamstown Theater Festival in two days, and stay at a local motel and eat good food in between. We’ll leave on Saturday morning and come back Sunday afternoon. My birthday will actually be on the day after we get back. This is a wonderful holiday gift for me.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this depth of orange before, also a poppy, also taken by the Leica 2.
This poppy has a different kind of center, pods, and seeds in there; I think, beautiful in its way.
I get to the dentist early tomorrow morning and expect to be there for hours. You won’t hear from me in the a.m., but I’ll check in when the novacaine wears off sometime in the afternoon.
And I wouldn’t forget our newest Zinnia; she reminds of a teenager with spiked hair.
This baby Gladiola is the newest addition to the raised garden bed. We had a brief windstorm today and most of the gladiolas were blown over onto their side. We’ll try to stack them in the morning. I think most remained intact.
I joined the poppy seed exchange group on facebook There is such a variety of these flowers. I love them. I’m growing some soon for sure.
I live in California, and our State flower is the (California) Poppy. Nothing prettier in the Spring than to see hillsides covered in poppies. The Golden State, indeed.
Your close up of petals are quite beautiful but I suggest you consider that design rules are made for a reason. To have chickens blurred in the background creates an unrelated issue. It would be writing a story, one paragraph abt a dog, the next about Mt. Everest, the next about the dog… it derogates from the beauty of the poppy, creates a chaotic tension that doesn’t please.
Thanks, Paul; I love the chickens in the background; I was careful to include them as a backdrop, I pay no attention to anybody’s design rules, and there are no design rules I know of for books; your analogy to writing seems far-fetched to me and makes no sense. Sounds like a Ginsburgh poem.
I never tell other people how they should take a photograph or write a paragraph. It’s personal and individual; we are not robots marching in lockstep. I’m not a creative Marxist. I wonder how many good writers and photographers have been destroyed by other people’s rules and how-to books.
I create for me, not for someone else’s idea of what design or creativity ought to be. We are all different; the best thing about us. I hope people like my photos, but that’s not why I create. I love that photo because of the chickens and wouldn’t change a thing about it.
You will be very disappointed if you want design rules to be followed by me (and no distractions). It is my sacred mission to try things other people don’t do. That’s how I grow and learn. I don’t need you to approve; it’s unimportant to me. Your message is suffocating, is the best way for me to describe it.
I don’t read design or guide books or rules when writing. I never claim to be perfect and don’t ascribe to it. I’m not running for Mayor Of Photography. I do it for me. Thanks for the nice word about the close-ups. I like them also.
Ginsburgh?
Think Google, Bonnie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Ginsberg