Flowers …
You’ve heard the saying ‘as within so without’?
I’ve been observing this flower spike grow for the last few months. It must be the slowest growing flower I have seen, and everything in its time. There were a few scale bugs sucking on its sap and a few ants farming the bugs for their ‘dew’. A little world of inter-dependence, or exploitation – ants feed off the bugs, mind interprets it. Meaning is mutable with perspective, fact is fact.
I don’t do flowers much but that might change, who knows, change emerges in time with experience. Flowers don’t run away and hide, I can pick one if there’s enough in the ground or container and bring it to my level for comfort, and take longer if necessary to get composition and background right, time to experiment, time to play. Some obvious considerations.
They are another class of life-form, different to the mobile, often camouflaged, action oriented insects I am predisposed towards, and perhaps under-appreciated by me so far. More passive, stationary, receptive and often loudly advertising their qualities in colour and form which makes them relatively easy to find, though not so easy to capture well.
And though it can’t be captured for re-presentation scent, the invisible but still sensible, is a characteristic not much acknowledged – being bred out in some cases. Some are very ordinary, to my nose, and some are exquisite, transporting even. The right flower at the right time gently smelled serves as a reminder of real beauty, the beauty inside.
Yes, I think I will give more attention to the flowers. It may be an inevitability whose time has come and no doubt the practise and art will evolve if I involve myself in it. We’ll see, it’s still just a possibility.
The quality of the received is in the giving, of attention in the first instance, without which nothing is.
It’s why it is said ‘what you acknowledge you get’.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click those pictures for a closer look
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Nature's Place 
Beautiful ! And yes you should give more time to flowers, indeed some flowers might be waiting to be posed. :-) Well articulated and nicely written post.
Thanks R … No doubt you are right, and I will make time for it, soon … :-)
Should you end up turning your lens toward flowers I think you will do quite well. As you said they don’t run away from you but they do lack the sense of action one can get from insects interacting with other insects or their host plant. Just another challenge to create something where you find both the process and the product enjoyable.
Yes David, we’ll see. It requires a different approach …
You take awesome, vibrant photos. Great shots!
Thanks S … I try to present their best face. It doesn’t always work. :-)
Lovely pictures, Mark. I encourage you to follow that impulse regarding flowers and I totally understood about “flowers don’t run away and hide.” I photographed birds for many years and then found mushrooms. They don’t run away either and their forms are endless patterns of amazement.
Whatever you end up capturing your WordPress audience will enjoy.
Thanks Alice. I hear you but also can’t define or confine my self with decisions.
You can eat mushrooms too, bonus …
No doubt your new foray into flowers will be just as thoughtful and wonderful as the insect meditations. Looking forward to more!
It’s still just a possibility albeit as likely as not – whatever that means? :-)
Thanks Kathy.
As within, so without, as above so below. It is so fascinating to see how Nature repeats Herself over and over from infinite space to tiny cells. Beautiful photographs of this flower.
Peace
Mary
From the atom to the solar system and the galaxy, one thing revolving about another, seeming endlessly. With some existential things though I get a strong sense they are symbolic of the inner state or condition, psyche as different to matter. And not just symbolic but manifestation.
Thanks Mary.
I love flowers…stunning intense colour….. beautiful : ))
Thanks Therese. I’ve been looking at them too long now and can’t see them afresh … time to pull back.
What a lovely departure for you, Mark! And I again appreciate the accompanying prose reflection. I look forward to whatever your lens next captures; it is always worthwhile.
Thanks Cate. Your comments are always appreciated. And, yes, who knows what may be. There’s this troop of bees that sleep outside my back door … :-)