Flowers are like poetry, yet so much said in their behalf is prose.
As to which is more preferable? I could not say.
Which speaks most clearly, I might query in return, and to which part of your awareness?
The image above may hint at the exotic, heady perfume of Winter Daphne and the perfect delicacy of her flowers, but for all that whispered mystery, I suspect it would also leave a viewer with many unanswered questions, should she or he ever desire to grow her.
What can you really divine of her nature and stature from looking into such a visual poem, no matter how deeply you stare? Can you sense whether to plant her in shade or in sun?
By contrast, the image below gives a somewhat clearer glimpse, both of flower form and leaf shape, but does that make it a better image? Don’t get me wrong. I like this Daphne image very much; the vibrancy of the plant against the monochrome tones of the backdrop and the antique sugar bowl. If you know this plant, you will understand that this image looks visually much like its olfactory effect seems when passing by it on a gray winter afternoon. Its scent is bright and cheerful and edgy in a gray world. Still, in comparison to the image above, this one might seem rather sterile. Or should I say, pristine?
So what if I were to add a bit color to warm up my image? You can see a bit more of the plant in the image below when compared to the one above, but by taking it out of a winter-neutral background, by shifting the temperature of the light to more aesthetically dance with the colors of this particular little bowl, I have fudged a bit on the true color of the plant. Does that render the picture more pleasing, or less to your eye? More telling . . . or less. More friendly? More helpful?
Finally, (below), my Daphne odora plant as it thrives, outdoors. This is easily the most unvarnished of the four images presented here. But is it really the truest? And which truth would that be?
When you make pictures of your flowers and your gardens, it seems important to ask yourself; which truths would you have your pictures speak of? Do you lean toward poetry or prose? And would that merely be your answer for today, or would it be the same for you every day?
So much depends, doesn’t it? Whether your brain is more hungry, or your heart. Whether you seek information. . . . or crave inspiration. Whether you want to talk . . . or merely dance.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
