Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Hibiscus and its Seasonal Finale)

12 September 2016

Lens:

I. Taken with Camera+ and Edited in Snapseed

1. Rose-Mallow Hibiscus; Copyright © 2016 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

II. Taken in Camera+ and Edited in Snapseed

2. Rose-Mallow Hibiscus; Copyright © 2016 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

Let me know which you prefer and why. Click on image to enlarge, which takes you to another page. If you decide to leave a comment, please return to this page.

Pens:

The native hibiscus that launch themselves in my gardens during the summer months are as strikingly gorgeous in their dried stage as they are in full bloom. Each flower is short-lived, lasting at most a day and a half as a blossom. Then they fold into themselves in a slow metamorphosis. Usually I rescue a few and bring them inside to watch this extraordinary transformation. It’s not just that they glacially dehydrate, but they become as fascinating in this final stage as they were facing the sun and radiating brilliant orangey-red coloration or white with crimson centers or pink with cranberry hearts. As they dry, they seem to become wings of fancy, wings of eternal truth, wings of desire.

My hope was to show you what I see in that final resting stage. I took close to one hundred images, and none, I mean none, showed what enlivened my spirit and soul.

In the Lens section is another hibiscus that was in bloom this week. I wrapped my thoughts around its seductive ways. Its design awed my senses and drew me into its color, lines, shapes, and tones.

There is a truth in the way that we see what is in our visual universe. What attracts us fills our mind’s eye for seconds or minutes or hours. Still, there are times when what appears in front of us can never ever be reproduced as our brains and minds imagine. Those dried native hibiscus will remain in view as a reminder of this connection and disconnection. With clarity I find it comforting that sometimes the experience is much more vital than the desire to record and try to replicate it.

Tip of the Week:

Indonesian photographer Nordin Seruyan is well-known as a professional artist who specializes in macro photography. Seruyan creates a magical small kingdom that seems unreal in its reality. He captures the natural world that surrounds us, and allows us to see all the unnoticed aspects that are not privy to the naked eye. His photographs speak volumes about the invisible world that surrounds us. View his work here and here.

Macro Photography by Nordin Seruyan

View other entries for this week’s challenge:

https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro-heart-of-a-rose/

https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/mobile-photo-challenge-macro-kimono/

https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/sally-ds-macro-challenge/

https://angelinem.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-fallen-leaf/

https://decocraftsdigicrafts.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-up-close-and-personal-with-a-fungi/

https://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2016/09/15/macro-2/

https://chasinglifeandfindingdreams.wordpress.com/2016/09/15/facts-and-memories-what-you-recall/

https://christinejrandall.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/arctotheca-calendula-capeweed/

Note:

As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. My photographs for the mobile photography challenge are taken with an iPhone 6.

****If you would like to buy a print of any of my photographs or have any questions, please view the Contact Information found on the masthead. Thank you.

If you’d like to join this Mobile Photography Challenge, please click here for details and history of the challenge. If you have any questions, please contact me. Below is a reminder of the monthly schedule with themes for upcoming challenges:

1st Monday: Nature.

2nd Monday: Macro.

3rd Monday: Black and White.

4th Monday Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Animals, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Objects, Panorama, Portraiture, Photomontage, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).

5th Monday: Editing and Processing with Various Apps Using Themes from the Fourth Week.