Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Crab Apple Blossom)

01 May 2017

Lens:

A Single Crab Apple Blossom (3:4 wide); Copyright © 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

Crab Apple Blossom (3/4″ wide); Copyright © 2017 Sally W. Donatello All Rights Reserved

Click onto image to enlarge. Let me know your response to this photomontage. Prints are available upon request.

Pens:

Macro’s minimalism can produce a profound aesthetic and spiritual visual experience. Just as the Japanese are defined by their traditional use of stone and Zen-like mastery, the simple often bridges world’s that combine form and foundation, artistry and fundamental design.

This expressive eye unfolds human creativity and nature’s abundance as well as the dimensionality of what is made to be seen and then realized, only from a modest vantage point. Suddenly what was not apparent becomes remarkably persuasive and often provokes.

Simplicity is often poetry that is a promise for insight and meaning. Macro’s ability to lend a vision to what is usually hidden allows for the expansion of what is in clear sight.

It’s not just a reminder of time and space but serious interpretative legacy. Precious is not necessarily the goal. Simplicity can reign because it opens spaces that seemed invisible, unrecognized. But also deceives us to believe there is little else to contemplate or discover or revere.

To embrace this less-is-less-and-yet-more means that the search continues for clarification. The simplest of visual composition gives a gentle quality, focusing on small gestures within the subject. Those revelations do not have to be monumental but they can be.

In the Lens section is an example of how the small can be oh so large. On a recent walk I noticed a blossoming crab apple tree, one of the early bloomer of spring in my region.

The tree was cloaked in clusters–clusters that reveal simple florets (each 3/4″ wide) that as a macro gives the gift of nature’s tantalizing possibilities. These possibilities encourage the flourish of days and nights, the expansion of the landscape, leafing out of the season’s gifts, and the unfurling of hope.

Tip of the Week:

Regardless of your camera equipment the following article is organized to help the reader better prepare to photograph flowers.  “How to Photograph Flowers” (2007), which  is a post by Darren Rowse who is editor and founder of Digital Photography School, is worth the read. Then you can view the Digital Photography School that has a wealth of information.

Other entires for this week’s challenge:

https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/a-drift/

https://ohmsweetohm.me/2017/05/01/

https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/mobile-phone-challenge-nature-and-iphone-fun-facts/

https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/merry-may-sayy-ds-nature-challenge/

https://chasingtheblooms.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-nature-3/

https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/sally-ds-mobile-photography-challenge-macro-3/

https://wordandimagecollages.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/season-change/

https://netdancer.com/2017/05/01/13236/

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.

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52 Responses to Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Crab Apple Blossom)

  1. Suzanne says:

    I re-read what you had to say about photographic minimalism. It’s very inspiring. I made another post in response.

  2. Tiny says:

    Absolutely beautiful!

  3. J.D. Riso says:

    I’d love to go to sleep on a bed of those.

  4. Tina Schell says:

    “less-is-less-and-yet-more” – love that Sally. Beautifully simple yet complex capture

  5. An edge-on view of petals, as in the view of your crabapple, creates subtle shading that suggests dimensionality.

  6. restlessjo says:

    Peace and radiance. What a gem 🙂

  7. Pingback: From hand to mouth: thoughts on gardening, food poverty and giving a fig* | Zimmerbitch

  8. Sally, this is just beautiful. It reminds me of ruffles and petticoats-and truly, there is an art in seeing and it is important to “flex” those muscles as often as possible.The results as you show here and in much of your floral work is priceless!

  9. The world in a single blossom I see it here.
    I swear I see a snail among the petals

  10. Lovely pictures, which camera have you used?

  11. Elisa Ruland says:

    Beautiful, Sally. Have a great week.

  12. Su Leslie says:

    This is a beautiful image Sally; art and nature photography at their finest.

  13. Suzanne says:

    What a gorgeous photo Sally. It has a really painterly quality.

  14. smilecalm says:

    gets close
    and personal 🙂

  15. pattimoed says:

    Gorgeous, Sally!

  16. nowathome says:

    Absolutely beautiful!!!

  17. That is beautiful, Sally. I love the soft texture and the gorgeous color. I do love that pink! 🙂

  18. Allan G. Smorra says:

    Your photo is beautiful, Sally. It has a bit of a “watercolor” look it that works well with the color palette. Thanks for the link to Darren’s post. He has some spot-on tips for creating flower portraits.
    Happy Monday,
    Ω

  19. Amy says:

    A beautiful nature image with iPhone!

  20. Going into the heart of a flower/bud is such a journey of discovery. Who knew a crab apple blossom had such depth and texture? Happy Monday!

    janet

  21. Lignum Draco says:

    Lovely photo, Sally. There is an art in seeing. To appreciate and manipulate perspective. To make complex simple and vice versa. Well done.

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