An episode of NOVA that aired this week on math spurred my thinking on today's blog.  A good chunk of time was spent on the Fibonacci sequence (according to Wikipedia "...every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding ones"), and how they appear in nature.  1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.  And that lead me to structure and how even apparent randomness is structured.

One of the primary examples of this type of structure is the Nautilus. Although I have never photographed one of those, the shell shown below from the Philippines is an excellent representation of structure.  Despite the fact that there are twelve segments, my suspicion is that the 13th was broken off at some point.  

shell - tower screw shell

The Fibonacci sequence is vividly apparent in daisy-type flowers but it made me wonder if it also follows in the intermediate layer of bark from a palm tree in southern Arizona, shown here...

palm bark detail 2

or in this wonderful agave specimen from the United States Sonoran Desert...

agave

or in bamboo segments from the Napali Coast on Kauai.  Or is part of the formula simply a reflection of growth and available water and nutrients?

Hawaii bamboo 2

Nature, in all its elements and mysteries, is awe-inspiring.  That is why so many photographers choose it as their primary source of inspiration.  I hope you are able to get out this week and get up-close and personal with it.

Thanks for the comments on last week's blog, Ingrid, TTT, Steve, Terry, Dianne, Catherine, Wayne, Larry, and Orlando.  Always great to hear from you!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@