aged roses and new snow
We have been lucky this week. Snow has fallen during the night and throughout the day on several occasions. Almost any location in the Southwestern United States can use moisture in whatever form it presents itself. This time, it happened to be snow rather than rain, either in a powder skiers dream of, or wet and solid, worthy of an igloo or snowman. It was powder both days, a bit easier to remove with shovel or hefty strokes of a broom. The temperatures were such that it simply did not start melting until today. Which left the perfect photography backdrop.
Roses, in all their glory, make compelling photographic subjects. From bud to initial and full bloom, and even as they dry and take on that aged copper patina, they offer beauty, ready to be captured. Although it is frowned upon in the world of Feng Shui, I tend to keep some dried roses just for the subtle color and shapes of their chameleon selves. Put together with the mottled mini-landscape partially melted snow provides, they shine as if in original bloom. Here are two images of a dried miniature rose bud from last March. In all of the photographs here, the granular snow is a big player.
A lone petal on the snow carries shades of pink and burnished orange.
The full stems with buds and leaves
Two different angles and a slightly darker take on the roses adds a bit of mystery.
And finally, a very Victorian-looking rose, shares its subtleties.
As I said in my mini-book Complex and Sublime: flowers through the lens, I beg to differ with Gertrude Stein who said "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose", which they are. But then.....
Thanks to Marilyn G., Gustavo, Jean & Sam, Char, Steve, Barbara F. R., Marilyn R., Dianne J., Robert, Lucia, Kay C. for writing last week!
until next Monday,
DB
a passion for the image©