In appreciation of the form of nature

Photos taken in black and white, to better showcase the shapes of plants and flowers.

As I walked up on to the moors today, admiring nature’s impressive bounty, it struck me that summer is such a sensory feast, a bombardment of colour and scent, that sometimes perhaps structure is overlooked.

So, I had an idea to photograph some interesting shapes I found, then turn those images black and white in order to further define their form.

This is what I came up with.

I hope that seeing these images in black and white rather than colour, helps you ‘meet’ nature in a different way.

What do you see? I see a line of fairies about to take flight. The scrolls and threads give the illusion of movement even when static.

Thistles. In black and white, I notice the way nature uses spacing so well. The gaps are so neat, uniform, precise. Nothing seems accidental. I have an image in my head of Mother Nature using the ‘finger spacing’ technique we were taught at school when we learned to write.

In black and white, ferns look skeletal. The frail finger drape of them showcasing the detail of each frond.

This one reminded me of those numbered or coloured spinners you used to get (or make) for board games. Usually had a pencil in the middle and would land on one side. There it sits, an umbrella lit from beneath. How its veins streak and sing, a map of life. Some roads taken will light up others. Others lead us to shadowland. How interconnected our choices!

I didn’t even notice the spider on this photo at the time. It’s the place where peace meets suspense. An eerie candelabra of pause, like you’d find in a haunted house, perhaps.

This image brought home to me the idea of finding beauty in weakness/decay. This plant has clearly been a fine meal for something, but becomes more fascinating for that. I see parallels in humans. Sometimes we are ravaged by storms of life, others may feed off our thriving green, yet still we manage to not only hold it together, but become more interesting for our gaping wounds.

This is English lavender in my garden. I love the way the stalks and their sturdy heads present as warriors. Steadfast. The plant to the right evokes the gentle tap and down-point of fairy godmother wands. There’s something gently Glinda here.

For me this image encapsulates the masculine and feminine archetypes.

In this final image, black and white allows the gape of the trees to be better seen. Looks like Africa, doesn’t it?

Does light give way to dark or dark to light? I would say both, one cannot exist without the other.

I hope you enjoyed me sharing my images and thoughts. That it made you think about the shapes of plant life in isolation to its colour. Feel free to add your own reflections in the comments. I love reading about what other people see in nature.