Poppy Composition © 2011 Bo Mackison
Seeing requires a return to the time before you had words, concepts, and definitions for everything.
~ David Hockney
The above quotation is more relevant to this photograph than it might initially appear. When I began to work with the RAW photo files of this flower, I knew its name. Poppy. And its color. A peachy-pink. Earlier this year I photographed a patch of poppies in a private Milwaukee garden and I’ve posted several of the finished photographs on this blog. I worked with composition in the first set of poppy photographs and I portrayed the flowers as one might see them in a garden setting.
With this photograph I also played with composition – half of the poppy isn’t even in the frame. I left it to everyone’s imagination to fill in the rest. We often need to only see a part to recognize the whole, and we know that this softly focused shape is, indeed, a flower.
The poppy is shown half hidden, focused in a soft haze. the main colors of the photo are complementary, colors that the human eye recognizes as working together, or harmonizing.
While I was subconsciously aware of these elements, I didn’t plan any of them. I did the photograph by feel, by experimentation. I wanted to capture the feel of the flowers, what I saw when I photographed them. No, I did not see this exact rendition of the poppy — partially hidden, softly focused. But I did capture how I “saw”this flower — the emotion of the flower, the experience of the flower.
I had difficulty when it came time to title this photograph. I got only as far as the obvious — Poppy. But I came to a quick stop when I tried to name the feeling that I had depicted in the poppy. Words, concepts, definitions — I had none.
Do you see the poppy and think of it in words or concepts, perhaps a description or an emotion? I would love to know if this poppy speaks to you. Share, if you wish, in the comments.
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Bo spent a thrillingly — is that a word? — exciting evening creating this poppy photograph. What a grand experience it was, the feeling of capturing in a photo what she saw when she saw the poppy in the garden.
About Bo Mackison
Each perception is so personal, connected in so many ways. You are clearly having a wonderful, deep connection to this flower with a very personal experience. How beautiful to know a single flower holds that for you.
It is quite amazing — how many times I have taken one of the many photos I have of these particular poppies, and shaped it into one of my “visions” of the poppies. It has become quite a challenge for me, for I no longer do a quick sharpening and contrast change and send these special photographs out into the world.
This one took me hours, as if I was lovingly creating it from an illusion. Sounds crazy, maybe, but that is how it seemed to me. Quite an experience…
I like it very much that you photographed the scene as you felt it. Isn’t that exactly the gift that a photographer gives to those who sees her photos?
Yes, Montucky, yes! Sometimes I do feel like I am sending a photograph out into the world of people, and it does seem like a gift of sorts. Thank you.
The vision takes you image from a “picture” to art. Beautiful composition and feel. Great observations in you commentary.
Thank you Gandalf. I am glad you like the new poppy. It’s a rather ethereal flower.