Desaturated Coneflowers © 2010 Bo Mackison
A pair of purple coneflowers, photographed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison Wisconsin. I often see personification in my botanical photographs. To me, it looks like the two flowers are holding hands, you know, the way you might casually intertwine fingers with your lover or child as you stroll along…
Wabi Sabi Dahlia © 2010 Bo Mackison
This photograph is the last in the series of dahlias I’m posting on Seeded Earth (though there are many, many more in my treasure piles). I showed you ‘Esther’ as a new bud with the light from the setting sun giving her a warm glow. I showed you ‘Esther’ with her petals just beginning to fully unfurl. I gave you a peek of ‘Esther’ from a vantage not often seen – the undersides of the dahlia, softly lit (and one of my favorites). I posted a photograph of ‘Esther’ close up, so close you could almost see her heart. Today we say good bye to ‘Esther’ the dahlia, as she is on the wabi-sabi part of her journey.
What is wabi-sabi? As defined by architect Tadao Ando:
Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all.
Seems fitting that this is the photo for today. Today is one of those wabi-sabi sorts of days.
Sunlit Dahlia Bud © 2010 Bo Mackison
Just as the sun was setting, the light cast soft golden tones on this single Dahlia bud. Photographed on my third trip to Olbrich Gardens in the past three days. Soon they may put me to work there!
On the Ground Looking Up © 2010 Bo Mackison
Another view of the ‘Esther’ dahlia, this time from the ground, looking into the dahlia foliage. Photographed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lilies in Shadow © 2010 Bo Mackison
Most of the lilies at the Chicago Botanic Gardens are front and center in the main garden, framed in multiple square ponds, and offset by summery plantings. There are purple water lilies, pink ones, blue ones, even bright magenta water lilies. But I found these lilies on a lesser traveled path, up and beyond the conifer plantings. Not many people wander this far off the main paths.
These lilies offer a different feel compared to their brightly lit cousins. I love these pale lilies, quietly dressed in shadowy reflections. My favorite of all the lilies I photographed that day.
