Study in White

In White

Study in White © 2012 Bo Mackison

Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out-values all the utilities of the world. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hard to believe it is almost time to say goodbye to the month of September.  Soon the flowers will disappear from the gardens, but there will still be photographs to remind us of their beauty. It is easy to walk past a garden bursting with colors and textures, and never see an individual flower. But when the eye studies a single bloom, there is much to see. I love how all the simple parts join to give this flower a stunning visual presence.

I photographed this white flower, identity unknown, in early September at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison Wisconsin.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She has a backlog of floral photographs, so she will be sharing botanicals for many days to come.

A Photograph with a Story

Two Benches

Two Benches © 2011 Bo Mackison

Many of my photographs have a story.

This photograph of two benches — one near and in focus, one far away and blurry — it has a story.

I had a long conversation with an elderly gentleman just before I took this photograph.

Often I am so focused on the plants in the gardens, I don’t spend much time interacting with other visitors. We exchange smiles and hellos, and we go on our separate ways. But this man stopped me as I was setting up a photo, and asked if he could ask me some questions. Expecting questions about my camera or lenses, I nodded and continued to adjust my tripod.

“I saw you back there, sitting on the bricks in that garden. You were staring at the plants,” he stated.

This wasn’t the conversation I was expecting, but he was polite and he was wearing a tweed jacket in the 85˚ heat. I’m not sure why I think tweed jackets vouch for a gentleman’s conversation, but I do. I stopped and listened more carefully.

“So what were you doing? You weren’t resting. There was a bench right there. Not pulling weeds.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Most people your age, um, I mean no disrespect, but your generation, they don’t sit on the ground looking at eggplants.” He raised his eyebrows quizzically, and I laughed out loud as he “pulled a face” – the description my grandfather once used when describing the faces I made.

I agreed again. “No, not too many people study eggplants, sitting on the sidewalk. Grocery store’s more likely.”

“So were you praying or just looking mighty hard at that eggplant?” He thought a second, and said in a whisper, “Guess might be ’bout same thing.”

I smiled again. Seemed everything he said made me smile. I told him I was studying the way the leaves wound around some of the stems. I was looking at the way the sunlight cast leafy shadows on the plants and comparing the different shades of green with the rusty spots left by bugs of some sort.

“Thought you might be a real one.” He grinned at me as I frowned. “You know, a photographer. You ever take pictures of benches?”

I told him I enjoyed photographing benches, doors, paths, that sort of thing. Especially in gardens.

He nodded. Turned serious.

“I was sitting on that bench over there awhile, the one half under that tree.” I looked where he pointed. “I sit there some days, just sit and look. Talk to an old friend. Not out loud.” He cast his eyes toward the pavement. “That wouldn’t look right.”

 When his gaze returned to me, he saw the question in my eyes.

“He was a good friend of mine. We were in the Marines together, fought in the “Big One”. Enlisted together, got discharged together, came home to Madison together. Married, had kids, grandkids, huh, great-grandkids. All that.

“After we retired, we’d walk this garden, talk. It was quiet. We liked quiet. You go look. That bench, it’s a memorial to my friend. You might take a picture sometime.”

I asked if he wanted his photo taken on the bench. He shook his head.

I picked up my camera gear and walked over to the bench. I looked back, he nodded at me, did a quick salute, and walked away.

I sat down awhile, studied the bench, looked around, then I took a picture of his bench.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.

Interior of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church - Iconostation

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s Iconostasion © 2011 Bo Mackison

These photographs of the interior of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church were taken during the Wright and Like tour, June 2011.

This photo was taken from the back of the church and shows the entire Iconostasion, including the screen which shields the altar from full view. The sanctuary is only open during services when the priest is present.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church - Altar Behind Iconostation

 Altar Behind Iconostasion © 2011 Bo Mackison

Here is another view of the sanctuary behind the iconstasion.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church - Icons, Pulpit, and Lights

Icons, Pulpit, and Lights © 2011 Bo Mackison

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is very unusual in that it’s interior is circular. Pews from a semicircle around the sanctuary. The pulpit from which the priest speaks is on the left side of the sanctuary.

More interior photos in next post.

There are more photographs of the church, including the full exterior view of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, in earlier posts. I took these photographs in June during the Wright and Like 2011 Tour.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Her first love (to photograph) is macro-botanicals. Her second love is architecture, especially that designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, a Frank Lloyd Wright Design

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and Entrance

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church © 2011 Bo Mackison

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s last architectural designs, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Designed by Wright in 1959 shortly before his death, the building was completed in 1961. The church is located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee just west of the city, though often the site is incorrectly given as Milwaukee.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church with Rose Garden

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church with Rose Garden © 2011 Bo Mackison

We visited the church in June of this year, during the Wright and Like 2011 Tour, and were able to tour and photograph both the exterior and the interior of the building. All Greek Orthodox churches have domes, and this church is no exception. I think this dome is especially lovely, matched against the bright blue summer sun.

Detail of Dome of Annunciation Church

Detail of Dome of Annunciation Church © 2011 Bo Mackison

The Church is beautifully done, both the exterior and the interior. The dome’s support is very modern in style and part of its weight rests on a concentric concrete form.

In 1958, when the leaders of the church went to Spring Green to discuss the plans of the church with Wright, they were sent away several times without any definitive answers. Finally, in desperation, the men said they had to have information about the church or they would have to consider hiring a different architect. So the story goes, Mr. Wright looked at the assembly of church leaders before him, took his coffee cup and saucer, drank the last of the coffee, and then turned the cup upside down and placed it on the saucer.

“There,” Wright said. “There is your church. Your church will resemble this cup and saucer.”

Evidently, that was enough of a plan for the men from the church, Wright went ahead with the commission, and the next time they met, Wright had plans drawn up that they could examine.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.

Pink Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia © 2011 Bo Mackison

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.  ~ Buddha

I have had some wonderful successes photographing the late summer gardens at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Every garden I visited seemed to hold me hostage until I could get a some photographs that made me smile. I sure don’t mind being a hostage in a garden. Imagine having a tiny home surrounded by acres and acres of gardens (and lots of gardeners to help, too!)

I’ve been to Olbrich almost everyday for the last week. First, the hosta and elephant ear plants seemed to mesmerize me, as the early morning sunlight made the leaves almost translucent. I t was as if they were holding the sun. I almost felt like I truly was in a trance.

Three days in a row I shot nothing but these green plants, and they were only about 15 feet from the entrance to the garden complex. I just could not past this entrance area until I had nearly exhausted the plants and flowers (and myself) with all that photographic attention.

But the last two visits, I strolled right past the entrance — I waited to sneak in several more greenery photos as I was leaving — and I got as far as the gardens filled to overflowing with cosmos and zinnias. Since the cosmos are one of my favorites, I spent a fair amount of time lying on the sidewalk next to these beauties, having long conversations about important world events — like the advances autumn is making in its bid to overtake summer!

Finally, when the sun began to rise high enough in the sky to lose that soft lighting, I spent the last half hour with the zinnias. Lucky, I had the diffuser with me, so I could both reduce the shadows, and protect the flowers against the winds that started blowing off the lake.  This pink zinnia had with her head down, and so I happily got a few photographs from a different angle. I love the little pockets of shadings caused by the gentle curling of each petal.

Tomorrow the forecast is for a rainy Friday. Might have to stay home and tackle some house cleaning and computer work. That would be a good thing — plus the gardens would appreciate the rain, too.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Bo is having a most excellent start to the month of September. So many amazing projects are popping up, but no complaints. Creating and making meaning with photography is one of the highlights of her life!