old man's beard
As with Ochna serrulata, this is another sneaky "floral but not floral" tribute.
These are technically the fruits of the shrub, Old man's beard, or Clematis vitalba. But, they grow out of the inflorescence and sepals of the plant to create infructescence.
And they caught the light so beautifully when I photographed them in Chichester last September, so I'm including them in my series.
artichoke
Once again, I'm reminded of why I love photography.
I love to eat artichoke, but it never occurred to me that's what I had photographed in a garden on Mersea Island until I popped the photo into a plant-identifying app.
It also never occurred to me that the artichoke is a flower. I knew we eat the "hearts". I didn't realise that they bloom and become inedible if left to their own devices.
When I saw them, these flowers reminded me of protea and some brassica species, which I love. I photographed them because they were eye-catching despite not recognising them.
Because I have such a massive backlog of photos to edit, sometimes it takes me years to learn from the photographs I've taken. But that doesn't make the learning any less enjoyable.
out of step
ballroom blitz
The ballroom at Bletchley Park.
hedge bindweed
untitled #9
Tonight was the calm, creative and productive evening I had hoped to have last night.
Something I desperately needed after an unexpectedly stressful and emotional 24+ hours.
Tonight was an evening spent editing photos, sharing work here with you and listening to my illuminations playlist followed by Dubstar's latest album, Two.
For much of the evening, I've enjoyed the company of a brimstone moth who you can see on my Instagram, chilling on my desk. S/he's nestled in a crook of the hutch on my desk as I type this.
I guess if I don't have cat-sitting therapy this month, then at least I have the calming company of a pretty moth. Though initially, s/he had the 'zoomies' around my monitor :P
untitled #144
I love the quality of sunlight after rain, especially on graves.
Phil and I were wandering the churchyard at St Nicholas' Church in Arundel just after the rain stopped and the light falling on the graves was just lovely.
Because the clouds were still moving across, I had to time my shot just right to take full advantage of the light.
I saw this photo before I took it, but as I lined myself up to take it, the light changed. I had to wait patiently in a squatting position until it returned.
I wanted a good pun on this fellow's name as a title, but I couldn't think of anything that didn't feel too forced or didn't quite work.
Contenders were:
the sun shines out of his puttock(s)
a firm puttock
Let me know if you have a contender, and if it works, maybe I'll rename this photo.
wisteria sinensis
birdhouses in my soul
I didn't notice a swan was photobombing when I took these photos!
Unfortunately, you probably can't make it out in these photos at this size, but s/he is behind the white house with red trim in the centre.
The realisation made me laugh very loudly as I was editing.
keep away from edge
beach aster
lifebuoy
bingo with boats
Take a punt on River Cherwell.
magnolia on blue (oxford)
amuse me
Three of my images are included in issue #112 of F-Stop Magazine, Amusement 2022.
rievaulx
Rievaulx is a lovely little spot in the North York Moors.
Visiting there in 2012 (when these photos were taken) inspired me to encourage my parents to visit there during their visit in 2017.
Unfortunately, on that visit, we had sleet and rain instead of smatterings of snow.
It was a lovely spot to visit on Valentine's Day.
