Magnificent Magnolias

As spring approaches I find myself looking through the many floral and garden photos I’ve taken over the years. The star magnolia photos are some of my favorites because they symbolize the birth of spring to me and our magnolia tree is the first tree we purchased and planted for our home. Many years ago it it looked like a small twig and now it is a beautiful dwarf tree filled with velvety blossoms every March. This week it is starting to bloom and I have already begun my annual photos of its lovely flowers…

One might wonder why I photograph the same flowers year after year for my art photography instead of choosing something new. The answer is because the photographs are about atmosphere and light which is always changing. The subject of the tree is secondary although it provides a way for the viewer to connect with the image. The changes in weather and lighting are what make the photos unique and differentiate them from the work of previous years. Impressionist painters like Claude Monet also painted the same subject multiple times in order to study the effects of light. I am studying the expressive potential of light with the camera.