The Scarlet Assassin
This is daring natural abstract art. It is an extreme close-up photo of an Orchid, Dendrobium. I took it looking into day-time sun. I am looking at the flower from the side that is in shadow. All the light in the image has come through the petals. With this flower, light coming through the petals is scarlet. Light reflected off the petals is crimson. So there is much scope for change.
The picture is called ‘The Scarlet Assassin’. This is the name that came into my head as soon as I took the image. I think it shows daring. It has all the things I look for in an picture. There is movement and energy. The main line points upwards, and is positive. There are three main parts. The centre of interest is an intense crisp line. This contrasts well with softness in the rest of the picture. The crisp line is off-centre, but points towards the centre. I like the way the subject is isolated by the background. The background is dark space, full of mystery. I want to invite enquiry. What is there?
The image is a good example of the sense of mystery you can get with extreme close-up. I don’t think the image can be seen as a flower. So it is abstract. I have given it my own meaning, but you might see something quite different. I continue to learn new secrets about the flowers I photograph. Diane Arbus believed that if you photograph the same thing many times you gain profound knowledge. Close-up images produce things you can’t predict – https://issuu.com/barriedalesa/docs/issuu__3_
I present many images of this sort in the galleries: please see https://www.wild-haven.co.uk/gallery/ – I hope you find other examples of daring natural abstract art there.