DERIVATIVE OR INSPIRED

There are lots more pictures from the orchid show at the botanical garden. Some of them are pretty good, IMHO. It's not just about the color, though. I've always admired Robert Mapplethorpe's black and white photos of flowers. They are stripped of their hues and rely on line, form and contrast. They're gorgeous.

So every time I visit this show I try some of that approach in post production. Maybe it's derivative, just imitating Mapplethorpe's style. Maybe he is an inspiration, pushing me to find my own style in this genre. If you like the picture the assessment is up to you.              

Wonders Of The Plant Kingdom

Something else I found at the Climatron Saturday. I didn't check the name card but it looked like some kind of lily, maybe.  Mrs. C is the botanist around this house. I hardly know a lily from a liverwort.

My black and white flower photography is always inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, one of my photography heroes. (Selection of his floral work here.) I could never dream of approaching that level unless I got a 4 X 5 view camera (mmm, one of those Mamiyas that cost as much as a small car, with some Zeiss lenses thrown in), an actual studio (no place to put one in my small house) and stuck my finger in an electric socket to re-arrange my neurons.