Flower photography seems to be a rite of passage for aspiring nature photographers and I was (and am) one of them. Of course, my goal is always to find a different angle or approach to make a more interesting shot than the billions of other “pretty flower” pictures out there. Against those odds, you’re not going to succeed much, but it’s fun trying.
I shot this half-open moonflower, or ipomoea alba, in my mother’s garden way back in 2007. I had never heard of this flower before she told me about it, and I found it fascinating. A flower that opens up at night, and closes for business when the sun comes up? Nature is endlessly interesting.
Fortunately for me, I came across this specimen when I did, because I don’t find the moonflower that visually interesting when it’s fully open or fully contracted. At this stage it seems to be half-way to closing and it caught my eye immediately with its subtle colors and star-shaped, geometric spirals.
This is one of my favorites!