“After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.” ~William R. Alger
SS 1/60 F 4.5 ISO 200
In The History and Language of Flowers the Daisy means, cheer. We are experiencing a lot of gray days this Spring, it is raining incessantly. The quote above reminded me that no matter the gray skies, my heart and soul should be full of cheer.
~ A red pear and some dried roses a dear friend gave me for Christmas…
“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” ~Helen Keller
Bouquet of Adoration
SS 1/60 f 4.0 ISO 500
Natural Light, subject in front of window.
60mm Macro Lens
“True friends are like bright sunflowers that never fade away, even over distance and time.” ~ Marie Williams Johnstone
To see this image in black and white be sure to visit Monochromia for my Thursday post.
SS 1/60 f 4.5 ISO 640 Natural light
“Art makes better humans, art is necessary in understanding the world and art makes people happy. Undeniably, art is not optional.” – Nathan Sawaya
Star Magnolia
“Of the many interesting facts about the magnolia flower, the most striking one is that it is a very old flower. In fact, there are fossils dating back 20 million years that show that the flower has been gracing Earth since the very beginning of time, so to say. The magnolia is also a very tough, hard flower, unlike other delicate flowers. This is owing to the fact that it has had to adapt to changing climactic and geological conditions in order to survive, and it is precisely due to this feature that the flower represents endurance, eternity, and long life.” _ Buzzle.
The Magnolia means Endurance or Perseverance.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
Why do I link endurance and perseverance to courage and fear? Because, I went to a presentation by Beth Fitzgerald Allen of DIY Hip Chicks today. She is an inspiration and her message of “flushing” fear was so motivating. The history and meaning of the Magnolia reminded me of Beth’s presentation. Beth stated ” Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward any way” – reminding me of Mark Twain (above).
We all must endure, persevere, and push forward despite of our fears if we are going to accomplish our goals and achieve success and joy.
Blue
ss 0.8 f 22 iso 100
“No water, no life. No blue, no green.” – Sylvia Earle
This image was taken during the evening blue hour on the Pacific Coast in February. The “blue hour” refers to the period of twilight every morning and evening when the sun is below the horizon and the indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue hue with a cool color temperature.
To learn more about the blue hour, the golden hour and twilight feel free to read this great article by PetaPixel.
Remember, tomorrow is Thursday and I will be posting a black and white image on Monochromia. Be sure to stop by!
“Perfect Love”
In the Victorian Language of Flowers one of the meanings of the tulip is “Perfect Lover”. We’ve all experienced beautiful love, but have you experienced a perfect love, or lover? Can you define perfect love or describe the perfect lover? You are thinking, aren’t you? 😉
I thought the quote above was a “perfect” accompaniment to the image – when in full bloom the Tulip was beautiful and appeared perfect. But as the wholeness of the Tulip began to fade and it began to wilt, the perception of having “perfect” symmetry and grace disappeared. However, as seen in the image above, the beauty remains. To intertwine the image, the quote, and the meaning of the Tulip, one can think of the loves/lovers one has experienced and ponder the beauty of each and what made those loves/lovers perfect, or what caused them to lack perfection.
Have a wonderful weekend filled with beautiful and near perfect love!
Shadows at Grandma’s
If you would like to see this image in black and white, please visit Monochromia today. Which do you prefer – color or black and white?
“From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
mystery of love
mystery of love in black and white
Robyn Graham Photography 