The series “Floral Essence” comes to a finale. A post about the Amaryllis feels like the perfect subject at the right time with which to conclude this series.
As holidays near, wax-dipped Amaryllis bulbs show up in the shops, ready to brighten the gray winter days with color.
Amaryliss buds
Named from the Greek word for “to sparkle,” it is fitting that the Amaryllis blooms in winter, around Christmas.
Given their sturdy stems and vertical profile, Amaryllis symbolize strength, pride, and determination. When the flowering phase ends, you can cut the stem and preserve the bulb; it will flower again next year. With proper care, it can live for up to 75 years.
Amaryllis buds
Thank you for following Floral Essence. It has been an inspiring journey through the language of flowers.
An exceptional monograph is on the way, stay tuned!
Back to work on a new series about a different subject.
Feather grasses growing on the Steppes of Kazakhstan
Feather Grasses, like these near Sergeyevka, Kazakhstan, have grown for millennia in the thin topsoil of the Steppes; some varieties are now scarce or endangered species. The Steppes were covered in this ideal pasturage prior to the Soviets’ misguided Virgin Land Reclamation policy of the 1950s, under which nearly 25 million hectares (approximately 62 million acres) of the northern Steppes were plowed to plant wheat.
The feather grasses provide nutrition for horses, cattle, sheep and goats, ensuring a sustainable food source for nomads.
The sea of grasses move in waves with the wind, nurturing a soul that’s living in relationship with nature.
Practicing photography can be much like practicing meditation. Both invite us to slow down and truly see. They heighten our awareness, sharpen our attention, and help us become more attuned to the quiet details that often pass unnoticed. This image is an expression of that mindful practice.
While driving near Sarasota, a field of snapdragons caught my eye—just a glimpse of color in my peripheral vision. I pulled over, spoke with the property owner, and was welcomed to wander the field with my camera.
As I began photographing, a gentle wind set the flowers in motion. In that moment, I saw not simply a field of snapdragons but blossoms dancing in the wind. I worked to capture the movement of the wind through the petals—more than a still image, a sense of motion and energy.
This photograph is the outcome of years of patient observation and practice. It also reflects what happens when we allow the mind’s eye to see beyond what is in front of us—when imagination meets perception, and feeling becomes form.
This series of images is part of a larger collection called Floral Essence. I’ll share more about that in the near future.
To see this image and more flower pictures, visit the gallery Flowers at: www.wayneeastep.com
Like many children, I loved to go out in the rain and splash in puddles on the street.
Rain, like a cloud, is easily taken for granted. Water is integral to our existence. When we pause and observe, we have the chance to get in touch with something elemental in our lives.
Hurricane Milton, Sarasota, Florida
Different types of rain elicit a wide range of feelings. There is gentle, poignant melancholy in a light, mid-afternoon rain. It feels safe – even reassuring. Rain is a symbol of renewal and rebirth. When rain comes in excess it can be terrifying, bringing the potential for destruction. We use our technology to build roads, canals, bridges, levees, and dams – assuming we can control nature. Then a devastating storm comes and we are painfully reminded of our limitations and the need to live in ways that are in harmony with nature, respecting its power.
I can remember a number of times when I was about to leave a cafe in New York City and a thunderstorm delivered a torrent of rain, giving me the excuse to stay put, have another cup of coffee, and share more time with a friend.
Fine Art landscape prints illustrating the presence of wind and evoking serenity
Make your space serene with these fine art photographic prints. Abstract photography has the power to beautifully decorate a space and trigger an emotional sense of calm and serenity. You can select these prints or draw from my archive for similar images.
There are realities we know even though we can’t see them. There are forces beyond those which we see. Wind is a clear example of this reality. We can’t see the wind. What we can see is the effect of the wind.
These three images are graphic examples of that fact. The first image is looking through the surface of the Atlantic Ocean at the shapes of a sandbank created by the wind and tides moving the sand under the water. We don’t see the wind even though it helped create these beautiful forms.
The second image shows an elegant line on the edge of a large sand dune in Arabia. The wind moves the millions of particles of sand, reshaping an enormous sand dune. Even when we can see sand blowing off the edge of a dune, we are not seeing the wind but what the wind left behind.
The third image is a familiar image of a wave being shaped by the partnership of the moon and the unseen wind.
We see the trees sway, the grass bend when the wind moves. Our knowledge of the natural world informs us that the wind is at work. A higher knowing is our intuition, which takes us beyond the physical plane to the dynamics of energy active in the atmosphere, where the recipe of the elements is creating the forces that shape life around us. When we attune to this alchemy, nature is given a chance to teach us that there is an inner knowing which goes beyond what we “know”.
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Industry is built using engineering design. I’ve always appreciated the elegance of design be it in fine art drawings, fashion, or industrial design. Often the clearer the concept the cleaner the design. Long ago the Shakers and Danish designers illustrated that truth.
This image is a sonar mapping image of the floor of the Gulf of Mexico identifying were there are voids in the earth, where there is crude oil and where there is natural gas.
Once again when we turn our attention to nature we often see elegant design and beauty.
I was walking down fifth avenue and saw this image, paused turned back and asked the person if it would be ok to make an image of their shoes. They looked a little puzzled, but said, ok. After making the image I showed it to them and they said, “wow very cool, I had no idea”.
One of the great satisfactions of photography is being able to make an image of those fleeting moments that we come upon every day.