I hear and I forget, I do and I understand, I see and I remember
Tag Archives: strong-graphics
Series: Floral Essence
#3 Amorphophallus titanum
Frills on the Spathe of Amorphophallus titanum
The Amorphophallus titanum is the largest unbranched inflorescence flower in the world. The plant grows to between 6 and 12 feet tall. With a name and size like that it’s no wonder it makes the news when it blooms.
Phallus Spike
From bulb to bloom can take up to ten years. After that long wait the bloom only lasts for about 24 to 48 hours. The plant originates in Sumatra in Indonesia.
Film cross-processed | Amorphallus titanum
Because of this plants unusual resume I thought how can I make an image that suggests its dramatic presence. I settled on cross-processing some of the images to evoke the energy of this amazing plant. Cross-processing is when you use positive film and process it in negative chemistry. Doing this you never know what you’ll get.
Spathe (leaf) Amorphophallus titanum. Film image
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 these images and more flower pictures visit the gallery Flowers at www.wayneeastep.com
As we were driving along the border of Kazakhstan toward Mongolia, we crested a hill. The field in front of us, all the way to the horizon, was filled with sunflowers as far as the eye could see. I had our fixer pull over. I got out of the jeep, went into the field, and made a series of images of the golden carpet of sunflowers in full bloom. It knocked me out!
Over the next couple of years, the magnificence of those sunflowers remained alive in my memory.
I wanted to learn more about sunflowers. My curiosity was not just about the beauty of their bright blossoms, but what they were all about. I ordered mammoth sunflower seeds, planted the seeds in a circle in my yard, waited, and watched. Over three months, I photographed the stages of growth from seedlings to decline. What I observed increased my appreciation for their beauty but raised even more questions.
Why did every flower develop a similar spiral pattern? Why were the seeds packed in so tightly and at an angle? My research revealed many connections between nature, mathematics, philosophy, and the rich history of intellectual inquiry — more on that in a later post.
The short-form answer to my questions is that the spiral pattern and the angle of the seeds in the sunflower represent the most efficient way to pack seeds in space and ensure reproductive success. The spirals are called “golden spirals,” reflecting Fibonacci numbers. The elegant angle of the seeds to each other aligns with the “golden angle’’. The pattern of the seeds in the sunflower represents what, in mathematics and aesthetics, can be called beauty — more on that in a future post. Leonardo Da Vinci described this phenomenon, which can also be seen in hurricanes, galaxies, pinecones, and pineapples, as the “Divine Proportions”.
One day, when the flowers were reaching maturity, I watched a pair of wild Brazilian Green Parrots as they fed on the seeds. The two parrots took up positions next to each other on two sunflowers. While one ate, the other stood guard, watching for any threat. After a while, they switched roles. The one guarding then ate, and the other provided protection.
Al-Hijr, Madain Saleh the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia.
The entrance to a sacred area within the complex at Al-Hijir.The archeological site of Al-Hijr (Madain Saleh) is the first UNESCO World Heritage Site inSaudi Arabia.It is a major center of the Nabataen civilization.It is the largest Nabataen site south of Petra in Jordan.It bears testimony to the Nabataen civilization between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC and pre-Islamic period in the 1st century AD.
Part of the collection “Art Within Architecture” on exhibit at Eastep Photography gallery 1338 Central Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34236
Light is to photography what paint is to the painter. I made this image with colors contained in light. In the studio I used prisms to break up the spectrum of light and create this meteor of color and light.
While scouting locations for a Nautica fashion shoot in Martinique I saw this wonderful play of color. The color was from boats in the marina reflecting onto the surface of the water.
My new online store eastepstore.wayneeastep.com is open for ordering prints. The curated collection has been edited for display art in the home, office, hospitality, health care and corporate spaces.
After choosing an image, you can select the medium, size, finish and framing; then pay with PayPal or your credit card from within the store eastepstore.wayneeastep.com
I thank you in advance for visiting the store and appreciate your sharing a link to the store with family, friends and colleagues. The web address is eastepstore.wayneeastep.com
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