garden photography: monochrome

Well it is February and the start of a new theme. If you want to add a new dynamic to your photography then try adding pattern, form and texture. Often converting an image to black and white brings out something of interest, be it patterns or textures, that somehow get overlooked by colour.

• You can use patterns as the main subject of your photo with the focal point on the patterns. Or, you can use the patterns as a backdrop to something else. Sometimes the interest of a focal point is the break in a pattern. Sometimes a pattern is not so obvious to the eye because of size. So you might need to get closer to your subject. Often patterns are best seen by filling the frame.
• Texture conveys how the subject feels; is it hard or soft, smooth or rough. If you can convey these feelings then you are translating texture visually. The angle of light will help here. And getting close.

But I’m not confining this month to pure B&W, you can look for images that are composed from tones of one colour, or perhaps a sepia tint suits your subject better. As always, it is up to you how you interpret this month’s theme.

In February I am looking for Monochrome

(black and white or tones of one colour. Look for texture, shape and patterns. The subject matter is entirely up to you, but should be loosely garden related.)

Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)

I have several photos of common hogweed and other umbels, taken in the wild, as I love the shape of these plants both in flower and in seed. Umbelliferae, in Latin meaning “bearing umbrellas”, refers to the umbel-type  flowering pattern of these plants, which are actually several flowers supported on a single head, of which there are two varieties:

• Most plants in the family are of type (b), called compound inflorescence, where a series of flowers meet together at a sub-node prior to attaching to the main steam,
• whereas in type (a), each flower itself is directly connected to the main steam, called simple inflorescence.

Wild Carrot, and all its familiar cousins, including Anise, Angelica, Dill, Cumin, Fennel, Coriander, Parsley, Celery, Caraway, Chervil and Parsnip belong to type (b) as does Hogweed. The flowers of hogweed are white and held in umbels with all the flowers in the umbel facing upwards. Beware that poison hemlock and water hemlock are also members of the Parsley family!

If you would like to join in with Garden Photography then please take a look at my Garden Photography Page. No complicated rules 🙂

• Create your own post and title it February: Monochrome
• Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
• Add the tag “GardenChallenge” so everyone can find the posts easily in the WP Reader
• Get your post in by the end of the month, as the new theme comes out on the first Sunday in March.
• Please visit the sites linked in the comments to see what others are posting.