Photo of the Week 2021-05-31

 

There is a little patch of forest, where the morning sun breaks through the predominantly cedar canopy to dapple the ground. In spring, it is magically transformed when several large patches of Fringed polygala or Gaywings (Polygaloides paucifolia) emerge. Pushing up through the forest floor, their bright green leaves and pink flowers are like paint spattered from natures brush. A closer look reveals an amazingly complex little wildflower, with a pair of pink wing-like petals bracketing a 3rd forward facing petal tipped with with fringe (my description).

 

Gaywings

The location is one I look forward to visiting every spring now, and this year I had plans to spend a bit more time photographing these unique spring wildflowers. With my creative spirit seeming to have fled in these COVID times, the first effort did not go well. Oh, I could blame it on my allergies, raging with pollen filling the air at this time, that had my eyes watering and itchy making it difficult to focus (literally and figuratively), but more likely, I've just gotten lazy with my photography. Firing off exposures, not really paying attention to the basics of composition, shutter speed, aperture, going through the motions is no recipe for a good image. It showed in the initial results when I reviewed them back at the cottage.

 

With a better plan, more aware, more focused, more determined to create an image I could be satisfied with, I settled in to enjoy the process and let it flow. The result above may not be to everyone's liking. Some may critique it's lack of focus on all parts of the plant, but I find it hearkens back to my earlier shallow depth of field (DoF) imagery.

Following are some additional, more conventional images from the outing.

I've seen these flowers at various locations along another trail, but not in the large patches I see in this favourite little patch of forest in my northern backyard.

 

DJE