Sunflower Solitaire

Proof positive that an overcast, chilly winter day is no excuse for a camera bug to stay at home. For one thing, the light is even and the image can be delivered without the distraction of sun or shadow. More importantly, there are millions of pictures that fail to convey anything of interest, so if you do come across something that catches your eye while on a winter walk, it may be worth your time and attention.

This was one sunflower in a field of hundreds, so why choose this one? The drama in the broken stem, the possibilities of blurring the background, and subtleties of black, grey and white tones.

Sunflower Solitaire was one of the first images I ever took with a film camera. It was many rolls of film later before I matched its composition or intensity. Beginner’s luck…

“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.” ~ Edward Weston

Location: Brandon, Manitoba

Date: December 1979

Source: Pentax ME Super with Fuji Black and White film

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