DAYLILY HAIKU THURSDAY | Branch Out

“I admit it's tempting to wish for the perfect boss, the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we've been dealt, and accessorize what we've got.”

-Carrie Bradshaw

Oh, the last two weeks have felt like puberty.  You now, that time of immense change in sense and sensitivity?  Not because I am blessed with a 5'5", 150 lb 11-year old son who wears a size 11 men's shoe and eats an alpacas share of food every day, but because events in near every aspect of my life have some major static.  Mercury must be in retrograde.  The weather, the travel, some drama, some death, more life, some hate mail (gotta love keyboard courage) all sprinkled among some thank you notes and gestures of love.  Again, gardening is the cheapest therapy you will ever find. (that's a photo of a seedling in the haiku, HAT'S OFF TO SUE above left and a shot of my garden in June, below right.)



My garden is a place I go when I need to find myself, when I get lost in the day-to-day of parenting and careering.  Its where I go to completely surrender control and be consumed with what IS, instead of what it should be.  Luckily Saturday and Sunday the temps were in the 70's and we were able to breath some fresh air and soak up some Vitamin D.  Even planted some daylilies that were still in pots from last fall.  #betterlatethannever  I figure if they were already growing out in the pots of limited dirt and moisture, they would do better if I plopped them into the ground to get a head start on spring.  Six pots were planted in all, and I really got excited about them!  

Herrington's BLACKBERRY BOOGIE and Steve William's DISCOVER THE STARS were two I was really happy to see growing green after a winter stuck in a pot under the deck.  I also planted BRIANA JOY and SAN JUAN NIGHTS.  

Here is a side view of SAN JUAN NIGHTS as I saw it in Florida.  I bought it on the spot.  Its so big and it didn't melt or discolor in the rain - two big pluses.

Speaking of Florida, here is the link to my calendar of events.  You can see where I'll be, and you rest assured it's the place I refer to when I wonder where I am supposed to be.


As a primer for next weeks post, please check out the following resource for how to understand and count branching in daylilies. Click here for the materials.  
And please read this blog post from my archives, too.

Next week we will talk about BRANCHING!

Til then-

'Tension' in the flower... | Daylily Blog

Tension is a balance maintained in an artistic work between opposing forces or elements; a controlled dramatic or dynamic quality.  It is a force created through stretching or pulling- a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness. 

Dynamic tension is one of my favorite tools to use when photographing daylilies.  This is one of the best articles on the topic.   Or Google 'dynamic tension in photography' and you will find some wonderful examples and rabbit holes. 

In a nutshell, dynamic tension in a photograph is using the energy and movement available in various features of the frame to draw the eye out of the picture, in contrasting directions.  

When I shoot a photo, the viewer should feel the overwhelming need to go into the photo, or follow wherever the edges of the photo lead.  It's movement and intention, not just proof of life.

Enjoy the example of H. 'Whale Tails' below.  As you look at it, note how your eyes focus and dart and move around the photo,  having a second or two of visual fun.  You aren't just observing it, you're kinda experiencing it.

The photos that resonate most with me are those that have a starting point.  

Where does my eye go first?  

Is it pleasing?  Is it lasting?  

Does it "lead" somewhere else in the frame?  (dynamic tension)

In my brain, these questions happen in a split second as I set up the frame and shoot the photo.  The questions also really only started occurring to me after my eyes felt the difference between photo documentation and photo discovery.    

In the two photos below, my eyes FEEL something when looking at the photo on the left. I feel motion flowing off the edges in two directions in that photo.

The photo on the right is the same bed just taken three steps closer.  It is a fine photo documenting a mass planting, but it has no movement and is less pleasing to my eye when compared to a photo framed using the dynamic tension concept.  Once you read that article, and interpret some of the examples below, you will start to see the dynamic tension everywhere - in buildings, in car design, in architecture, in the music that inspires you the most.

Maybe the concept of dynamic tension can be translated to evaluating for distinction in the seedling bed or on the show tables.  The interplay of conflicting elements adding to its allure...hmmmm...

I find dynamic tension in this example of H. 'San Juan Nights'.  The directional pull feels up and down in this photo- those lilting, heavy petals stretching themselves with gravity.  I also see dark against light.  One against many.  

And in the below photo of a seedling seen at Floyd Cove last May that I cannot get off my mind - the dynamic tension is flying directly into my face - head on - right out of that photo. It's pushing against the background, leaving it in a blur. 

(Karen Pierce, I wish I would have gotten a photo of this tag.  This one was my ultimate favorite from my Mecca visit with you last year!)

If you takeaway just one thought, it should be that good photographs start at the moment you frame it - not at the moment you open your editing tools.  Thoughtful framing generates thoughtful photos, and dynamic tension is just one element to consider and explore.  And like the endless shrimp cocktail lures in Vegas, just because its there, doesn't mean you have to take it.  Partake wisely and sparingly. 

Have fun out there!  Til next time-