-My photos are all inspired by Barbara Cole’s series Appearances and Beat. Her delicate use of water and flowers to explore transformation, nature, and beauty  -the themes self-perception and identity, has inspired me to use the same mediums-water and flowers

-In this photo I used macro photography, taking an extreme close up on the two flowers that I’m specifically focusing on and the water droplet on top. My choice of macro photography allows for a close-up view of all the details of the petals and the water droplet-including texture-the veins and the soft, delicate surface of the petals are clearly visible-this conveys the theme of the intimacy with nature, it shows/highlights the small, often unnoticed details that make up the natural world, inviting viewers to appreciate the beauty in the minute aspect of plants. The transparency and reflective quality of the water droplet makes it act like tiny lenses, showing a distorted version of the petal beneath, this reflects how we perceive and interpret the world around us; the water droplet also  creates a sense of fluidity and softness, conveying themes of the freshness/vitality and delicate of nature. I also applied balance and color contrast, in which the white flower is placed on the corner on the right while the pink one is placed on the left, this contrast adds depth  and visual interest. The overlapping of the petals of different colors and the focus on the water droplet further adds complexity to the image.

-The theme that I wanted to convey is the fragility, vitality, and beauty of nature, which I chose to reflect through focusing on the motion and using natural elements-water, flowers-in which the delicate flowers with the gentle water not only would create a calming and soothing mood but also could reflect the connection with nature. In this photo I set the flowers on a mirror and poured water on top of it, I lowered the shuttle speed to capture the motion of the flowers getting washed away by the water and the rough but fluid texture of the water by capturing the moment in which the water splits into droplets when coming in contact with the mirror. I increased the ISO and also the contrast between light and dark when editing to guide the viewers’ gaze/attention towards the flowers and the water droplets.

-In this photo the flower is placed on the wet mirror covered with water droplets, like the photo above I lowered the ISO and increased the contrast between light and dark when editing. This contrast between the light/bright flowers and the dark background creates a striking visual effect, immediately grabbing the viewer’s gaze/attention towards the flowers. I also used negative space, in which the large, dark, area in the corner on the right gives the flowers room, making them stand out. This also contributes to the overall mood of the photo, emphasizing the isolation, tranquility, and mysterious of the flowers. This evokes themes of the elegance of nature.