Life and death
Today I'm sharing a few photos I took on Sunday of a potted daisy plant I have in my garden. It's a simple flower when viewed with the naked eye but is one that reveals amazing detail up close and I love photographing them.
I've been waiting a little while to do this shoot, firstly because the weather has been bad and secondly because the flowers were looking too good, too alive; I needed them to be dying to photograph them for this post because I wanted to show the life-cycle of the flower from it's beginning to end, or near enough to it, and in this post you'll see some photos which were all taken on the same plant whose flowers are in various stages of their life.
I have some shots of these flowers in full bloom, at the peak of their life however they were taken several weeks ago and I didn't want to add one into this post in case the photography police saw it and arrested me for using the same image twice so you'll have go here if you want to see them. This post was all about representing life and death in images though and despite feeling that these images are not very good, they certainly do that.
Thanks for taking a look at the images and if you'd care to comment I'm always up for a little engagement.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
[All original and proudly AI free.]
Every image in this post is my own and none are for your use, I mean ever.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III was used to capture these images.
And the best part is the patience and dedication of waiting for them to be at the point you want them to be. You are simply inspired 👏
Thanks...something a little different I guess, photos of dying flowers...it's life's cycle though I guess right?
The cycle repeats itself and more flowers bloom and other keeping withering away. Beautiful shots!
Death comes to all things, eventually, but life happens too; I wanted to show the cycle. In my head I had visions of images with seeds sprouting from the ground and the various stages of growth...but I don't have that sort of patience so this is what I got. I think it tells the story though.
Ha, ha, ha, ha. I get it. Waiting for the flowers to sprout is worse than waiting for water to boil.
Yes, it captures de essence of the cycle.
Nice interpretation of life. I love your metaphorical statements about life and the symbolism you use. That figurative language is too meaningful. I appreciate your words.
Hi there and thank you for your kind words. I really enjoy people reading my posts (many do not) and commenting on the words, not just the images.
I hope you have a great Weekend.
In a way I find it a beautiful and sad cycle, but I always remember that it is one of the most natural things in life. I admire the patience you had to have to take these pictures.
Thanks mate, I appreciate you saying so, and taking the time to take a look in the first instance.
Death can be sad for sure, but it's part of life as you say. I guess, where humans are concerned, it's a good reminder that we should be living our best lives day by day.
You have unfolded the complete life cycle of daisy flower and that's not only depict the life cycle of flower, it's also true for every living being on Earth.
Thanks mate, I hoped to capture the essence of life and death so I'm pleased you see it.
I really like the beginning quote by you. Death shouldn't be feared cause it's a life cycle. The part you grow, then you reach your peak and then you begin to die. It's supposed to hard to accept. But it's pretty simple.
I really loved seeing that flower in bloom though. I couldn't bear to look at it all wilted up but that's just how it is.
Thanks, I guess that quote gives an indication of how I live, and why I seek a best-life situation on a day to day basis. It'll all end eventually, maybe tomorrow or in five minutes time from making this comment. Knowing that helps me live better.
So it's not a question of just how well you lived but how ready you are for the inevitable. Looks sad from the grand scheme of things but you're handling it well so it takes the sting out of the situation.
If a person isn't ready to die then I believe they're not living well enough.
You will die you know, tomorrow, next week, in a month or year, maybe in 70 years...Do you feel it's valid and acceptable to waste today though? Are you willing to waste any day knowing it could be your last?
I'm not.
You're right. I'm not either. Spending each day, being the best I can and living life like it's my last. Hope you're having a good weekend Galen.
The wilted flower got me emotional. All the way from something adorable to something indescribable. These images speak a lot more than what is shown.
Things die and yeah, they don't look the best when they do, humans included. I guess the flower was happy enough during its life and when it was at full bloom and I think humans could learn a thing or two from it.
A very sad reality.
If course it was. The sunlight on it's beautiful petals was the best part.
Speaking for myself, I've learned more than a thing.
✅
Hey Galen. I hope you are well bud.
On the subject of life and death, I wouldn't reach out like this but I am starting to run out of time.
This whole month I have been raising funds for a 40k wargamer friend of mine who has cancer. He is selling off his 40k collection to ensure that his mother is not left destitute in case he does not survive the chemo. I have gotten 4 local guys to purchase some of his collection to help raise the money and have raised the remainder by posting and getting donations in.
If you can assist me with a reblog or a vote or two, it would be greatly appreciated. Or advice. I am at 77.9% of the total. Got another R3400 ($190ish) left to go in order to get done and every little bit helps.
The money raised goes primarily toward his doctor's bills. Either I am helping to save his life here or fulfilling his dying wishes.
Thanks for the listen-in. Sorry to bother you like this. I need to just do what I can to push through this last bit and attempt to succeed in this task.
I'll have a look, thanks. What did you think of this post? You made no reference to it.
When I saw your post, I thought that it was relevant to what I was on a mission about.
Life and death. That is the cycle that your photos are showing. Superb photography, no doubt. However, with the year that I have had, to me it was the symbology of the photos that made it relevant and made it significant.
If I had to explain it to you it's going to turn into an essay. 3 human deaths and 1 death of a pet all between February and now. And right now I am raising funds for another dying brother. In my mind I am seeing the images of Chai, our family cat as he looked like when we got him as a kitten, the stages of him growing up and the last time I saw his body. I am the only person in the family who saw him like that. I collected him from the vet.
I read your post and my comment of "On the subject of life and death." Was answering immediately to your closing statement "This post was all about representing life and death in images though and despite feeling that these images are not very good, they certainly do that."
BTW. You might SAY that you don't feel the images are not good... they are. Just because your camera isn't one of those foot-long things that the journalists use, its still going to take far better pictures than my phone camera.
Sorry that this response is so long.
Death is something we all face and whilst it's very unpleasant, it's the order of things, one of the only certainties in life. I talk about the subject a lot with people close to me, military people, most of whom are really struggling - it affects people differently and some cope well, others not so much - and I guess I can be pragmatic about it to some degree. I've seen my share of it and there's more to come. I guess I just hope that when it does, for me, you and everyone else, we can look back and say, yeah, I lived a good life. That means, we need to find value in life now, today, and you're doing that buy raising some funds. Good luck with it.
Cheers! I will do my best! Thanks.
I loved this sentence you wrote, it couldn't be more true.
The cycle of life is relentless but also interesting, both for us and for the flowers. So much can be learned from a small flower, as it is a reflection of the whole.
I loved the process of showing that cycle of life, it takes time to photograph but it is worth it.
I also went to the post on the link you left, of course I had seen it but they are excellent pictures to look at again, I especially like when you focus on the petals up close.
I really enjoyed the publication Galen, thank you!
Hey there, thanks for commenting.
That line, yeah it's interesting...People fear death and yet don't always live to their full extent which makes no sense to me.
I'm glad you liked the images and had a second look at the other one. I try to do my best and hope that the shots come out ok.
That's right, the biggest fear of people is to die... it's not my case, but I try to live intensely... it will come and it doesn't scare me... I know where I'm going... ....
Well your attempts at photography are inspiring and great, I congratulate you!
I love it. The photos, your lyrics and your thoughts. Very beautiful and philosophical, as well poetic.
Death is a very unspoken topic in western culture. But it seems that we are getting closer, taking advantage of globalisation, going back to and learn from our cultural roots to give space to audience death.
That reminds me of the quote
There is no life without death.
Quoted by many.
Or life and death is one. ☯️
Still weird though 😅😂
People like to stick their head in the sand, they fear what they don't know or what upsets them as it feels comfortable for them; I understand it to some degree.
I've always tended to confront those things, adversity, fears and the unknown as that's the only way to find clarity and deal with them more effectively and, with death, it's the same; it'll come for me, you too, so living in the moment, being present in life, seems the best course of action. I don't want to die right now, not any time soon, but I know it's inevitable and that helps me live my h better.
Thanks for your comment.
Agree in all of what you wrote. Sounds balanced to me.
Being present in life and live the moment is one key of living true. Or in Platon's words:
The unexamined life is not worth living.
That's what he means about living the moment and being present in life, isn't it?
Another one, and path in my life, is to master this;
Live like it's your last day, and at the same time live like you were forever, but not deathless.
That's sustainable, in my opinion. Because, the latter, you'd treat your environment and your body different.
Have you heard about that saying. Can't remember who's the quoter. Gandhi perhaps.
Thank you for your fantastic thought-provoking post.
I wish you the pink of health and, like an old friend says; Live long and prosper 🖖🏽
Thanks mate, I appreciate your comments and I can see that you're one who focuses on living a more enlightened and enriched life which is the only way to go in my humble opinion.
I want to say I don't think they'd fuss too much if a couple of the previous images were included for context but can never tell with some people (I have previously got slightly snarky at some of the hive police for harassing some of the OCArtists x_x).
I do like the life stages shots.
One must be careful with the photography police as one never knows what their agenda may be at any given point. I mean, all my photos are mine, but if someone took it upon themselves to arrest me for adding an image I'd already used...well, I might get handcuffed and stuffed in the back of a police car and hauled off to Alcatraz.
Does the community in question have specific rules about that?
I'm not sure, I was just being snide. (Probably though.)
Pictures looks gorgeous 🔥🔥💗
Thank you, I tried to get good ones.
There is something quite beautiful to me in every stage of the life of this flower.
Talk about a short life, flowers in full bloom are very fleeting in the grand schme of things, but BOY !.... do they ever show out for what little time they have. Amazing the amount of beauty and joy they provide in that short time.
"photography police"....
😂
I've been planning this post for a while and enjoying the life cycle of the flower along the way. Nature really is beautiful, she knows what she's doing I guess and makes no apology for it even if she's destructive.