Flowers

2014 moments #2

/ mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

I would like to share my 10 most memorable photographs of the year over the coming days with you. These are shots that I am particularly proud of, while each evokes a sense of place and meaning from 2014.

Daisy on black

DAISY ON BLACK

This photograph ticks many boxes. I finally invested in a macro lens in 2014, and discovered the joys of getting close small subjects, with nature and flora at the top of the list. I placed this simple flower on a black background which made its purity and vibrant colour stand out, and a Pop Art-style spin-off took shape. And it was taken in my mother’s peaceful, insular Essex garden during the summer warmth.

Gallery entrance

Heart of orange

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Heart of orange

The French Marigold is a sturdy stalwart of British gardens, bright, breezy and very cheerful. Some would say they’re ordinary. Even a bit common. 

But take some close-up photographs of a very healthy display (in my mother’s Essex garden) and you may change your view of these little flowers. 

Their structure is intricate and complex with some rich variegations in colour, with splashes of crimson and yellow. A marigold in bloom is reminiscent of a crumbly chocolate bar’s delicate swirls.

Bold and ubiquitous they may be, but this flower remains a natural wonder.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

The Photo Shop

Mimosa

/ mikeosbornphoto / 11 Comments

Yellow candy burst

This is a welcome barrage of colour in a long, dank and sodden winter.

I came across this robust clump of yellow mimosa in a street near my home, where a terrace of houses is painted in an array of pastel shades.

It’s a vibrant, fascinating plant which chooses to bloom in the winter months. Its pale yellow, berry-like buds explode into puffs of flower, while the foliage is made up of neat, pale green fronds.

Yellow mimosa is positively revered in parts of southern France, prompting festivals and even a trail to be named in its honour. Ironically, as I took these photographs, a French lady passed by to tell me all about it.

What a tonic to see this light up the neighbourhood, almost banishing the cold away.

green

Click first image for full gallery experience

Chelsea’s oasis

/ mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

Just a stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the King’s Road is a true botanical oasis which I’ve only just got around to visiting after 13 years in London.

The Chelsea Physic Garden has been in existence since 1673, and is bulging with beautiful plants, many of them medicinal or edible. In this golden summer we’ve been enjoying for a couple of weeks now, the garden is bristling with blossoms and looks wonderful.

Visitors come to study the plants, relax on the lawns, take photographs – and even enjoy a spot of watercolour painting. Our visit will always be memorable for other reasons – we returned home to watch homegrown tennis ace Andy Murray seal a historic Wimbledon title. All in all, the best of summer.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

If you like this, you will like The walled garden

Narcissus

/ mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

Narcissus

Click to enlarge

A snapshot of sunshine, colour and the first day of Spring in London. A crateload of daffodils are lined up to go on display. And it was that first day to warm the soul after a long, chilly and dank winter, with sun and temperatures as high as 17C.

But of course it didn’t last. We were robbed of the sunlight today. If it’s the last we ever see, then further photographs – coming here soon – will be all the more memorable.