Saturday, March 20, 2010

Spring Photo Essay: Tulips

This is the time of year when Vancouver enters into its greatest period of floral profusion. Over the next two months there will be daffodils and crocuses, even grape hyacinths will linger in some sheltered places; meanwhile, cherry and apple blossoms fill the air with both colour and perfume as rhododendrons begin their season, and everywhere else there are tulips.

Even the dandelions have begun to run riot. It's crazy, not to mention crazy beautiful.

So why not celebrate springtime? This is my longest photo essay to date - nine images! - all of tulips. I must warn you, though, I break the rules. The standard rule of photography is to never show an even number of things in a picture. This despite the fact that springtime is all about pairings. Since I never met a rule I didn't want to break, a pair of these pictures even feature a pair of tulips! If seeing the rules broken bothers you, I just have one question: what the Hell are you doing here?

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Super gorgeous. Thanks for these!

Anonymous said...

BTW, dearest Michael, I believe you worry too much about these un-written rules that seem to float in the air around you. Perhaps from your perspective I Amer-o-gantly ignore all rules. Maybe the truth shifts back and forth between the two frames of reference.

michael sean morris said...

Rules are what petty people wield instead of talent.

When I was still affiliated with a camera club, I once submitted a photo of four apples on a branch, and the photo was disqualified. The reason they gave was that you're never supposed to show an even number of anything.

I don't say or do these pseudo-negative things willy-nilly. They're all based in experience.

Still, I never met a rule I didn't want to break.

Gavin said...

Great pics. Our tulips have broken ground here but still a couple of weeks away from blooming. The Hudson Valley was settled by the Dutch and the Capitol building and surrounding gardens are planted with tulips galore. There's even a Tulip Queen (before you say it, no, I'm not entering...at least not this year). I post my pics too. I think daffodils are next here, then the tulips.

Anonymous said...

You've got to be kidding. Refused entrance because there was an even number of objects in the picture? Was the judge Chinese or something? (remember their anti-4 bias because the word for 4 sounds like 'die')

Just a thought.

michael sean morris said...

Nope. Nothing cultural. Just my life. I recropped the photo, took one of the apples out, and resubmitted it and got the highest score I ever got.

I made sure I told the story, though.

Daniel said...

haha, smart guy. That is a weird rule, indeed. I feel the need to test it...