If you could see the photographs I’ve taken over the last twelve years, you’d find many of fallen leaves. The fascination of fallen leaves surprises me. They seem to draw me to them.
If you asked me what was different about this branch of dry leaves on the ground and that one, I don’t think I could describe it. Yet to me, they’re all unique. I love distinctive insect marks. Some leaves are just skeletons with the flesh eaten away. Others have spots or squiggly marks. Sometimes the shape of the leaf is affected. There could be gouges out of the side. Or the leaf might be distorted with parts of in pulled in or ballooned out.
The colour of the leaf changes as it dries. Depending on the species, or the time of year, it may dry brown, olive green, red, or a salmon colour. There are endless variations in colour too.
As I write this, I answer my own question. I’m a colour person who loves texture.
Leaves in Black and White
The photograph below shows leaves from a Eucalyptus tree. I’m not good on tree species, so I can’t tell you which one. They are hanging over some fallen bark, another one of my passions. I wanted to take the question of colour out of the equation. Showing the leaves in black and white accentuates the texture. To me, it’s beautiful. Yet I know many people who don’t understand this type of beauty. They want pretty. I prefer to see the life story of the leaf.
Works Based on Leaves
In this series of posts, there are quite a few of my works which feature leaves. Here is a list of them with links.
Day 65: Gel Plate with Acrylics and Inktense
Day 55: Original Story – Musing Meanders
Day 36: Photograph ‘Hanging On’
Day 35: ‘Dappled Pink Fingers Orchid’
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