Transient Beauty / by Todd Henson

Transient Beauty - Wild Geranium

I debated whether or not to share the photo in this post, that of a small cluster of wild geranium growing just off a trail in the forest on a slope above a creek. If you look closely you’ll see many imperfections in the petals of one of the flowers. The most fully open flower is a bit past its prime, though there are a couple unopened buds that I didn’t return in time to see. And it’s these imperfections that led me to question whether the photo was worth showing.

But I really liked the color balance, with those nice soft purple/pinks against the light green background, that’s what drew my attention while hiking. And I mostly like the arrangement of flowers along with the branches and vines twisting along the branches. So I figured why not? So the flowers aren’t perfect. That just shows the transience of the natural world, and that of the beauty of flowers like these. We have a short span of time to admire them before they’re gone. And for that reason I’m glad I chose both to create this photograph, even while knowing the flowers had their flaws, and for sharing it with you. I hope you’ll also be able to appreciate this small example of transient beauty.


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