Nearscape Photography: Thinking About Summer
It is the middle of February as I write this. The trees are bare. The air is sharp. The ground is covered in a blanket of snow. The garden rests in that muted palette of browns and grays that winter does so well.
And yet, I find myself thinking about summer.
About warm evenings a little after seven o’clock, when the sun begins to soften and the light turns golden instead of harsh. About stepping into the backyard, not with a plan, but simply with a camera in hand. About the quiet hum of the season around me.
This photograph was made in late July, in that gentle early evening light. The garden was in full voice. Greens layered upon greens. Texture everywhere. And at the center of it all, this Midnight Gold Petunia, deep purple and edged in white, almost velvet in its richness.
What struck me then, and still strikes me now, is how dramatic something so small can be.
We often think of photography worthy locations as destinations. Ocean horizons. Mountain overlooks. Historic towns. But sometimes the most compelling subjects are rooted a few steps from the back door. A single flower. A contrast of color. The geometry of petals spiraling inward toward shadow.
In winter, the garden appears empty. But it is not. It is waiting.
And so am I.
There is something comforting about knowing that the garden will bloom again. That the same backyard, the same patch of earth, will once again hold color this deep and light this soft. Even in February, when the world feels quiet and restrained, there is never a bad time to revisit summer.
Nearscape Photography has always been about looking close to home. About recognizing that inspiration does not require a plane ticket or a road trip. It requires attention.
This image is a reminder to me that even in the stillness of winter, I can look backward and forward at the same time. Back to a July evening when the air was warm and the light was kind. Forward to the moment when the garden begins to stir again.
Seasons change. The backyard remains.
And in my own backyard, beauty is never out of season.
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This photograph is part of my Nearscape Photography series, a project focused on capturing scenes within ten miles of home. Explore more from the series here: Nearscape Photography.
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Technical Notes:
This image was captured with a Canon M50 paired with an adapted vintage macro lens, the Pentax Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4. The manual focus lens allowed for careful control over depth and detail, particularly in the center of the bloom. Processing was completed in Lightroom, with adjustments focused on color, texture, and sharpness while preserving the richness of the deep purple tones and the softness of the evening light. The image is presented in a 16:10 aspect ratio.