It is all about the light

June 2025 I browsed the Oriental garden in Sonoma county and encountered a number of Kousa Dogwoods in bloom.

The Kousa dogwood has a quiet elegance. Native to East Asia, its blossoms are not true petals but creamy bracts that unfold like soft stars, suspended among layered green leaves.

Photographing a Kousa dogwood in black and white strips away its gentle greens and pale creams, leaving behind structure and light. What remains is the architecture of the flower: the pointed symmetry of the bracts, the clustered center, the interplay of shadow along each vein. The absence of color draws attention to form, making the bloom appear almost sculptural.

In monochrome, the flower takes on a timeless quality. Light becomes the subject as much as the flower itself, tracing edges and revealing depth that might otherwise go unnoticed.

There is something meditative about this translation from color to black and white. The Kousa dogwood, already understated, becomes even quieter. The photograph no longer documents a moment of spring, but instead invites reflection, asking the viewer to linger on texture, contrast, and the delicate balance between presence and absence.

Prints of the featured photograph of the Kousa Dogwood can be purchased from my GeoGalleries collection “Flower“.

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