
Image Description
This image is a bit different in the ‘Kryptomorphaics’ series in that it did not include any camera-based manipulation of the image. ‘Invasive Species’ became apparent to me, as I was wondering through the systematic garden at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Massachusetts. I was on the prowl for some great new additions to the aforementioned series of abstract images and found a good number of them (the album can be found on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/frankjansenphotography/ – under ‘Projects in Progress’ ). When I first looked at the flora presented to me in the small pond, my eyes went to some of the flowers and its structure against the sky; they presented an interesting subject, but didn’t have the pull, for which I tend to look in a subject. Allowing my eyes to trace the outline of the reeds and flowers downward, I was surprised by the stillness of the reflection and closed in for a better look.
Taking a step unto the stone surround of the pond, I noticed that there was a hint of a breeze at the top of the reeds, while the surface of the pond remained quiet and glassy. There was an abundance of small particulate matter floating in the pond, which gave me a sense of stellar matter floating throughout a galaxy; the tentative reflection of a bit of cloud hints at a galaxy that is reasonably close on the scale of the universe, but still distant enough to not directly affect the species floating throughout the vast empty space. As the story of this plant-like species’ journey through the vastness of space began to unfold in my mind, I could see it taking the role of an invasive species looking to colonize some unsuspecting planet that suited its particular needs. Surrounded by a cloud of seedlings, which are purposed to protect the main organism and scan the space ahead for a potential home world. We cannot fully grasp the scale of the organism: it may be the size of a large city, such as New York, or as large as a small moon. Only the destruction that it leaves in its wake gives us a measure of its voracity and appetite.
Enjoy this image, and don’t hesitate to let me know what it means to you. I am curious how you may read the image.
Technical Details
This image was captured at 100 ISO, F/13 at 1/30 second shutter speed. Color and contrast were adjusted for the desired effect in Photoshop.
Nice description Frank….!
George,
thank you. Just a quick recollection of my thoughts during the capturing of this image and what it did to me…