Habenaria peramoena- Fringeless Purple Orchid 1931

Edwin Hale Lincoln captured this image of Fringeless Purple Orchids, though the date is not available, somewhere in the late 19th or early 20th century. I love the way the two orchids stand side by side, not in a field but against a soft, flat, grey background. It's like a double portrait, or a botanical study that’s also an investigation into composition and space. There is so much subtle variation in the way the flower petals unfurl and extend—the two flowers lean in opposite directions slightly, and the buds at the top feel hopeful and reaching. I wonder what Lincoln thought about these flowers, and what he wanted to show about their form and life cycle? Painters and photographers, we're all in conversation, figuring out how to make meaning out of what we see. Whether you're using a brush or a camera, it’s always a question of what to include and what to leave out, and the way that choice shapes the viewer’s experience.