Weed In The Wind 2-12-2013

Walking past the marshy edge of the pond on an overcast winter afternoon, the stiff wind kept all the dry reeds bending in unison. Rather than trying to fight the gusts for a static shot, I waited for a momentary pause between heavy breezes to isolate a single wild stalk against the open sky. Stripping the color away emphasized the raw texture of the seed head.

The black and white photograph highlights the fine feathery tufts and tapering leaves of a wild reed standing tall against soft grey cloud cover. High tonal contrast separates the dark, weathered stem from the muted sky, while subtle vignetting around the edges draws direct focus to the natural silhouette and graceful motion of the plant.