Pendant
A single raindrop, hanging like a jewel on a chain. Those five fuzzy red tips are a hibiscus flower's stigmas, the exact spot where pollen has to land. Along the column, golden anthers hold the pollen, waiting for a visitor. Hibiscus fuses its stamens into one tube that wraps around the style, so the flower's whole love story sits on one elegant stalk.
After the rain, surface tension let this drop cling to a stigma instead of falling, and it became a tiny lens, with the world inside. Your own eyes see the world upside down too, and your brain quietly flips it back.
Caught in the same breath as “The Spiral Keeps”, this moment of noticing for me was one of those times where you look to see what you’ve captured, and your jaw drops open. Though I know what subject I’m aiming to capture in a given moment, the results can often be a surprise. The macro lens has this ability to capture details that are almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
What we protect begins with what we notice. My noticing leads to The Wild Land Project.
About This Image
Common name: Hibiscus (likely Chinese hibiscus)
Scientific name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Location: Northern Belize
Collection: After the Rain
