Poise
A single white frangipani, holding perfectly still. Five petals spiral out from a warm yellow heart, and this is the flower in its wild form: frangipani native to this region blooms white, and the pinks and golds you see in gardens came later through cultivation. In Nicaragua, this white-and-gold bloom is called sacuanjoche, and it has been the national flower since 1971.
Here's the surprising part: frangipani makes no nectar at all. It calls in night-flying moths with its perfume alone, strongest after sunset. The moths come looking for a sweet reward and find nothing but pollen to carry to the next flower.
This moment of noticing was a moment of play. It’s one of the first photos I took with my new camera (I upgraded from a Nikon D90 to an Olympus OM-1, and that’s when the magic really began). This was one of those “oh wow” moments that deepened my love for the art of photography.
What we protect begins with what we notice. My noticing leads to The Wild Land Project.
About This Image
Common name: White frangipani (plumeria)
Scientific name: Plumeria rubra (likely)
Location: Northern Belize
Collection: Wild Bouquet
