It’s Flower Show week again. A sure sign that spring is near. I hope!
For the past few years I’ve gone to photograph one display. The one designed by our good friend, Michael Bruce. Michael’s entries are never easy to photograph, but that’s part of what I like about doing them. Not only do they challenge the viewer’s mind to figure out his message, they most definitely challenge this photographer to interpret them photographically.I’ve always gone in the early AM so that I could work before the crowds arrive. That usually works and again I went yesterday around 8 AM. Sure, I was able to photograph the display, a glass house with an American flag made mostly of flowers, but if you look closely, there’s a bit more to it. This year’s theme is “Passport To The World”. I didn’t get to see all of the exhibits, but the ones I did visit seemed to obviously follow the theme. Michael’s? Ha! A four-sided glass house with a horizontal American flag taking up most of the interior and messages written on the glass walls. Sort of graffiti. Americana was my take on it. As always, his designs need interpretation, and as always, Michael wants the viewers to make their own conclusion. When I was finishing my work yesterday, the exhibit had already opened and I was watching the faces of people when they walked up to view the display. The expressions were mostly, “I don’t know what I’m looking at, but it’s interesting and I must take a picture of it”. And then they did. So today I went back in the afternoon when the hall was packed and from inside the house, photographed the people looking in. Below are my favorite images from both days with the ones from today last.
That’s Michael.
The man just loves his work…
Start looking for the details within the details.
Love the red in red!
The flag…
Details…
The overall look…
OK, who hung their coat on his sign??? I didn’t see that when I made this image.
Coat’s gone in this view…
“OK, it’s a flag, but…….?
“…. I gotta take a picture of it anyway”.
A few more expressions of wonder from today…..
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the display, the interpretation, photography, words….. whatever.
jt