Flower power

I am living in a place where the exotic is commonplace. Things that are only dreamed of, and cherished, in the temperate Northeast bloom with an almost weed-like capability here. The Tropic of Cancer crosses straight through Taiwan, making for a lush, humid environment. Perfect for a great diversity of plants, the most vibrant and visible of which are, of course, the flowering kind.

Since I acquired my fancy shmancy little digital camera (an early birthday gift from the aunts), I've been in full-blown amateur photographer mode, taking all kinds of pictures at all kinds of odd angles that make my cousins stare. But for all of that, there is nothing like the elegant simplicity of a macro shot...especially of flowers.

So I have been taking many many orchid pictures. They are like the Rocky Mountains, or the Grand Canyon; the subject just begs to be taken, and it is hard to take a bad picture of it, as long as you have a steady hand. Orchids are just so fascinatingly complex and elegant.

It's really hard to stop taking pictures of them and the other plants I see. It gets to look repetitive after awhile, but at the time of the taking, I feel like I am photographing something completely unique.


There is much still for me to learn about taking pictures, to be able to do everything I want to do with this camera. The prospects are exciting, the potential boundless. I cannot wait to take my photography class this fall.