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As I’ve become older, and beardier, I’ve become more entranced by the potential of impressionist flower photography.

Maybe it’s because I’m starting to look like Monet.

A Visit to the Confetti Fields

On a recent excursion to the remarkable confetti flower fields with my friend, the photographer Charlotte Doran Davies, my love for blurring reality was just the thing.

Due the hot weather, almost every single bloom in the entire field had ‘gone over’ – they were dry, crinkled and looking rather sad.

The same might be said for some of the other photographers who had gone to snap the glorious blooms – some of them wanted lovely close up photos of the flowers in pristine condition, and none were to be had.

But to me it was a scintillating opportunity to make glorious swirls of colour, to make the flowers dance.

There were strict instructions not to pick any flowers, so I couldn’t swirl the blooms.

Nor could I swirl the dance floor – the field itself.

But I could swirl the viewer, my camera.

At first I was thinking of Monet

Initially, my photographs were, perhaps, more Monet-like – I used very small camera movements to create a slight dancing movement.

But then I tried a technique I started using last year in bluebell woods – the twist.

And then Degas became my inspiration

And as soon as I tried it in the Confetti Fields, I was reminded of ballet dancers.

More specifically, the ballet dancers of Degas.

He painted them again and again.

I haven’t always liked these paintings, but there is a certain whimsy about them that I find increasingly appealing.

So my camera danced.

 

 

 

 

 

Let me know what you think of my impressionist flower photography.

And let me know whether you’d like me to write a more technical piece about how I make these images.

I’m going to be making test prints of all of these photographs, and more.

If you’re interested in a print for home or workplace, or you’d just like to tell me what you think, do drop me a line on my contact page.