Close to the ground

While we are shooting, ahem, photographing everything like madmen and madwomen, we often tend to forget something. The ground we walk on is covered with great subjects for photography. If only we’d look down and stand still at the little marvels that surround us.

For me, that is what photography is all about. It’s about seeing. Seeing those little things, those little details that other people simply ignore. Sure, they will see that clump of mushrooms on a rotten tree stump, but do they really look closer at the beauty of those mushrooms?

We all tend to focus on our photography subjects (no pun intended), but we also seem to forget that there is more to see and meets the eye.

When I was walking through the Transcona Nature Reserve to do my daily exercise, I noticed these little bluish, purplish flowers in the grass. I always have my phone with me, not so for my camera gear. It weighs 20 pounds and I don’t take it everywhere with me. My phone is good enough for many of these little subjects. If I remember to wipe off the little lens, that is.

That’s when I started to remember that, long ago, I also used to look down on the grasses, the weeds and their flowers and seeds. Many of these pictures are just grass, but all of a different variety it seems.

And that’s where the point is: there are so many different kinds of grasses, with just as many types of blooms and seeds that it is really amazing. Also amazing that we never look at it and just run over it with our lawn mowers. Preferably before the rain starts.

So many different kinds and all just ignored. So here is a post about just those little plants we tend to ignore. Much of them we don’t even want in out yards because they don’t fit in with the rest of the grass.

Strange white topsStrange white tops

And then, there are the weeds that we definitely don’t want in our yards. We’d even prefer to have some wild grasses over them weeds. But take a close look at them and tell me that they are not beautiful. Even if we don’t want them in our lawns.

FluffyFluffy

The intricate beauty of these weeds and grasses have made it possible for them to survive centuries on earth, mostly in unchanged form. Bugs and animals have liked them enough to eat them or pollinate them. Just to make sure the cycle of their life can continue.

The grass under our feet, or better said the grasses under our feet. They do deserve some pictures from time to time.

Until next time…