Photographer: Victoria Dye, Charlottesville, Virginia Image Title: Dogwood Petals Category: Plants   Technical Details: Canon A2, Sigma 180mm macro lens, Ilford Delta 100 film at f/22 Location: Charlottesville, Virginia Description: "Dogwood Petals" is from a series of close-up black and white flower images I have been working on for the past couple of years. With this series, I am trying to capture the flower or a portion of the tree/plant and isolate it. I want the viewer to leave the obvious view behind and look at the subject in a different way via my perspective. I like the flowers to glow and they are usually backlit by artificial means to achieve this ephemeral look. This view tries to evoke a sense of Japanese art by capturing the delicate linearity of the flowers. I love how the dogwood flowers bloom in an almost flat plane. They seem to float in space.     The close-up or macro world has always fascinated me. My favorite lens is my 180mm Sigma macro lens, which allows me to get up close and dig into my subject. The closer you get to a subject the more your perspective changes. You can often isolate a small part or create a whole new abstract look.   My subjects include flowers and plants in nature as well as those posed in a studio. Natural lighting is my favorite, but sometimes I use artificial light to give a dramatic backlighting effect. Regardless of the means, I am looking to find and show the 'art' in nature. I want my viewers to see the hidden beauty that is all around us. I also want my viewers to learn a little something about the subject. My first solo show in Charlottesville, Virginia, entitled 'The Tide Pools of Olympic National Park', provides educational as well as artistic information on my subjects.   Victoria Dye Phone: 434-962-7212 E-mail: vdyephoto@ntelos.net   Return to 2003 Galleries | Return to 2003 Plants Gallery     Home | Contact Us | Copyright