Cheryl English of Black Cat Pottery is creating an article for Michigan Gardener Magazine. One of the featured plants will be skunk cabbage. It is not only appropriately named, but also has a unique seed dispersal method that requires certain events to happen at certain times - much like many successful creative endeavors.
The search for skunk cabbage began with locally-available areas that might have suitable growing conditions - this is a plant that is quite particular in its habits. We should be so lucky that the plants might be readily available, but it was not to be.
Cheryl inquired with all her naturalist friends - and the response from Seven Ponds Nature Center confirmed it - skunk cabbage in abundance. So we drove out and there it was - an absolute embarrassment of skunk cabbage in all its scented glory.
We had a perfect day for photography - cool temperatures, variable sun and clouds, but the swampy conditions the plant likes made for some slippery footing for the photographer and his rapidly-chilling assistant Cheryl. We spent the better part of two hours photographing the plants - it could take days to properly document the plants that were there - and ended up with at least one good photograph.
I take no chances when making my portraits of flowers - I use a tripod, a wireless remote release, plus supplementary lighting. Each image is scrutinized, evaluated, checked, magnified.
Why? Today is the day we have and there will be no better time than now to make what is presented in front of the camera the very best it can be. There is no reason why any photographer should run in, snap a frame and run home and call it a day. The creative glory that is a skunk cabbage deserves no less than our total concentration and our best effort.
Whether the effort is for commercial clients or for personal work, I will not stop striving to improve until a satisfactory photograph has been created.
Can you imagine such things live here among us? Take a moment from the everyday ugliness that is our metropolitan life and just enjoy the abundance, exuberance and sheer impressiveness of nature.
We hope to return and revisit its form in summer and fall - the leaves are large and the seed head is unique. Read Cheryl's post about skunk cabbage here >>
