Fri, Dec 27, 6:35 AM CST

A Thorny Subject

Photography Flowers/Plants posted on Nov 01, 2010
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Description


That which we call a rose, by any other name, is still related to a strawberry. --Shakespeare 2.0 I was looking for insects when I came across these. I was drawn to the garish magenta coloration of some species of rose I can scarcely name. I like flowers, don’t get me wrong, but as many of them don’t spray poison, exude food-snaring mucus, or wiggle around in interesting ways, I tend to overlook them in my perpetual search for things that spray poison, exude food-snaring mucus, or wiggle around in interesting ways. I suppose, in this way, I have something in common with Martha Stewart. Who’d have thought that!? By her own account, one of her favorite plants is a beautiful specimen of botanical grace. It’s also poisonous. Naturally she displayed such a vicious thing in a pretty ceramic pot. My respect for Martha Stewart went up a notch when I saw that. (You gotta love a woman who likes poison things and puts them in pots on her kitchen windowsill! Martha rocks!) Anyway, I was looking for insects when I came across a rose bush, and though the blossoms were beautiful and stunning examples of Fibonacci Spirals and sheer mathematical perfection, I was more interested in the prickly bits. In all honesty, I was hoping to find a leaf hopper or two—the kinds of little six-legged people who just so happen to look like ambulatory rose thorns. There were none. I don’t think they like Chicago very much. There were, however, ants and flies of various sorts. There were yellow jackets as well…but they, like me, weren’t interested in roses. They were probably prowling for somebody’s tea. Now, as I look at this picture, my thoughts are going off in all sorts of typical directions. I realize that I like flowers immensely; I especially like those big Amazonian Jungle flowers that smell like over-ripe road kill, or the absolutely gorgeous feeding appendages of the Venus Flytrap. I’m just weird enough to think that if flowers possessed the ability to bite, I’d develop a green thumb. Just think of the possibilities: roses as home-security devices, dandelions as fléchette-firing weapons. Hmm…dandelion fléchettes: note to self…save this idea, it could make for a good plot device. As I look at this image, I’m reminded of what I actually find beautiful in life. Roses are marvelous life forms, and what I like most about them is their thorns. What is a rose, after all, without thorns…? Yeah, and okay…they’re mathematically appealing and they demonstrate that Nature has a fondness for spirals: not just any spirals, but the same Fibonacci Spirals evident in snail shells, spiral galaxies, sunflower seed arrangements, and even cowlicks on some goofy kid’s head. Most amazing, for me—however—is the fact that the rose and the strawberry are close cousins; look at the arrangement of seeds on a strawberry and compare it to the lips of rose petals before the blossom opens. The similarities are spooky! Life is so much fun when Nature opens up like that and shows you something unexpected. Now, if only I could find some of those fléchette-firing weeds! *** As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting...and if anyone comes across aggressive and predatory lawn-weeds, let me know.

Comments (20)


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Wolfmanw

9:54PM | Mon, 01 November 2010

Excellent colors, capture and clarity

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danapommet

10:02PM | Mon, 01 November 2010

Nasty looking thorns Chip and beautiful looking greenery. A very powerful photo and as always love the narrative. Dana

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bimm3d

10:40PM | Mon, 01 November 2010

very good photo!!

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RodS

11:32PM | Mon, 01 November 2010

If you find any of those flechette-firing dandelions, sned me a few seeds, willya? Excellent macro here, Chip! We must be on the same cosmic plane tonight - the first thing I thought of when I saw this was those leaf-hoppers that disguise themselves as thorns....

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Sepiasiren

11:33PM | Mon, 01 November 2010

just lovely work--another excellent capture my friend!

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beachzz

12:22AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

ouch--those look nasty and i know if they were anywhere close to me, they would get me--they always do!!

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helanker

3:07AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

HA! That is s beautiful Macro Chip. Look at these perfect thorns. I like this shot very much and I certainly like the story too. That is what I love most. Your little brain spinning thoughts around all you see on your way. I love it. They are more touching, than you think.

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durleybeachbum

3:58AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

I love the way you type what you think ( well, you appear to do, maybe it's just a device but who cares), and let us share the workings of your fertile grey matter! This image of a green bloke in a fancy hat with a very sharp penis is very impressive indeed!

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KateBlack10

6:49AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

Really nice pic Chip - love the narrative and - roses as home-security devices, dandelions as fléchette-firing weapons. Hmm…dandelion fléchettes: note to self…save this idea, it could make for a good plot device. - would be an awesome story- Day of the Triffids anyone?

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mbz2662

6:51AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

Wonderful Chip :) Love how you captured those lethal looking thorns. and Oh how they hurt! I started thinking... about the Little Shop of Horrors' Audrey II. You know the singing, flesh eating plant ... lol. Oh, and the Fibonacci spiral is used in explaining the rule of thirds in photo composition.

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MrsRatbag

9:03AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

There are cacti that fire their spikes when you get too near, I think they're called Teddy Bear cactus... you'd like those! This is lovely, the spikes make such a sharp counterpoint to the soft foliage (pun intended!) They almost look like when you turn your back they would lift up and walk away on little feet. Great shot and interesting ruminations!

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flavia49

11:01AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

splendid macro!!

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makron

11:23AM | Tue, 02 November 2010

Very good photo. Splendid macro.

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MagikUnicorn

12:47PM | Tue, 02 November 2010
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sandra46

5:34PM | Tue, 02 November 2010

VERY COOL MACRO

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Orinoor

9:10PM | Tue, 02 November 2010

Your thorns remind me of my favorite thorns, belonging to the wild blackberries. The are bright red, almost translucent when young, but hard and woody with age, much like humans.

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kgb224

2:43AM | Wed, 03 November 2010

Stunning capture my friend.

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auntietk

7:32AM | Wed, 03 November 2010

Gorgeous capture! The light, detail and clarity are all excellent. Perhaps you would find our blackberry vines here to be of interest. They grow exceedingly fast, have loads of thorns, take over the world no matter now you try to kill them, AND at the end of the summer they produce yummy berries. I'm sure they're home to millions of little buggies you would find amusing. :D

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praep

12:14AM | Thu, 11 November 2010

Like most of the time in the nature - beautiful but dangerous.

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lick.a.witch

3:58AM | Thu, 18 November 2010

After reading what Andrea wrote, I really need to lie down!! ^=^ You like thorns? Google Beach Roses! When the waters here recede, I shall make my way to the beach and take a picture or two for you! Wonderfully lethal! Fabulous image, though I must say if ever I see a chap in a fancy green hat walking my way, I shall faint! ^=^


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Photograph Details
F Numberf/8.0
MakeCanon
ModelCanon PowerShot A1000 IS
Shutter Speed1/60
ISO Speed80
Focal Length6

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