Illustrative Photography Competition – 1st Place
Congratulations to Angi Wallace with this image being awarded 1st Place.
Angi tells us –
The image is titled Re Ink Carnation and is part of my submerged plant life series, which is a project that I will be working on for the whole of 2024 and probably longer. The project involves exploring the circle of life and imperfect beauty through plants, by attempting to capture the fleeting, transient moments in time/life using the 4 elements to help me express the nature and personality of each plant. I research the flower or plant, delving into the history, folklore and legends, uses throughout history and present, meanings, medicinal uses etc, which helps me to build up a kind of back story and personality that I then attempt to portray using colours, movement, lighting etc. For now most of these are submerged in liquids and much of what you see is straight out of camera and impossible to replicate precisely, often lasting just seconds at a time. I love that transient nature of the project, combining a kind of liquid art with photography. I create some with smoke and spores too which is the next stage of my project which I intend to concentrate on more next year, along with light.
Carnations are known as the flowers of the Gods and are associated with devotion, fascination, distinction and love.
Carnations are linked in mythology to the Goddess Diana who fell in love with a shepherd who did not reciprocate her feelings. Spurned, she became enraged and plucked his eyes out, discarding his body on the ground and Carnations sprouted from his remains. Now you see where the title comes from.
Red Carnations generally represent affections, whilst white symbolise love and purity.
I have chosen Red, white and pink ink for this set of images to symbolise what these flowers stand for. Plus some with purple.
White for purity, divinity and good luck, red for affection and love, pink for unconditional love and purple for devotion in some.
