Still Life – Peony

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In an earlier post (See: Croton Landing – Killdeer). I mentioned that I might “have a go” a wildlife photography as a challenge.

I recently acquired a copy of Joel Meyerowitz: Where I Find Myself: A Lifetime Retrospective and in it there are a number of beautiful still life photographs.

Since I’ve always found still life’s appealing it occurred to me that this could be another challenge. While I’ve taken still life’s before, this is one of the first I’ve taken since reading the book.

It’s taken in a corner of our house in Briarcliff Manor, which has particularly good light at certain times of day and shows a peony from our garden in one of my wife’s numerous pieces of blue and white china.

Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.

Unnamed Trail – Old Stone Bridge

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A new trail has recently opened in Fahnestock State Park. It’s close to our house and can be easily reached by a short walk along Lake Shore Road. It’s so new that it doesn’t seem to have a name yet, and the last time I was there the trails do not show blazes.

A while back I took the dog for a walk there – about two hours in all. Early on we passed by this old stone bridge over Roaring Brook. A road of some kind must at one point have crossed this bridge, but the nearby Taconic State Parkway now blocks any further progress in that direction.

Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.

Croton Landing – Yellow Flag Iris

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crotonlandingyellowiris-1

According to Wildflowers of the United States:

Iris pseudacorus – Yellow Flag Iris, Paleyellow Iris, Yellow Iris, Water Flag. Iris pseudacorus is a species brought in from Europe as a decorative plant for its attractive yellow flowers, escaped, and has established itself well in wet areas throughout much of North America. Think cattails for the habitat in which it grows. It has been used as a plant in natural sewage treatment since it can remove metals from waste water. Its propagation is restricted as an invasive weed in a number of states ranging from Massachusetts to Washington and California.

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The lovely flowers of Yellow Iris are large and showy. This is the only yellow Iris in the United States.

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…typical Iris pseudacorus habitat – the edge of ponds, marshes, and other waterways. Although it prefers wet habitat, it is drought tolerant and the roots can survive for months without water. Yellow Flag will grow in dense clumps, spreading vegetatively by rhizomes and sexually via seeds. Both the leaves and the flowering stalk can be up to 4 feet tall.

Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.