Amaryllis photo shoot, Epping, Sunday afternoon

Spring is sprung, at last, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. Which is such a relief after the grim grey of the last few months. And when the flowers come out, I like to grab my camera. Here’s my first effort from earlier today. An Amaryllis that I’ve got in a pot in the kitchen.

Bursting out.

This is quite an amazing plant. The stem is about half a metre long already, and still growing strong. The flowers will be large and bold. Amaryllis isn’t shy about coming forward!

But is colour the right way to show this flower…? I wonder if black and white doesn’t actually make it even more impressive – as a picture that is? Here’s a shot of the same plant, same time, same camera, same lighting conditions etc. I’ve just converted this into b&w. Ok, so now we don’t get the spring colours…, but is the photo more aesthetically pleasing as a picture? Is it more unusual? Does the removal of colour move the photo from a simple depiction of what’s there, to an interpretation of the flower? Does b&w move the picture from the real to the interpretative, more ‘arty’?

Unopened bud.

Let me know which one you like the best, and why!