Embers in Leaf

About this piece

Scarlet leaf tips and lime-green centers form overlapping tiers against a softly blurred bed of pale stones. Selective focus reveals the fine surface texture of the foreground succulent while allowing the surrounding growth to dissolve into color.

The story

I was drawn to the red before I noticed the order of the leaves. Each pair seemed to open a little farther than the last, building a small architecture above the stones. I framed the nearest stem closely, letting the growth behind it soften. Through the lens, the gravel became a wash of cream and gold, and the plant held my attention with its quiet passage from green to flame.