Leaves Into Flame

About this piece

Mike Gedj’s close-up brings the fleshy, pointed leaves of a succulent into a vivid register of yellow, orange, and red. Selective focus reveals fine surface texture in the foreground while surrounding foliage dissolves into a luminous field of color.

The story

I moved close enough for the surrounding plants to lose their outlines. What held my attention was the passage of color along each leaf: yellow at the base, deepening through orange, then gathering into red at the tip. I framed the sharper leaves against the softer green behind them. Through the lens, this small cluster became a landscape of rising points, each one carrying its own measure of light.