Edges of Flame

About this piece

Long, variegated leaves fan outward from a tightly gathered center, their green surfaces bordered by cream bands and coral-red spines. Bright light reveals fine parallel veins, while softened foreground leaves lend depth to the intersecting forms.

The story

I moved closer until the leaves filled the frame and the surroundings slipped away. What held me was the narrow line of red along each edge, bright against the cream and green. Every small spine interrupted that line with its own precise curve. I followed the leaves inward with my lens, toward the shaded place where they gathered, and let their outward sweep carry the light through the photograph.