What started out as a simple interest in taking photos of the beautiful flowers I walk by on a daily basis as turned into an obsession. If I see a flower, I must take a photo of it. And if I don’t have my camera, I get really frustrated that I have forgotten it.

So, my Canon’s been in my pocket a lot these days, including the July 4 weekend, when a usual stroll through the park my in-laws live in led to perhaps the best photograph I’ve ever taken.

On the path, a waxy rhododendron plant was beginning to bloom. Some of the buds were still closed, small, pink cones rising out of a white husk, while some a had bloomed into delicate flowers. My favorite part of a rhododendron flower is the green stenciling that decorates only one of its five petals.

The photos came out great but there was one shot that stood out. When I took the photo, the flower was surrounded by a dark shadow. Later, I switched it to black and white, bumped up the contrast a little, and the result is this brilliant image of the flower swimming in darkness. I love it.

So here they all are. I trust you’ll know which one is the best photo I’ve ever taken.

Related posts:

1. And with this I say ‘goodbye summer’
2. Is this jasmine or not?
3. The magical, wonderful butterfly bush
4. The hibiscus transplant
5. The plum-blot test