Photo By Gail

As an amatuer photographer continually striving to improve my skills, I can’t tell you how much better and more engaging my photos are since I started using flowers as a benchmark subject.  Consider a single flower, examined up-close, and there are so many different ways to approach it. From a wide angle to deep detail shots that turn isolated sections of the flower into an abstract art form, a flower presents infinite possibilities when considering perspective.

If you’re looking for the optimal time to photograph a flower, do yourself a favor and investigate the specific time of the season that certain flowers are in peak bloom at your local botanical garden, because you’re going to have a wonderful experience.  In the final week of May, the peonies were still  in peak bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic and that’s where I captured the Pink Peony that would become this week’s Pink Thing!

Peonies are often associated with romance, prosperity, and good fortune. In many cultures, they are used in wedding bouquets and decorations to symbolize a happy marriage. Two-tone or double pink peonies like this one are a popular variety of peony flowers known for their striking coloration and lush, full blooms.  There are several varieties of peonies that exhibit two-tone pink characteristics but this one (best guess) appears to possibly belong to the Sorbet or Beautiful Senorita varieties. It certainly is stunning.

Photographed in The Brooklyn Botanic Garden