Beautiful Blooms
A Photographic Celebration
Poetic and whimsical, Georgianna Lane’s soothing photography collection inspires contemplation through her favorite floral varieties.
Favoring “pastel prettiness,” fragrance, and roses most of all, Lane draws from her extensive archive as a professional photographer to tour through images that reflect specific emotional states. Encouraging viewers to move “as a dreamer” does, the book focuses on aesthetic botanical wonders as Lane reflects on her travels around the world. She recalls, for instance, meeting David Austin, a renowned English rose breeder. In her coverage of Pacific Northwest gardens, Château de Sourches, and a friend’s private garden in Chile, there are hints that flowers unite people.
Scientific information, as about the high vibrational frequency of roses, is included to suggest that flowers bolster people’s moods. Musings on topics including grace and serenity are featured, and references to the lighting in Dutch masters’ paintings show that roses captivate people across centuries and disciplines. Still, the prose is delicate and romantic, with words like “gossamer” and notes of a “coquettishly” tilting iris; herein, roses are “miracles of form and hue” and a tulip is a “goblet of light.” Flowers’ names are relished, too, including that of the “Top Brass” peony.
Photographs of tumbling profusions in arranged bouquets, pink and purple landscapes, flower carpets, and single blossoms appear alongside striking abstract close-ups that highlight colors and forms. A dahlia’s petals progress from gradations of deep wine to red to fuchsia; a field tulip’s curve is a near bass clef. An image of a poppy eschews showy drama, angled from behind, drawing the eye toward the bending stem. Tips on the equipment, composition, and lighting for photographing flowers are present to encourage beginners too.
Celebrating gardens across the globe, Beautiful Blooms is a travel photographer’s warm floral oeuvre.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
