Gallery 03 of 05
Flora & Fauna
Bloom, bud, and the small visitors in between.
Open HeartLos Angeles, CaliforniaFully open, the lotus offers up its seed pod like a small golden lantern. It rises each summer from the mud of the pond without carrying a speck of it, which is why so many traditions made it a symbol of purity.Open HeartLos Angeles, California
First BloomLos Angeles, CaliforniaA bud just beginning to loosen, caught in a single shaft of morning light while the rest of the pond stays in shadow. Each lotus flower lives only a few days, opening in the morning and folding closed again by evening.First BloomLos Angeles, California
Two of UsLos Angeles, CaliforniaTwo white blossoms in the dark green, like old friends sharing a secret, or two lovers sharing a quiet moment as one leans in a little closer. White lotuses feel quieter somehow, as if they decided color would only be a distraction.Two of UsLos Angeles, California
Lavender RainLos Angeles, CaliforniaA thick marine layer had settled in, the kind of cool grey morning that mutes everything. Then, a treat: cascades of lavender spilling against the pale sky, every cluster heavy with blossom. Some flowers bloom; these seem to pour.Lavender RainLos Angeles, California
Hide and SeekLos Angeles, CaliforniaHead first and fully committed, a bee burrows deep into the bud of a native California mallow. Plants like this evolved alongside our local bees, birds and butterflies, so a garden full of natives becomes a feeding ground for the whole neighborhood.Hide and SeekLos Angeles, California
Electric BlueLos Angeles, CaliforniaA honeybee dives into woolly blue curls, a native California wildflower whose blue is so vivid it almost hums. Once established, native plants get by on little more than seasonal rain, a gift in a state that is always counting its water.Electric BlueLos Angeles, California
Inside the BellLos Angeles, CaliforniaDusted in pollen, a honeybee climbs into a showy penstemon as if stepping into a small cathedral. Natives need no fertilizer or pesticides to thrive here. They were made for this soil and this sun, and the pollinators follow.Inside the BellLos Angeles, California
Upside-Down SkyLos Angeles, CaliforniaA lotus hangs low over the water, and the pond hands back a blue sky and a ceiling of green leaves. It takes a second look to tell which way is up.Upside-Down SkyLos Angeles, California
Soft LightLos Angeles, CaliforniaPale pink petals catch the light against a wall of dark leaves. Water rolls off lotus leaves like glass beads, so cleanly that scientists named a whole field of self-cleaning surfaces after them: the lotus effect.Soft LightLos Angeles, California
Over Dark WaterLos Angeles, CaliforniaOn a long, curving stem, a pink bloom leans out over dark water as if listening to something below. Its roots lie deep in the mud, and everything above the surface is reaching for light.Over Dark WaterLos Angeles, California
Golden LaceSiem Reap, CambodiaLate in the season, a lotus leaf dries into lace and glows in golden light on the ponds of Angkor Wat. The temple has watched over these waters since the twelfth century, and the cycle carries on: seed pods standing tall, new buds still rising, everything already turning toward the next bloom.Golden LaceSiem Reap, Cambodia
Looking UpPrague, Czech RepublicSpringtime in Prague, surrounded by neoclassical facades and trees in full bloom. I stood beneath the branches, looked straight up, and all I could see was pink. Some blossoms ask you to come closer; this one asks you to stop, tilt your head back and let the city wait.Looking UpPrague, Czech Republic
Morning DewLos Angeles, CaliforniaDew still clings to the white petals, while behind them a pink bud waits its turn to bloom. Lotus seeds are famously patient too: one, found in an ancient lakebed in China, sprouted after some 1,300 years.Morning DewLos Angeles, California
The Leaning BudLos Angeles, CaliforniaA pink bud bows over a pond of lily pads, not quite ready to open. Tomorrow, or the day after, it will unfold. Today it is all promise.The Leaning BudLos Angeles, California
Close Enough to TouchLos Angeles, CaliforniaClose enough to count the veins, a white lotus fills the frame while a second bloom glows softly behind it. Up close, every petal holds the light like frosted glass.Close Enough to TouchLos Angeles, California
Paper LanternLos Angeles, CaliforniaSunlight pours through a single pink bud and lights it from within, a paper lantern hung against the broad green of a leaf.Paper LanternLos Angeles, California