not quite

it’s hard to make a really moody picture on a bright white background. a moody photo wants to have hidden depths, to recede into shadow. a white background does too good a job of illuminating and defining edges. i had in mind that there might be an interesting tension between the incipient decay of these dried smoke tree leaves, and the somewhat cheery, bright white behind them. in the end i don’t think i captured what i was after. or maybe the tension just isn’t there. i am no less fascinated with smoke tree leaves for all that, and i like this arrangement, which i feel i can practically hear rustling in a fall breeze. but that’s not what i was after. not quite.