Peter Havranek

I’ve been exploring the world of flora with my photography in recent years. Plants are interesting to me… we pass hundreds by every day and yet rarely ever really notice them, let alone ponder their existence and imagine the things each one has seen and been through. I find this shot of a patch of poppies intriguing. At first glance they look happy and carefree basking in the sun and swaying in the breeze. But looking into the face of the one in front tells a different story. I see the burdens of its existence weighing down on it.  It knows its days are numbered… with the next rainfall it will lose its petals and then eventually die away, leaving behind only a dried up seed pod containing all its hopes for the next generation.

There’s both a chaos and an orderly uniformity anchored together in this shot, set in its ways yet somehow uneasy. Imperfections abound, but the purpose is fulfilled. Feet firmly planted, taking in the scene and pondering their next move. This is a simple scene, but I enjoy its abstraction which puts the focus on the otherwise nondescript elements and opens the door to personalized interpretations of its underlying nature.

Some of the best photo opportunities occur at unexpected times. This cloud formation surprised me as I was driving through Florida a few months ago. Managed to capture this shot from the driver’s seat while cruising down a busy highway, which I assure you was not an easy task!

Two souls sit under a tree reminiscing of good times of ole. This is one of my favorite scenes I captured this past winter.

Experimenting with abstract macro photography