Featured Artist Roberta London

Artist Roberta London, captivated by the lush flora that Florida has to offer, focuses on light and detail to create visually compelling photographic portraits of nature. See more by visiting her website.

 

 

After a long career as a film and television producer in New York, I headed south and settled in Florida. The extraordinary landscape inspired my transition to still photography. It was impossible to ignore the flowers, colors and amazing light, and I set out to photograph the natural beauty in my new environment.

 

 

Exploring the landscape, whether along the roadside, on a walk in the neighborhood or in a garden, is like being on safari.

 

 

I always see a flower or tree that surprises me, either because of its breathtaking beauty or because it is something not usually seen.

 

 

A Rainbow Gum Tree at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach was one such surprise. Although I had walked past that tree many times, it had never caught my attention until one day after a brief rain shower had wet the bark, and its amazing colors were revealed.

 

 

I took dozens of photographs focusing on different sections of the tree. Back in the studio reviewing the day’s work, I saw that the Rainbow Gum Tree was actually a treasure trove of abstract art.

 

 

Although most often my photography is done out in the field, there are times when I will bring a flower or plant inside. An example is the Night Blooming Cereus, which I bring into the studio so that it is not subject to wind (or rain) and so it can be lit.

 

 

The flower opens after dark, growing from large bud to magnificent full bloom over the course of about two hours, then closes and is gone by sunrise.

 

 

Although most of us come in contact in some way with the natural world on a daily basis, we can still miss seeing the exceptional details in a single bloom, or the designs in the bark of a tree.

 

 

Making photographs that capture and preserve the details and designs of nature’s artistry is a challenging but truly joyful experience that provides the spark plug and compass for my art.

 

Artist Roberta London invites you to follow her on Facebook and to check out her Houzz  and Amazon pages.

 

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