False Hellebore (also known as Corn Lily, Skunk Cabbage, and several other local names) grows in high mountain meadows and wetlands. The plant first appears as a tightly wound cylinder of leaves arranged in a spiral around a central stalk. As the stalk grows upward, the leaves unwind making the plant look somewhat like corn. If there is enough moisture, then some of the plants will produce sprays of flowers at the top. False Hellebore is very toxic.
I’ve always enjoyed photographing False Hellebore. The spiral motif along with the pleated leaves make for some great abstractions. I like to photograph them just as the leaves are starting to unwind. This gives the best overlapping patterns without difficult depth-of-field issues. In this image, the lines, shapes, textures and play of light screamed for a black and white treatment.
This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2014 and is filed under Uncategorized. Both comments and pings are currently closed.