Weekly Photo Challenge: DELICATE

“Give me the man who will surrender the whole world for a moss or a caterpillar, and impracticable visions for a simple human delight.”

Bruce Frederick Cummings

SINGLE STRAND

Here in the lowcountry, we are surrounded by beautiful Live Oak trees, which harbor the most delicate of plants, Spanish Moss. It seemed to me that its fragile, graceful nature was a perfect match for this week’s Photo Challenge: Delicate. The moss hangs from the branches of the oaks and takes its nourishment directly from the air, and it’s moisture from the rain. Our humidity is the perfect environment to stimulate its growth.

FILTERED LIGHT

“I shall wait beneath the moss, until the flowers are fragrant.”

Hideki Tojo

The delicate lace of the Spanish Moss adds immeasurably to the beauty of the trees, and their symbiotic relationship creates a visual feast for us all.  Sunlight filters playfully through the dainty strands creating patterns that change as the breeze controls their movements.

DAYBREAK AMONG THE OAKS

For a time, it was feared that the moss was creating problems with the trees, but a recent study proved that to be untrue.  Not only is it non-damaging, it actually provides a bit of shelter from the intensity of our sunlight as well as a wonderful material for the local birds to line and/or rehabilitate their nearby nests.

 

For another take on the beauty of the moss, I’ve created an antiqued sepia version:

 

SEPIA MOSS

For me, the mood of the photographs is totally different; moving from warm and welcoming to a bit spooky or foreboding.  What do YOU think?

Tags: Delicate, Moss, nature, Trees

• December 15, 2012
• Kiawah, Landscape, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Trees, Weekly Challenge
• 30 Comments