The Ideal Human

I have often found shooting a flower that was composed of a single colour with masses of structure to be less than satisfactory, as it all just blends away. Here I am trying a macro of the heart of a completely white Chrysanthemum. I like the abstractness of the inner depths.

 

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese and East Asian art.

 

The Four Gentlemen, also called the Four Noble Ones, in Chinese art refers to four plants: the orchid, the bamboo, the chrysanthemum, and the plum blossom.

 

The term compares the four plants to Confucianist junzi, or "gentlemen". They are most typically depicted in traditional ink and wash painting and they belong to the category of bird-and-flower painting in Chinese art.

 

Junzi was a term used by Confucius to describe his ideal human.

 

Confucian says - Best seen on black.

EDIT: I forgot to mention this is SOOC and not a black and white conversion. I added some negative exposure bias to desaturate the "whiteness"

 

Oriental Challenge

Done