NIGHT FLOWER

KENT, UK, 2023

When it comes to framing common subjects like Snowdrops, you must think outside the box. It's your obligation as an artist. Over the years, I'd failed at making snowdrops different. I ended up with the basic portraits we're all used to seeing. This time, I had a new plan. 

I went to my regular snowdrop spot. An Old English churchyard overlooking a Tudor town market square. Very idyllic. On my many failed attempts, I'd go early in the morning to capture the soft late winter light. Now, it was time to experiment. Why not try at night?

I arrived on a cold and still night. I knew I had to get low, close and work against the light. But there was no light other than a streetlight from above. I'd done my homework and brought an external light with me. We shone it 45 degrees from the flower, creating a backlit effect that didn't interfere with the background. 

To break the rules further, I framed the subject far off-centre. Tucked into the corner. Creating this beautiful sea of uncluttered, rich black that juxtaposes the white snowdrop. 

These are the moments you have after years of failure and perseverance. To think outside the box, you often have to start inside it. Then, break the box completely. Make your own rules. 

"TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, YOU OFTEN HAVE TO START INSIDE IT. THEN, BREAK THE BOX COMPLETELY. MAKE YOUR OWN RULES. 

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

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