unbreakable bloom B＆W

This gallery is the second part of the ‘unbreakable bloom’ series, featuring black-and-white images.

The images shown will change every 5 seconds.

A while ago, I wrote about Kazunari Tajima’s photobook, WITHERED FLOWERS. It seems only right to mention that there is another sequel. Titled WITHERED FLOWERS BLACK* the book is a masterclass in monochrome photography, cut flowers into a scene of sheer magnificence. With his mastery of studio lighting and meticulous composition, the sheer caliber of his technique leaves you with nothing to say but, “Masterful.”

Naturally, possessing neither that level of technical skill nor such refined artistic sensibility, I decided to give it a try anyway. Lacking a studio, a macro lens, or even a clear idea of what I was trying to achieve, I bypassed flower arrangements altogether. Instead, I wandered out into gardens, along roadsides, and through neighborhood parks and flowerbeds, searching for blossoms that looked like they were drawing their very last breath.

As it turned out, capturing fading flowers in black and white was surprisingly satisfying.

More than that, I felt a genuine sense that I was capturing something beautiful—though I can’t quite put into words why.

When you actively seek out and observe decaying flora, unexpected discoveries await. Things you would normally brush off as "a bit unsightly" suddenly reveal a striking, almost overwhelming vitality. What honestly looked grotesque at first glance begins to appear exquisitely delicate and noble. Some might argue this is merely proof that my own sense of aesthetics is deteriorating, but please, hear me out to the end.

What, after all, is beauty?

Allow me to quote a famous line by the poet John Keats:

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"—that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know

I find myself agreeing with Keats. There is profound value in capturing—through the lens of art—those fleeting moments that strike us as beautiful. So, I will likely continue to wander the streets, taking thoroughly ordinary photos with my far-from-perfect technique. Among all the things we as humans ought to know on this Earth, let us dedicate ourselves to observing the chaotic whims of nature, and the pure, unsullied coincidences of life.

Note: The links below are for reference only (no affiliate links).

Ref.: WITHERED FLOWERS BLACK* by Kazunali TAJIMA

https://www.akionagasawa.com/en/shop/books/akionagasawa/withered-flowers-black/

Poem** by John Keats 

Source: POETRY FOUNDATION ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44477/ode-on-a-grecian-urn