My adventure in fruitful spaces begins! Kathy generously invited me to photograph her grapes. As I wandered through her yard, I realized what a personal offer it is to allow someone to prowl about your yard with a camera. I appreciate and respect her generosity.

In addition to many lovely images of grapes and vines in various light conditions, I also got images of various stages of fruit on her date palm. I’m not sure if they are an edible variety or not – apparently harvesting dates in Florida can be tricky due to critters and the effects of humidity. Her tree inspired me to look up date palms on the internet. The varieties are numerous and the fruit develops better in dry conditions. The available images were not detailed enough for me to pick out which variety Kathy’s tree is.

As always, I am easily distracted. Lizards posed for the camera, so I could not resist taking a few shots. Then I discovered a pool full of polliwogs. I was able to ignore this up until the sunlight hit the pool just so, lighting up submerged leaves in reflections of red and yellow and showcasing the active tadpoles too beautifully to pass up. Another folder of images for a future project is added to the collection.

The joy of serendipity is difficult to describe. We often become so familiar with our home spaces that we overlook the little treasures to be seen when we pause to look closely. I look forward to getting better acquainted with friends and neighbors as we discover these treasures together!

--Leigh

August 2014

Leigh Osgood Fine Art and Photography