about seeing and looking.

Some plants only grow in sunlight. They’re often the ones we see first. They offer vibrant yellows and reds that are meant to catch attention. Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds are drawn to their flowers. It’s not hard to see them.

Some plants only grow in the shade. They’re not less beautiful. They’re in a different light. We have to get closer, change our view, to see them. It not hard to miss them.

This morning I uploaded some photos I took on Monday. A nondescript picture under a tree caught my attention. I pulled it up for a closer look — I found something unexpected. It changed how I thought about that plant and how I valued the photo.

Don’t look at the flower. Look at the leaf.

When we change our view, it changes what we see.

It works with more than flowers and leaves.

Image: liz strauss