Peony Revelation 1, photo by Harold Davis. View this photograph larger.

I was surprised to see the core of the peony resolving itself within my viewfinder.

This is a tree peony flower, a lovely and exotic speciment that blooms once a year with exactly three wonderful flowers. There have only been three flowers in any years for as long as we’ve had this plant.

I have been spending a great deal of time photographing these flowers this year and their secrets.

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Less is sometimes more. I loved the way the drops of water came into focus beneath the cloud of peony petals in this photo:

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