Finding Beauty in Dying Roses

I visited the Portland Rose Garden while attending Denise Ippolito's Swan Island Dahlia Farm Workshop in 2019. It had rained in Portland the days leading up to our visit, and the roses were battered down and spent. Our assignment was to photograph aging roses. It was an opportunity to capture beauty in imperfection, not an easy task for an Enneagram One (The Perfectionist) such as myself. I was up to the challenge and looked for roses, which still displayed pizazz in some way. It may be the shape, color, or juxtaposition that caught my eye.

Here are those images:

First Sign

I was drawn to this sweet pink rose with dewdrops and could overlook the age spots.

Rough Around the Edges

The color of this rose offset its rough edges.

Flare

Her color, shape, and posture give her attitude that reminds me she once was magnificent in her glory days.

Next Generation

I found the juxtaposition of the fresh green bud and the aging red rose striking. I see it as a portrait of a grandmother and her grandchild.