Simple Beauty

Soon the days will grow shorter and the air will grow cooler, but the weekend was perfectly warm and clear and I wanted to take advantage of it while I could.  I wanted to be somewhere surrounded by beauty so I grabbed my camera and headed to a local arboretum.  Most of the bright colors of summer have started to fade and the plant life wasn't as lush as it had been earlier in the season but that didn't matter.  You don't have to have bright, cheery colors to find the simple beauty in things and sure enough, I found plenty.  Yes, I know the picture above is technically a weed, but does that mean it's not beautiful? To me, it looks as if it's raising it's hands high in the air and saying, Look at me! 

I believe that even in the ugliest of places or things, beauty can always be found.  You just have to know where to look.  Have you found beauty in unexpected places or things?  If so, please share with us. We'd love to see the beauty, too.

Comments

[Kat]

Your words bring to mind a thought I've had recently... a weed is only a weed when it grows someplace you don't want it. Any other time it is just a plant, growing as it will, adding it's own beauty to the world. You did a beautiful job of finding the beauty.

I too find beauty in all sorts of places, even in the pattern and texture and color of peeling paint.
http://www.kateyeview.com/2010/05/at-doorstep.html

[victoria willaims]

Ahh I love pictures of weeds, here is mine and this grows outside our apartment and I love it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoria2008/4614877435/in/set-72157624078947534/

[Liz Brown]

I love finding beauty in unlikely places. I took this in a field of "weeds" after a storm.

http://jpgmag.com/photos/2646480

[froddard]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97309340@N00/142124240/in/set-72157624799443623/

Sometimes, even dirt can be beautiful.

[Bridget Brewer]

my post for today was very similar in finding the beauty in simple things. I took a photo of the morning dew, just located in the bushes beyond my front porch:

http://brewerfamily8.blogspot.com/2010/09/bead-gem-of-earth-and-sky-begotten.html

[Patty]

What a great post...that's what I love most about photography you can find and capture. the beauty in so many unexpected places:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/closetartist/4899503568/

[Jennifer]

There's beauty, even in the death of a tree:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardboardsea/4981607582/

[Marcie]

Beauty in the surprise 'rainbow' in the sky:
http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1294

[michel]

Love that! arms up in the air - so great.

I'm no botanist, but what is a weed anyway? They are totally my favourite to make photos of.
I found just a few little blossoms left in this field of fading blooms.

http://www.wishfulthinkingblog.com/wishful-thinking/2010/9/7/a-summer-farewell.html

[jag]

I love this kind of pursuit... to seek out beauty in the mundane and the unexpected. Photography has really helped me develop that "attitude". Here are a couple of beautiful discoveries:

Beauty in an abandoned building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2732236306/in/set-72157610159243695/

Beauty at the optometrist's office:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3470964366/in/set-72157606967353209/

xox
p.s. I call the "weeds" at my house God's Garden. :-)

[AnnGeeDee]

Even though the roses were beginning to fade, the colors were still warm and striking. And the morning light was stretched over them so perfectly: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40070449@N08/4673615556/in/set-72157623122903804/

[spread your wings]

this came up on me unexpectedly as I walked in the woods, but isn't it beautiful?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4981709116/

[Becky Sue]

Just yesterday I featured what I used to call a weed, Queen Anne's Lace, but now have a new appreciation.

http://cggrlogan.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/maine-monday-queen-annes-lace/

[Bettina]

That weed is TOTALLY saying look at me!!!! Very nice capture!

When nature works together to make beauty <3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4978982022/

[Jeanne]

Nothing simpler than a pup...

http://bostongirlontheverge.blogspot.com

[Jamie Lapeyrolerie]

I really like doors, so it is easy for me to find beauty in that:

http://lifephotographylove.blogspot.com/2010/09/photo-of-week-84-austin-texas.html

[Jen at Cabin Fever]

Oh I found this apple tree along a stone wall the other day and of course I photographed it!

You'd never look at that tree and think "oh that's so pretty" until you capture it through a camera lens. Its all in perspective :)

http://www.nekphotography.blogspot.com

[WorthIt!]

So true - beauty can be found anywhere once you begin to look.

I was taking shots of drift wood when I came across an old board with faded red paint and a few rusty nails...I just love the texture in this "junk."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/4990424722/

[Gail]

This is not considered beautiful when I am swimming...but from the dock they were captivating...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22733432@N08/4990394302/

[Diane]

We are WELL into fall; in fact the leaves will soon be gone and we've had lots of killing frost so we're well on our way to winter.
I have so many recent photos of 'ugly' that I think is beautiful, like yesterday for instance:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/4987529396/

[Angela]

I didn't expect to get any good shots of this wedding from where I was standing.

And then I took this shot and realized there's beauty in what you can't see:

http://angela-hemming.blogspot.com/2010/09/hands-tell-story.html

[Katie]

This shot snuck up on me while walking through a "dinosaur" exhibit. I wasn't even sure I got it until I got home and uploaded it! Definitely unexpected!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smohrs/4895211485/

[Deirdre]

This is lovely.

I think most of my photography is like that -- finding beauty in simple things. Here is a leaf holding onto a few raindrops:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/4982860974/

[cigi]

More and more, I'm seeing beauty in decay and dilapidation:
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/237365/
http://instamaticgratification.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/235365/

[Debbie E]

So im going to prolly be the farthest out on a limb with this subject but here goes http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbsga/4983714713/ beauty in plumbing,,love how this turned out and with me having it in my hand means im one step closer then fixing it tonight. Beauty is all around,we just need look :D

[Audra Van Vliet]

I am currently obsessed with a run down 1945 charter bus that resides down my street. I have done a couple shoots there. The first one was outside of the bus because inside, it is so dark and dank. But last time, I talked my model into going inside, even though it looks like they maybe fished it out of the bottom of a lake. Ok, it is not in that bad of shape, but it is OLD. But old is oh so beautiful.

http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/08/rural-heaven.html

[Bettina]

My weeds bow to your weeds!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/4884582748/

[ccap]

Beauty at the farmer's market:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyblue/4876910999/

[rachel - and then she snapped]

my picture of the day is perfect for this:
http://andthenshesnapped.blogspot.com/2010/09/potd-205365.html

[Kimberly]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/junebugphotography/4989030324/

A leaf floating in our pool. A mix of fall and summer.

[Lacey Bean]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laceybean/4965013775/

Beauty in lines and in necessity (picture taken on Fire Island - no cars allowed! Each house has a wagon.)

[Chelsey - The Paper Mama]

I found simple beauty in a nectarine. :)
http://thepapermama.blogspot.com/2010/09/photo-challenges.html

[Heather]

a speck of beauty

http://www.flickr.com/photos/htekmo/4984782772/

[blue elephant photography]

even the silliest things could be beautiful and yes even this bench. it looks relaxingly beautiful
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blueelephantphotography/4877631433/

[rsvp ink/ cmh photography]

I find beauty in nature…the simple pine needles in this photo sing to me. They are usually lost in the big picture of the tree but I love to focus in on the detail of it.

http://rsvp-ink.blogspot.com/2010/09/shutter-sisters-simple-beauty.html

[sarah]

coming in late with mine, a bit of leaf and flower I found on the ground yesterday ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/shorelinesphotography/4991530063/

[Patricia Davidson]

Wonderfully written post! Love the delicate 'weed' - beautiful. You are so right that beauty can always be found! Here's my 'weed' I took last weekend. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pddesigns/4988451361/lightbox/

[Stephanie]

This is one that's so simple yet so beautiful to me - the little boat, the shimmer of sunlight, the footprints in the sand - all have a relaxed vibes that soothes my mind just looking at it. It's not a fancy or "cool" shot, and it's certainly not a technically perfect shot, but I love it anyway. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniecourt/4986941529/

[onedandelion]

Absolutely! The idea that beauty is everywhere, that even the mundane can be transformed into the magical really guides our practice of photography at One Dandelion.

[BEVERLEYPaul30]

freelance writer