Matilija poppy, 2021

4. Flower By Alessandra Chaves

Matilija poppies or tree poppies are native to California and northern Mexico. The UC Davis Arboretum has a bush that flowers every summer. I am drawn to the delicate, wrinkled, paper thin white petals of this exquisite flower. Matilija poppy, 2021, was featured in my self-published book “Chloroplast” (blurb.com), a photographic exploration of the world of organisms that derive energy from the sun. In that collection, I use especial lighting techniques and a background free of distracting elements to guide the viewer’s attention to the shape and texture of plants and algae.