It was actually my intention to do some work in the yard today, but our Northwest weather has done its usual unpredictable *"thing,"* and now it is suddenly blustery, cold and occasionally raining.

So, I have set off to do a little *"gardening"* on my huge and growing database of nature photos, instead.

![RD0021-Hollyhock2.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/reddragonfly/23wqiS9ZUEuJNmzjeKBDEi2bqyDWmarj4HeExo6uGSkkU3GbRfog8G2Q22j7eRgGYvmp8.JPG)
*What happens inside the center of a hollyhock blossom*

My favorite thing has always been to share that part of imaging we generally do *not* notice with the naked eye. There are things we pass by every single day and never give a second glance. 

## *What IS "A Photographer?"*

In the course of my 17 total years of keeping *two* brick-and-mortar galleries, I have heard lots of *"professionals"* claim that *"every Tom, Dick and Harry with a camera thinks they are a photographer!"*

The follow-up statement is that unless you're actually out there *"in the trenches,"* trying to make a *living* with your camera, you have no right to call yourself *"A Photographer."*


![RE0021-PurplePoppy.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/reddragonfly/23xejtdsJEmf9Xn5QmQCtx4NYxni7qGUrGRMHK7UGxZauGKgmJJriyFcQpojNbXWiSQSu.JPG)
*No, not some exotic landscape... the center of a pale lilac poppy*

I have never presumed to call myself *"A Photographer;"* I'm merely an eternally curious human being who carries a camera pretty much everywhere he goes. And I'm *not* talking about the camera in my cellphone, although many phone cameras do a decent job, these days.

## *What Makes Art... ART?* 

Whereas I recognize elements of truth in the assertions about ostensible *"photographers,"* I still end up having to pose the underlying question: *"What makes art, ART?"* 

Again, this is a question that has been hotly debated in art circles for *generations.*


![RD-0021-AppleBlossom.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/reddragonfly/48QRkVXSyxYs75VimUWuSaTASwS9MnJezuVBcGLAMJyek8bk43uyjNqF4FVnD3E16f.jpg)
*Down inside an apple blossom in our garden*

On a personal level, I tend to think in terms of *"caught my attention,"* with the secondary consideration being whether whatever I am looking at was *well executed.*

Of course, pretty much every person out there has their own interpretation, when it comes to art... regardless of whether we are talking about *photography*, or something else.

## *Being Selective and Having Discernment*

I find myself pondering the fact that I have some 80,000 images on my hard drive, and there are maybe 100-200 of those I'd consider sharing in public, with the actual *"photography"* ***tag,*** thereby laying claim to the idea that *this is something worthwhile.*


![RD0021-RedPoppy.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/reddragonfly/245HybegECaaUmLuwGDE6obpa79djGND1gQEcvs65bx7mxCZ7WGU327UwgUNTdPrL5yoe.JPG)
*Not a little forest of strange mushrooms; the pollen covered stamens of a red poppy*

So I suppose one of the metrics I'm applying is that more thought and effort went into it than just point, click and share from a smartphone. 

I happen to *enjoy* sharing macro nature shots *for the very reason* that I am offering people a glimpse into something they most likely wouldn't *see,* otherwise. And — quite possibly — the reaction might be something like *"Wow, I had no idea it looks like that!"*

If that happens, I feel like I have *suceeded,* from that *"caught my attention"* angle. Whether that actually constitutes *art* I'm not entirely sure.

But at least I had fun *creating* it!

Thanks for reading!

***20210914***
***H0021/0258***
***All images are our own, unless otherwise attributed***