Inspiration ::

If we could see the miracle of a single flower
then our whole lives would change...

Eastern Proverb

In the tradition of great masters Leonard Nimoy's last tweet [Twitter - the vessel of modern day Haiku] put words to my world view quite nicely. “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory…”

Through my camera’s lens I’m constantly striving to collect reflections of those perfect moments, that fleeting sense of stillness when all the to-do lists and should-dos fall away and all remains is the holding of a breath and a silent moment of awe.

Samantha Byrnes is a Denver-based computer-geek-turned-photographer.

She works within a very minimalist studio setup, without tripods or rail systems, the sun as her sole source of illumination.

Her work is available locally in Denver area at Abloom in Highlands Ranch.

When not working on her photography she enjoys reading Japanese haiku late at night, indulging her coffee habit, and attending classes at a local dojo.

"In my mind art, buddhism, and the dojo are very entwined. The martial arts style I practiced while growing up was derived from a style practiced by Zen Buddhist monks in Japan, and while my teachers didn't openly teach the religions aspects of our practice, the basic tenants could be found underpinning the martial arts system. And those same tenants underpin my life to this day as well. Its always interesting to look back and realize which experiences have had the most impact. It was at the dojo ~ 12 years ago that I first learned to flow, and even today, with a life full of responsibilities, with managing a department and running a business, its one of the things in my life that keeps me grounded.

I got into what people have told me is botanical photography through my obsession with plants. At any given time there are fresh flowers all over the apartment, orchids covering the window sill by my desk at work, and bulb catalogs laying everywhere. Now I simply have a more justifiable reason for my Poison-Ivy tendencies, and my obsession is a tax deduction.

Photographing flowers grew naturally out of my fascination, and now its taken on a life of its own, walking around and collecting plants like a Godzilla monster collecting cars.

It makes me giggle sometimes. I mean I have a background in science, engineering and computers, and if someone had told me even three years ago that I'd be this immersed in art I'd've thought they were out of their minds. Sometimes we stumble upon something that we're meant to do, and for me this is one of those things."