DANCING WITH THE WIND

Spring continues to spoil us with its colors. The yellow fields of rapeseed have not yet disappeared, and now the red of POPPIES is slowly beginning to appear among them. Today’s photos are not from this year yet, but rather a memory of last spring. I came across this poppy field in Poland near national road no. 11, and it was actually the only poppy field I managed to photograph last year.

The weather was far from perfect that day. It was very windy, and the sky looked dramatic — almost threatening, I would say. On one hand, the wind made photographing much more difficult, but on the other hand, I think that dramatic sky also did its job and added atmosphere to the photos.

When I look at these images now, I know that today I would probably photograph them a little differently. But you know what? I think that is actually a very good sign, because it means that the past year was not wasted and that I really learned something about photography. I remember being proud of these photos last year and today I can already see things I could improve.

That is why I am really looking forward to this year’s opportunity. My eyes are already wide open, and I will definitely be hunting for another poppy field. Hopefully, very soon, I will be able to share this year’s results with you as well.

Did you know that poppies can remain dormant in the soil for even several decades before blooming again? Their seeds are incredibly resilient and can wait underground for many years, waiting for the perfect moment to finally appear once again. All it takes is disturbed soil and the right amount of sunlight. That is also why so many poppies appeared on former battlefields after World War II. Since then, they have become not only beautiful wildflowers, but also a symbol of memory and remembrance.