Translucent flower

I was exploring a run-down "nature trail" in San Clemente State Park, California. There used to be signs documenting the various plants, but age had made most of them unreadable. Mountain bikes had made some of the trails rather worn and dusty. 

Still, there were vines and bushes worth exploring. Some prickly pear cactus were in bloom, but the flowers weren't all that exciting.

These bright pink-purple flowers, some kind of poppy, I think, were bright spots in a green slope. The petals were so thin that I decided to get down low and try a different angle: to see if the sunlight could penetrate them for a unique image. Sure enough, the light coming through the petals and even the sepals give this kind of an X-ray effect. Stems blurred out in the background kind of drift in and out of view.

I envision this picture giving some color to a bright bathroom, or printed large and framed on a bedroom wall. Or maybe in a sunny kitchen. The pink-purple and green foliage, and the neutral background, could fit into many color schemes.

This image is available from our Pixels gallery by clicking here.