At the Edge of Winter

I’ve always loved macro photography.

There’s something about getting close enough to see the details most people pass by—the small colors, the textures, the things you just don’t notice until you slow down and really look. When you take the time, there’s a lot there.

This image was taken when it was still fairly cool outside, right at the very end of winter. Things were starting to come alive, but they weren’t quite sure yet. Another cold snap could still come through. It was that in-between moment—after the worst of the cold, but before it really started to warm up.

The trees hadn’t leafed out yet. The air was still cold. Most people would have described the scene as bare. And from a distance, that’s exactly what it looked like—trees with nothing on them, no flowers, nothing happening.

But when you walked closer and really looked in, you could see things starting to change.

That’s when I noticed these small buds beginning to open. They were easy to miss, just starting to show themselves against the muted background of late winter. What caught my attention wasn’t just the form—it was the color. The soft cream of the emerging flowers, the muted olive and tan of the branch, and then this unexpected warmth tucked in there—almost a maroon or burgundy, but not quite.

That moment pulled me in. I ended up taking photos all around that tree for a long time.

This palette came directly from that day and that photo shoot—the soft neutrals of winter giving way to warmer, living color. What I love about it is the restraint. Nothing loud. Nothing bold. Nothing rushed. Just a quiet sense of things slowly waking up and moving toward a new season.

When I work this way, I’m not trying to extract color for the sake of it. I’m documenting what I see when I take the time to really look. There’s so much beauty out there, and it isn’t just in big landscapes. It’s in the details. In the nuances. In those moments you only notice when you get up close.

This is the part of the process I love most—taking photos and then bringing them to life through design.