Pussy Willow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2026 — Again, I brought two fonds of Pussy Willow inside and put them in water to see what would happen, and the catkins unfolded overnight. This shot was taken with natural window light, against a dark blanket draped over a chair. As I see it, there is real beauty here, a beauty that is both unique and compelling. I like the way the sunlight plays with the inner light of the catkins as life bursts out of them. I like their graceful, fuzzy forms bristling with sharp barbs of pollen. Several times I got too close with my lens and had to brush the pollen off. I admire how sticky it is. It is not just powder, but a powder of resin, that leaves a smear when you try to brush it off, and sticks tightly to your fingers (or a bird’s feathers or a bug’s shell). It is a persistent as only life can be. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 40mm equivalent. Aperture with my macro settings. f10 for depth of field. -2.3 EV to preserve highlights. Processed in Photomator.