This series of magnolia flowers was captured on a large format black and white film camera. I was learning about Imogen Cunningham and her plant studies in my photography history class, and I wanted to create a series paying tribute to her. Over the span of three weeks, I returned to a magnolia tree I pass by every day on my way home. Each visit revealed a different stage of the flowers’ life, and I found myself drawn to the beautiful changes that could easily go unnoticed. In their earliest form, the magnolia buds appeared tightly wrapped, their petals curved inward like they are protecting a secret. As the days warmed, the flowers opened slowly, their soft, broad petals stretching outward. Some blossoms left stamens on their petals, while others curled slightly at the edges, as if exhaling into the world. Even as they began to wither, the petals retained a fragile grace, folding in on themselves and leaving delicate traces of their once vibrant shapes. Photographing these flowers on film allowed me to witness the way time leaves its mark on living things. Each frame holds a different expression of growth, fullness, and decline, echoing the natural rhythm that we often overlook in the rush of our lives. Imogen Cunningham’s close up photos of plants taught me to pay attention to the elegance of structure and the poetry in small details. Her ability to transform simple botanical forms into powerful portraits inspired me to approach these magnolias with the same sense of reverence and curiosity. Through this series, I wanted to honor the magnolias not only as flowers but as markers of time’s quiet beauty, reminders that even the smallest shifts in form carry stories of becoming, changing, and finally letting go.