A black and white abstract photograph of a large planter at the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C.

This planter is located in a side room of the U.S. Botanic Gardens; it sat near the entrance to the room away from the hands-on exhibits where people could touch and feel things and quiz themselves on their knowledge of plants. The challenge with photographing at the Botanic Gardens was the sheer number of people who turned out for that day’s special exhibit on orchids. (I had no idea orchids were so popular or that there were so many varieties.) As a result, I wasn’t able to use my tripod in the low light conditions and was constantly wary of knocking someone over or being knocked over myself. The appeal of the planter was its intricate texture and gothic feel, which almost made it seem out of place among the cleanly designed learning exhibits.