Inspired by the complex beauty of flowers, artist Elijah Gunn reveals their secrets through macro photography. See more of his work by visiting his website.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Petal-Pattern-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Petal Pattern” photography, 40″ x 40″
My art is a reflection of how I approach beauty in real life.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Buds-of-Candy-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Buds of Candy” photography, 40″ x 40″
When I see a flower (whether it be in a grocery store or in a field) I will often stop to take a closer look at it and to photograph it. It is not enough for me to just observe its beauty from a distance because often there is more to it than meets the eye.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Dragon-Wing-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Dragon Wing 2” photography, 40″ x 40″
Here’s an example from life: I remember walking into a new class in college and seeing the most beautiful girl sitting by herself in the back. I took the opportunity one day to sit next to her in order to talk and she almost immediately opened up to me (like a flower opening to the sun).
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Close-Quarters-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Close Quarters” photography, 40″ x 40″
We became the closest of friends and as it turned out, she was a rather shy person who was often avoided because of her beauty. To put her appearance into context, I once watched a guy trip over his own feet in a mall when she walked past.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Soft-Petaling-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Soft Petaling” photography, 40″ x 40″
I say this to express my artistic approach to creating floral pieces that move my heart. It starts with “wow, what beauty” and then moves into a relationship that is far more than skin deep.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sensual-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Sensual” photography, 40″ x 40″
In the same way that there is a real person living inside of a beautiful face and body, there are textures, formations and colors that make up the whole of a flower or scene.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/The-Cave-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“The Cave” photography, 40″ x 40″
The process that goes into producing a final artwork can be quite lengthy; sometimes taking months and many iterations before it is complete.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rest-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Rest” photography, 40″ x 40″
The cleanup of a photo is painstaking, where every piece of pollen and blemish is removed and specular highlight enhanced at an almost pixel-by-pixel level.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Fuzzy-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“Fuzzy” photography, 40″ x 40″
Then there is the color—which is exceptionally important to me when editing—and there are several images that have been waiting for nearly a year for me to find the specific hue that both matches the image and moves me to tears.
![floral photography by Elijah Gunn](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/The-Wave-photography-by-Elijah-Gunn.jpg)
“The Wave” photography, 40″ x 40″
As cliché as it may sound, it is love that starts the process and it is love that completes it; because, whatever you love the most is that which you give the most time and attention to.
Artist Elijah Gunn invites you to follow him on Instagram.
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