Whimsy is defined as “a fanciful or fantastic device, object or creation, especially in writing or art.”
I’m drawn to many categories of photographic subjects. I love taking pictures of bridges, of cityscapes, of micro architecture. I want to take more pictures of nature.
The images I find the most satisfying and enjoyable are those with a bit of whimsy.
It’s difficult to put a hard-and-fast definition on whimsical photography. Whimsy is an ephemeral and fickle quality. The same subject can be staid, strong, serious in one context, whimsical in another.
There is no one trait that makes a photograph whimsical. Maybe it’s unique; maybe it’s unexpected; maybe it’s delightful; or maybe it’s shocking. Maybe it makes the viewer smile, nod their head, shake their head. Maybe it makes the viewer say “oh,” “ah” or “wow.”
Whimsy can defy description but is apparent upon viewing. I can’t go for a photo walk explicitly looking for whimsy. I’ll never find it if I’m looking for it. Instead, I need to let whimsy find me, as it did with this post’s image – Water Dance.
This image has a bit of whimsy and a bit of serendipity. My wife, while doing yard work, accidentally trimmed off a piece of our clematis plant – a forming bud. She put it in some water in a wine glass to see if it would still flower. When I saw that bud in the wine glass, my heart sang. I said “oh,” “ah” and “wow.” And from that came this image. Whimsy at its best!