Following two abdominal surgeries, I needed to take a little break from photographing children, as it requires a lot of energy and a certain amount of speed and agility to launch oneself into the positions required to capture spontaneous giggles and moments of fun. So, I turned instead to the flowers that I had been so kindly given to brighten my bedroom. Admittedly, some were past their best by the time I picked up my camera again, but that just seemed to add to their beauty: whilst not conventionally perfect, they had developed a uniqueness as well as an intensity of colour in their wilting (a bit like me, I suppose - a bit sore and damaged, but with a big dab of blusher to cheer up my pale cheeks!). I fell in love with the tiny details of powdery pollen, the diversity of colour within each flower and the elegant curving sweep of the falling petals.