Flower Scan Photos

I believe flower scans are going to be the next big thing for wall decor. I started making them in 1996 and my library now contains hundreds of scans of flowers, leaves, twigs, grasses, feathers and foods.

What Are Flower Scans?

Flower scans look exactly like photographs and are normally printed by the same process by photo labs, although there are some intriguing variations. You frame them for hanging on a wall as usual. The only difference is in the process of obtaining the image - the pictures are not photographed with a camera, but scanned, using high resolution scanner.

Visually, the major difference comes from non-centered focus. In normal photography, the focus is always sharpest in the center of the image and more blurred at the edges. Even manipulated artistically, the relation of center and edges is sustained.

On a scanner, objects become more/less focused in several places, depending upon their proximity to the glass. Additionally, there is no visual distance between the viewer and the subject. Images look as if you could touch the flowers.

My Flower Picture History

I think anyone who worked around a copy machine tried to copy a 3D object, just to see what it looks like. There are probably millions of copies of peoples hands, faces or other body parts, most of which ended up in a trash bin. I also started with a copy machine - a high end color-copier. My first work in 1996 focused on the flattest available natural material - fall colored leaves. Even before that, I tried to laminate leaves, but the heat of the process always destroyed the bright colors.

Copy machines have many limitations. First, it's hard to control the copied area. Another problem is the fact that my leaves and flowers often faded as we made more copies. But most of all, there was no digital record of the image, which would allow later editing or reproduction on an as-needed basis. Despite all that, I had my first exhibition of 40 pieces during the spring of 1997 at Radost FX's gallery space in Prague.

My "second generation" flower pictures came from a scanner, only a few years later. It felt like going from a magnifying glass to a microscope. While copy machines maginfied only 200% at that time, suddenly I was able to work with 400% scanner magnification and play with the images afterwards, using Photoshop to airbrush away dust, pollen or other impurities. I made hundreds of scans over the next few years. Briefly publishing some of them on the web, I made a few prints for my friends, had several small exhibitions in cafe's, but never found time to really do something with them.

The Miracles of Technology

In 2005, I moved to the next technological stage, which opened unexpected doors. I purchased a new high resolution Canon scanner, which is able to magnify up to 6400%! This is a stunningly powerful machine which has finally surpassed my needs. At such high magnifiation, the resulting photos can be huge, which is not very practical. Also the image may not be sharp or may be so obscured that viewers can't comprehend it. I settled in a range of magnification between 1000-2000%, depending on the subject.

Also the printing process from digital images has improved over the years, allowing both classic photolab methods on photo paper and digital printing on artist's canvas using inks that are resistant to weather and sun-fade.

This year, I'm collecting my "third generation" scans and I'm much more focused on learning about the flowers I work with. Over the coming winter, I plan to finally make my own gallery website, where you'll be able to buy prints of various sizes on several materials.

But my plans don't end there. I'm very interested in any type of commisioned work for botanical gardens, horticultural centers or flower companies. I can produce absolutely unique images for their promotional materials, calendars or websites.

Additionally to that, there is always a possibility to organize an charitable exhibition, fundraiser or auction to draw public attention and help financing "gardens in need" - reconstructions, revitalizations, maintenance or expansion of public gardens and parks, research centers, seed banks etc. In such cases I will donate my time and the pictures (including exclusive printing rights) and require only to have travel and accomodation costs covered. Printing and framing costs are up to the garden owners.

Because of all the feedback I received regarding how positive my pictures are, I would also like to find a way to donate them to hospitals, nursing homes or other institutions where people live isolated from nature. While I'm happy to donate my work, I'm looking for sponsors willing to cover printing, framing and shipping costs. I find non-profit work a natural part of my life and I believe these pictures hold the power to brighten someone's day. But that's still just a plan.

For now, here are a few samples. Bear in mind that the images were modified for use on the web (low screen resolution, copyright logo) - the originals are high resolution images printed as photos on paper or canvas and signed. The full size of these samples is 35x28 cm (10x13 inches). Some of my current images measure over a meter (about 3 feet).

Wallpapers

Here are a couple of images modified to fit your computer's desktop as a wallpaper image. The size is 1024x768 pixels (the most common screen size nowadays). Click on the pictures below to open the full size image, then save it to your computer (or right-click the image selecting "Set as Wallpaper") and enjoy.