I’ve never been a Hibiscus fan, but after working on this photo I’ve changed my mind. Funny how we don’t always see beauty right away; we often have to observe something or someone for a while in order to appreciate their uniquely lovely qualities.
The Hibiscus is the Hawaiian State flower and is given as a welcoming gift to visitors. It most commonly means “delicate beauty”. Other meanings are gentle, life, virginity fruitful, and at one with God. To me, it is very “out there” with its broad petals laid wide open, not hiding anything, just spread out and welcoming and happy. I love the vibrant colors but couldn’t get away from how striking it is in black and white. Thanks to the Pixlr app, I was able to do both.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ” 1st Peter 3: 3-5 NIV
More Flowers…
Gleaning the Nuggets 
Nice photo montage Niki. I love the detail and different views.
Thanks very much, Jeff! It was fun working on this photo 🙂