Into the Mystic: Conveying Intimately Sensual Floralscapes

With a powerful blend of bold color and selective focus, Magda Wasiczek's floral studies conjure up a magical world of fairy tales, spirits, and sprites. Come fall under its spell.

| Published Sep 24, 2013 10:38 PM EDT

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Unlike most flower specialists, Wasiczek doesn’t shy away from wind. Made with a Nikon D300 and Rubinar 300mm f/4.5 mirror lens; exposure unrecorded. Magda Wasiczek

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Wasiczek often includes rain, mist, fog, snow, or frost. She made this with a Nikon D300 and Pentacon 50mm f/1.8 lens at 1/250 sec and f/2, ISO 400.

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For the spider portrait, Wasiczek added color by pulling a toy into her background. She shot with a Nikon D300 and Tamron 90mm f/2.8 SP AF Macro lens, and exposed for 1/80 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200. A special effects filter produced the circular highlights.

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Wasiczek often contrasts fore- and background color palettes to draw attention to her subjects. At bottom right an unsaturated background sets off the poppies. Made with a Nikon D300 and Tamron 90mm f/2.8.

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Wasiczek’s backgrounds are as interesting as her flowers. Here, she employs her mirror lens’ distinctive donut-shaped bokeh. Shot with the Nikon D300 and a Rubinar 300mm f/4.5 mirror lens.

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A master of drawing attention to her subjects with selective focus, Wasiczek does it with tools like the Lensbaby Composer Pro and Sweet 35 optic used for this ladybug. Her camera: the Nikon D700.