Emerging Ferns are so Intricate and Detailed

Below is a set of photos from a recent trip to the woods, all ferns in the wild with their fiddleheads unfurling (for lack of a better word) ... so intricate and full of details. All of this season's fronds are wrapped up inside the fiddlehead.

I read a few introductory pages of the "Peterson Field Guide to the Ferns".  I found it rather amazing that worldwide there are about 10,000 species of ferns covering almost all ecosystems. This includes mountains and swamps; in sunny open fields and dimly lit wet crevices; on high, dry windy cliffs and on still waters of ponds and lakes; in the Arctic and Antarctic Circles (though sparingly) and tropical jungles (in great quantities). The only exception seems to be desert ecosystems.

Unfortunately all I know about the images below is that they are ferns.  I have no idea what specie(s) is/are represented here.

All photos were shot with the Panasonic GX80/85 and Olympus 60mm macro.

One Photo: Wabi Sabi

Wabi Sabi? Up until a month ago I had no clue as to what that means. I hadn’t even heard the term, and I don’t think I’m alone in this regard. In fact, I see that my iPad happily accepts my spelling of “Wabi” but it wants to replace “Sabi” with”Sami” or “Saab”. 

I first heard the term when my local photo club decided to make “Wabi Sabi” the assigned topic for December.  I am sure, like me, that many of my fellow club members went right to Google. (And I found out later that December’s judge did as well!)

Even now, I’m not sure I've got a very good handle on this phrase. From what I understand, it is based on a traditional Japanese acceptance of beauty as being imperfect.  Terms like “flawed beauty”, “beauty that comes with age”, “patina or wear” came up as I read about this traditional Japanese aesthetic. 

I think there is a lot more to this phrase than I’ve indicated above. I believe it gets into the realm of religion, philosophy and religion.

That being said, below is the image I submitted for consideration. The judge liked it too; though he and I might both be entirely clueless. 

"Ferns" for the Assignment: Wabi Sabi

Panasonic GX80/85 with Olympus 12-100mm F4 zoom @100mm (200mm equiv)

1/320sec, F4, ISO200

Touched up in Lightroom