The photographs I’m submitting are an ongoing series, entitled Taxonomy of Grace: how beauty and elegance can exist even as with age. I choose to work in black and white because a flower’s color can sometimes distract a viewer from the structure, textures and lines. For me, flowers are a metaphor for life as I personally struggle as a cancer survivor. Early in my life my grandmother introduced me to the beauty of flowers. She lost a son when he was sixteen years old. As a memorial to him and to find solace she cultivated flower beds of many varieties, the Iris was her favorite. I began this series observing flowers and was inspired by the exquisiteness that existed in each stage, drawing a parallel to life itself.