Purple Forest

I haven't posted in quite a while, just haven't had any photos I've been inspired by. This is an old photo, actually the first I ever took when I bought my DSLR back in Spring 2006. Shamefully, I went a full week with the camera, shooting at 1600 ISO :).
However, I really like this series of shots I took of these beautiful grape hyacinth we have in our front yard. Every year they go through this amazing cycle of sprouting these vibrant pods, then they slowly shrivel off from the bottom to the top.
With this shot, I tried to maximize the depth of the plant, and set on particular 'tower' out against the background of the others. Something about this comp has always struck me.

Canon 20d
18-55 Kit lens at f/5.6
1600 ISO (ouch)
1/3200 shutter
no filters

Aptly titled, Chris, it certainly does look like a forest. I wish the shriveling one wasn't front and center, but it keeps to what you like about the cycle the plants go through. So in that way, your image tells the story. I can see why you keep coming back to it. Thanks for sharing a springtime favorite that happens to be one of mine, too.

The DOF is pretty good here. I might prefer a crop above the lowest dead flower.

A crop from the bottom wouldn't hurt. I like the shapes of the pods. They do look like grapes.

Love the colors Chris! I agree with the above comments about the die back being so prominent in the photo.