Immediately after a gentle spring rain, there is often a brief time of absolute stillness, when raindrops cling to every branch, every flower. The wind has not yet arisen to shake off the droplets, and there is an overwhelming brief feeling of nature at peace. This is a prime time for photography, and it was during one of those times that I made this photograph--one of my all time favorites. I love the contrast of the pointed thorns and the soft, rounded raindrops--as well as the burgundy and gray color combination. Note how the arc of a rose branch is seen in every drop.

Each raindrop is a lens, transmitting an image of the scene behind it (but turning it upside down, as all lenses do). If you look carefully, within each raindrop you can see a smudge of the gray distant forest, as well as the rose branch in the foreground.

Lee Rentz