Dying flowers may not be what many find beautiful, but to Photographer Kelly McDonald, there is beauty in decay.
Recently awarded Ottawa’s best photography account by the 2025 Faces of Ottawa awards, McDonald works with botanicals to create her art.
Her latest series, Relics, focuses on withering plants and flowers as the main subject. McDonald was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021 and explores the changes in her body and mind through Relics.
In capturing botanicals at different stages of their life cycle, McDonald mirrors her Parkinson’s journey and shows a unique perspective on withering and decay, both in her own body and in the flora she captures.
Credits
Produced by Owen Spillios-Hunter and Ley Pickard
Special thanks to Kelly McDonald
Additional photos courtesy of Kelly McDonald
Music
Les Artistes, Eva Hummingbird, Epidemic Sound
