Fringed Gentian (theme)

This plant (rare in my area) grows only in sunny places, and opens only when the Sun shines, so I chose this shot, even though I have others that I shot using a diffusion screen to create artificial shade. I did use a reflector to fill in the shadows. I liked the way the bud growing next to the open flower reveals how the fringe is stored before it blooms.

P.S. One nice thing about shooting in bright sunlight is that it often casts deep shadows on the background, making for a nice natural separation of tones between subject and background.

Canon 50D
Sigma 150 mm. f/2.8 Macro + Circ. Pol.
1/50 sec. @ f/11; ISO 200
Tripod; 2-sec. timer w/Mirror Up; Reflector

(My first photo outing since I started chemo -- got over a week off from hospital stays. Had to stop many times to rest on the way back. Should have waited for my next transfusion, but could not resist when I heard they were blooming just minutes from home. Glad I went!)