Victory At Last + RP

Gallery: FloraPosted March 8, 2015201 views9 comments

Sony A77
Minolta 200mm macro
ISO 200, 1/30 @ f8, -1.0 bounce fill flash

Our climate sometimes prevents my green thumbed wife from having success with crocus, tulips and the like but there has been no ready excuse for her poor luck with orchids until this guy survived his first year and started blooming again. The plant is very health with a number of buds so I'm looking forward to many weeks of homegrown subject shooting. All comments welcome. >=))>

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Jim Gavin on March 9, 2015 at 5:26 PM

Lovely shot. Sharp and the white is right on. I am a little bit distracted by what I will call smudgeiness in the white background. We have an orchid like it that is blooming, too. I am having a devil of a time getting a good image.

Jim: Good catch on the BG blemishes. I did not have my screen angled in such a way that I saw them all.

Registered on August 14, 2008, 293 Posts, 1250 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on March 9, 2015 at 7:50 PM

Hi Bill,

Phalaenopsis require a slight cool period to set flower buds. If this one likes to bloom, no changes are needed in culture. You separated out the BG from the flowers very well. I especially like the angle at which you photographed the flower........................Jim

Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments

Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on March 9, 2015 at 10:58 PM

Exceptional take with a great composition, background and the accurate feel of the petal texture. Can't wait for next image.

Orchids like strong light in winter with cool nights and good light in summer (but not direct sunlight). I leave mine outside during the summer protected and shaded, but with good light (actually under a stairway to top deck). Don't water when outside because they get rain through the stairway and it tends to be very humid here. Bring them in just before frost and start watering once a week, fertilize every other week. Most of mine are catelya (sp) orchids.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on March 9, 2015 at 11:23 PM

Jim noticed some blemishes on the BG that I missed when painting in the white. Here's a corrected version.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on March 10, 2015 at 10:39 AM

I really like the comp. The curving stems are lovely and I like the bud next to the flower and the OOF flower facing the other direction. The color and detail are excellent. So is the cleaned up bg in the repost. Well done, Bill!

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on March 11, 2015 at 1:49 PM

Most excellent balance to the composition, Bill, and a perfect rendering of the whites. I especially love the way the bud engages our attention without distracting from the main flower. Nice repost.

Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on March 12, 2015 at 1:22 PM

The shapes and textures are sure lovely. I'm a little undecided about the cut-out edges. They seem a bit severe, but I don't really have a good feel for the best way to do this.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 12, 2015 at 2:24 PM

Your white on white works very well here, Bill. The whites also do a great job of setting off the greens and the details in the bloom are terrific.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on March 15, 2015 at 4:40 PM

Congratulations to you and Chrissy on this victory!! What a fine image, Bill! Stellar composition.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments