I haven't got an alpine plant book yet , the Marjorie Blamey Collins guide I am after is now silly money commanding £50 second hand, so anyone with an exact id I would be gratefull.
This is a shot I keep trying every year I go walking in the Austrian mountains, and I still haven't quite cracked, but I think this is my best effort to date. The gentians are so low and ground hugging trying to get the mountain context is quite tricky
Oly E-3, 14-54mm at 14mm iso 100 1/320 at F7.1, polarising filter, handheld
I like this one Mike. Not a great flower images fan, but I especially like the setting. As far as my better half is concerned it is bound to be a great shot because you took it in Austria. She has just returned and I must say I am impressed by the sheer number of fields full of wild flowers in her pictures. And fritillaries seem to be everywhere as well. May have to go myself one day.
Interesting landscape! The light doesn't bother me too much but I'm not sure about your choice of composition though! The flowers are indeed pretty but I believe the image would gain more impact if you cropped a fair amount of the foreground! Just my thoughs mind! It's a beautiful country and I wished I could find the time to visit it once again!
Read the subject line, it is an image conveying alpine gentians in a mountain context, if you crop out the foreground your are left with mountains only. Which was not the point of the image. The aim of the composition, as picked up by Jack is for the gentions to lead you through the picture to the mountains behind
Too many times I have tried this you get gentions in a grassy sword context only due to their extremely low ground hugging habit. That is not what I was after
Hi Mike indeed Spring gentian a plant that has been heavily cultivated for garden use in the UK, there is one place I know where it occurs as a truly wild plant in the uk.
A nice image and even nicer to see the flower in its natural environment.
Discussion
7 repliesThis is a shot I keep trying every year I go walking in the Austrian mountains, and I still haven't quite cracked, but I think this is my best effort to date. The gentians are so low and ground hugging trying to get the mountain context is quite tricky
Oly E-3, 14-54mm at 14mm iso 100 1/320 at F7.1, polarising filter, handheld
The gentian is one of the "verna " (Spring gentian) group but there are a load of subs and different forms I believe.
Cheers
John
Interesting landscape! The light doesn't bother me too much but I'm not sure about your choice of composition though! The flowers are indeed pretty but I believe the image would gain more impact if you cropped a fair amount of the foreground! Just my thoughs mind! It's a beautiful country and I wished I could find the time to visit it once again!
Read the subject line, it is an image conveying alpine gentians in a mountain context, if you crop out the foreground your are left with mountains only. Which was not the point of the image. The aim of the composition, as picked up by Jack is for the gentions to lead you through the picture to the mountains behind
Too many times I have tried this you get gentions in a grassy sword context only due to their extremely low ground hugging habit. That is not what I was after
I understood that but just didn't feel it worked out here! Sorry! A tricky subject!
A nice image and even nicer to see the flower in its natural environment.
Phil.