Floral Flames
Written by Thursday, 19 September 2002 00:00
“We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.” Unknown
Yellow on black Camera: Nikon D70 Coniferae ? Photo by George J. Reclos Camera: Nikon D70 Callisternon speciosus (common name: Bottle brush) Camera: Nikon D70
Last Rosebud Camera: Nikon D70
I noticed this yellow "orchid" type bunch of flowers which was hit by the only rays which reached a relatively dark part of a garden. The contrast of the vivid yellow against the dark background was striking. The shot was taken with fill in flash to allow for a further darkening of the background.
Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Lens: Tamron SP AF 180mm f/3.5 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250sec - f/8, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter, curves to reduce the highlights, contrast to +15 and resized.
Those fruits have a dark red color and a shape and texture which reminds me of members of the Coniferae family. Although I did my search for them I was not able to identify the plant, which is no reason not to share this photo with you. The fruits are hard and give the feeling of "wood" when touched. The i-TTL mode of the SB800 did (again) an excellent job in preserving the ambient light and feeling.
Shooting Data:
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/8, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL/BL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.
This plant produces one of the strangest combinations of flowers I have ever seen. Originally from Australia it has adapted very well in the temperate climate of Greece, grown to well over 1,8 meters and blossoms at least three times every year. The flowers come in the form of a green sphere which opens to reveal a flower consisting of 5-6 red hairs. Since all the flowers are next to each other, when they all open they look like a red bottle brush. Using a flash unit from a close distance (in auto mode but not "balanced") and a very small aperture created the impression of a night shot. The flower combination, being rather large (approximately 10 cm long and 7 cm in diameter) poses no problem for a normal lens although a macro is always preferred.
Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/60 sec - f/22, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL mode)
Image: JPEG processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter and resized.
This was the last rosebud of the season. A two color hybrid plant sent out this last bud which actually never made it since, two days later, frost killed it. The photo was taken in late afternoon with a very small aperture and the use of flash unit which resulted in a "night" effect.
Photo by George J. Reclos
Shooting Data:
Lens: Tamron SP AF 90 mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/22, AP mode
Flash: SB800, auto/return light detected (TTL mode)
Image: NEF file, processed in Photoshop CS, unsharp mask filter, resized and saved as JPEG.
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