Fallen Tung Oil Tree Flower

[Russ Norwood]

I was looking for migrating birds near St. Francisville, Louisiana when I saw these blooms far too high against a too-bright sky. A light wind plucked this male flower from the tree canopy far above and dropped it into the stream bed at my feet where was captured by a pebble. I splayed my tripod legs and laid down in the wet sand to get the shot.

Tung oil trees (Aleurites fordii) are an invasive species here, and they're toxic. They were introduced for their oil, which woodworkers use in finishing. I like their blooms in spite of their bad characteristics.

Canon 1Dx
500mm F4IS + 1.4tc
ISO100
1/25 at F5.6 for motion blur in the water
+2/3 EV, evaluative metering

[Ron Conlon]

Well worth the effort, I think! The blur, bokeh, depth of field and colors are wonderful. I would be interested if alternative crops improve it, perhaps a little more canvas to the left and right, perhaps a 16:9 aspect ratio, though I am less confident that that would be a step forward. Excellent stuff!

[Diane Miller]

Gorgeous flower and so wonderful of it to present itself to you!! Glad you took advantage of the offer! Well photographed. I might consider some off the top and bottom -- just a little at the bottom to preserve most of the reflection.

[Steve Maxson]

A lovely combo of flower and moving water - well seen and photographed with the big "macro" lens! Excellent sharpness on the flower, good detail in the whites, and I like the low viewing angle. I like the comp as presented, though alternate crops could also be very effective.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Beautiful image, I lkke the composition and the colours. An excellent idea to use slow shutter speed.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

This is really special. The colours of the flower stand out well from all other elements. I tend to also prefer a more pano like crop. Congrats!