daylily

[Ron Conlon]

A stack of about 150 individual images of a daylily
Lit with two remote flashes, one in a white box in front, one behind white plexiglass behind the bloom.
The plane of focus is not quite normal because I kept the petals behind out of focus, while keeping the sex parts all the way back into the center of the bloom in focus.
D800E 200mm 1/200s f6.3 iso 100, tripod
The photos were acquired in an automated fashion with Helicon remote tethering software on a laptop, then two composites made in Zerene, one of the complete series, and one of the nearest 125 frames. The two stacks were recomposited and aligned in Photoshop, keeping the parts I wanted in focus, in focus. Some dodging and burning in PS and cleanup of smutz.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Nice flow, the petals look like satin sheets blowing in the wind. Quite the technique, and it makes for a wonderful result. There is a dust spot just above the right-most stamen.

[MiroslavMaric]

Like the light and color tone, well done stacking and PP.

Cheers,
Miro

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks, and a dope-slap to myself for the dust spot after all that!

[Diane Miller]

I LOVE the detail, and how you controlled the DOF in the BG. My eye keeps going to the white triangle on the left edge, though. For me it could be cropped off and till have a wonderful composition.

[Nancy Bell]

I am intrigued by the Helicon software technique and will have to look into it. I couldn't imagine taking 150 individual images adjusting the DOF by hand :eek3:! This turned out beautifully and so very natural to the way the eye sees close-ups. I agree with Diane about that white triangle.

[Jonathan Ashton]

A very well performed piece of photography, excellent detail. I don't know why but it bugs me a little the that there is no pollen on the first stamen.

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks, all. Jon, I believe you are referring to the stigma/style, the single female counterpart to the six pollen-producing male stamen/anthers.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks, all. Jon, I believe you are referring to the stigma/style, the single female counterpart to the six pollen-producing male stamen/anthers.
Yes thanks Ron, I some times mix up the structure, lets see if I have it sorted:
the female part has the ovary at the base, the style protrudes from that and the stigma is on top of the style, in the male component, we have the stamen which is composed of the filament, with the anther is atop ..is that right?

[stuart wanuck]

super well done

[Steve Maxson]

Love the flowing lines, the colors, the lighting, and your selection of areas to make sharp. Like Diane and Nancy, my eye goes to the white area on the left. Here's another vote for cropping that and thereby focusing all our attention in the sexual structures. :S3:

[Satish Ranadive]

Excellent image with beautiful and pleasant colours.

Regards,
Satish.