love-in-a-mist (Nigella)

[Ron Conlon]

The Nigella is claiming territory in our flower beds this year, so I am likely to take many to the studio solely as a defensive measure. About the fourth arrangement I tried.

A stack of 80 images
Tiffs composited with Zerene (DMap)
D800E
200mm
F6.3
1/200
remote flash
Camera tethered to laptop with Helicon Remote and images acquired by the software after I set the start and end points.

[Adhika Lie]

Wow, this is so cool! I really like it, Ron. The composition to me is rather out of the box. Very nice. I suppose this is a studio shot and that's how you got the black BG?

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks, Adhika. Yes, in studio with flocked black paper as a background.

[Nancy Bell]

Fabulous! I like that there is just enough light on the green spikey leaves to create a bit of a frame around each blossom. Plus the 80 frame stack creates such wonderful fine details that all those spikey leaves are well separated visually and add a texture plus good visual interest with that black bkgd. As always, super well done!

[John Robinson]

Nice one Ron. The spikey leaves make this work and also the white flower shows off the others. My type of shot. Love it.
John

[Anita Bower]

A gorgeous little flower I've not succeeded in growing.

Love the blue and white. Beautiful details and light. Fantastic detail. They look lovely against the black bg. (What is flocked paper?)

I might have cut off the lower 1 1/2 buds lower center before photographing.

Lovely!

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks, all.
Anita, flocked paper is a textured paper which minimizes reflections and thus is about as black as is possible. The lens hoods of some lenses have something like it lining them. I bought some large sheets from an optical supply company (Edmonds). I have read that some use it in the construction of DIY telescopes. For a background you could also use a textured fabric like a nonreflective velvet. I try to place the black background as far back from the light source as I can to maximize the blackness.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Ron that is a beautiful composition and I just love the detail. I have these flowers in the garden too, I lack your compositional skills but will see about doing something along these lines. Very impressed!:cheers:

[Diane Miller]

All said above -- simply gorgeous! I love the tiny spiky leaves being so clearly defined, and the flowers are beautifully arranged.