Epiphylum

[John Chardine]

This is my wife's Epiphyllum (note wrong spelling in the subject) or Orchid Cactus. The plant produces these huge blooms once a year and they stay fresh for only a few days. Making the image was quite a challenge. Anyway this is a try at one of the best blooms open right now.

I used a shoot-through umbrella with flash for back-lighting and flash reflected off a white card for main light. I purposely decided to clip some of the petals for a more intimate look. The back-light lit up the centre of the bloom which was an added bonus. Manual exposure with a high shutter speed was used to totally underexpose ambient light and produce a dark BG. Flashes were set to ETT-L with 2 extra stops given to the back-light. The image is a sandwich of two with slightly different front lighting. I blended the two layers using the opacity tool until I had the desired balance between the two. (boy, it's a lot simpler just going out and making a bird photograph!).

Comments welcome of course!

Canon EOS 5D, 100 mm f2.8 Macro
capture date: 14 May, 2009
exposure program: Manual
ISO speed: 400
shutter speed: 1/200
aperture: f22.0
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern

[Julie Kenward]

I don't know what I love more, John - the composition or the exquisite lighting. Gosh, the center of the flower looks like it's just hanging there in outer space...really beautifully done! The backlighting pushes this one over the edge...making those deep reds glow. I believe I could look at this all day.

[Fred Bourque]

This is just a beautiful image. Rich reds against a dark BG makes for a dynamic image. My mind is running wild, as I see at least one more beautiful image that could be done with some cropping.
Very nice.

[Charles Wesley]

John,

Wonder if we might be related. My mother was a Bowser born and raised in Moncton. My grandfather's family emigrated to Sackville, NB in the 1750's from England. My grandmother was french. Canada is one gorgeous country.

This is one beautiful image. Love the reds against the black BG. It all works for me. Did you take any other images further away from the flower?
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Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Lovely image with the backlighting showing the textures of the petals and I love the black BG, it shows off the flower so well. I don't mind the tips being cut off because I find the horizontal stem balances it off nicely.

[John Chardine]

John,

Wonder if we might be related. My mother was a Bowser born and raised in Moncton. My grandfather's family emigrated to Sackville, NB in the 1750's from England. My grandmother was french. Canada is one gorgeous country.

This is one beautiful image. Love the reds against the black BG. It all works for me. Did you take any other images further away from the flower?
____________________
Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL

Thanks for all the great comments!

Charles- we are probably not related as my family roots are from Alderney, Channel Islands and Cornwall. In our small telephone book for Sackville there are 14 listings for Bowser so it is a pretty common name here. If your family was from England they likely came from Yorkshire as this is the source of many of the English here.

[Charles Wesley]

John,

They're my relatives since Yorkshire is their birthplace. It's a small world after all. I really enjoy the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Wish I had kept track of my relatives. Only been up your way four times in my life.

Canadians are truly awesome people. My mom was a truly beautiful women. I really miss her...
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Charlie Wesley
St. Augustine Beach, FL