my noirmont is blooming

[MoreWater]

well, it's just a noirmont but it's the only slipper in bloom right now... and since so far I've only posted on the lurker contest thread, I thought I should post something slipper-ish.

 

[Heather]

It's beautiful. I always enjoy your photographs, Ki.

 

[Ron-NY]

very nice!!

 

[cdub]

It's beautiful. I always enjoy your photographs, Ki.

I'm going to agree. Do you mind me asking about your photograph techniques? What light source(s) do you use? Do you use a background? Do you shoot at night? You've captured the natural color on that one so well!

 

[bench72]

I wish I just had a Noirmont *sigh*

Stunning!!!

 

[MoreWater]

It's an easy grower - a farmer's market purchase, no less.... heh.

cdub - lighting is the compact fluorescent grow lights off to the right of the photo. Sometimes I drape them with something thin and white to diffuse the light a bit - today it was a flour sack towel from the kitchen. The background is black velvet. Point and shoot camera, no flash. Then I usually have to darken the photo in photoshop.

 

[Dantheman]

sadly here in australia these are not (farmers market) buys

 

[MoreWater]

we are "lucky" because the orchid stand at our local market is by a slipper grower - I believe he's a regular at the judging sessions. Blooming size slippers are so far out of my budget, though.....

 

[SlipperFan]

The background is black velvet. Point and shoot camera, no flash. Then I usually have to darken the photo in photoshop.

That's because the camera's meter is reading the dark background as if it were an 18% gray card -- which is the average value of average scenes. As a result, the photo will be overexposed, which is why you have to darken it in Photoshop. Some cameras have settings where you can increase or decrease the exposure. In lieu of that, you could place a gray card behind the flower, take a reading and then remove the gray card before you depress the shutter all the way.

Nice flower, by the way. You can't beat a good Noirmont for a good red.

 

[MoreWater]

if I had a tripod - or could even rig an impromptu one up - I would adjust the exposure. As it is with the constraints I have to work with, this method is the most reliable - on average...... I wouldn't mind getting light from a different angle either.

 

[Greenpaph]

Excellent coloration! Great photo!

thanks

 

[NYEric]

Yay, Phrag in bloom photo!!! Nice job. E.