Last year, I received a sad text message from my wife that she put one of our outdoor cats to sleep. She was known as “Mama Cat” and loved to ride on My wife’s shoulders as she worked in the garden. So, after work, I stopped at a local garden store and purchased a Virginia bluebells plant and planted it to mark her grave. This year, the bluebells sprouted and bloomed and I photographed the inflorescence a few days after its prime. But it does fit the story of life–new flowers are pink, then blue, and after pollination, the petals wither and turn brown. So every picture does have a story and this one pertains to the cycle of life…
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D850 105mm Micro (1/30 sec at f5.6, ISO 200) 32 image stack (PMax), Topaz DeNoise AI, Levels, + contrast, crop for comp.
Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites) No
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Jim, I know that losing a pet is difficult, but I think getting this bluebell plant was a nice thing to do in remembrance of her. A nice story and a fine image. Those water drops are like tears that are probably still shed occasionally for Mama Cat.
Thank you @David_Bostock and @Shirley_Freeman. The bluebells is an interesting plant that grows early in the Spring and then disappears later during the hot months of Summer. A flower worthy of getting out early in Spring…Jim
A lovely photo and tribute. Having had several cats die over my lifetime, I can absolutely understand the size of the loss. Amazing what room they take in our lives and hearts. Also thanks for the explanation of the change in color. I never knew that. It’s a tough choice with plants shaped like this, but maybe a tiny bit more room on the right. The background is so smooth that more wouldn’t be distracting. Unless you’ve got a trellis or something over there. The stack looks good, although I didn’t study it up close I still noticed the little bug in there. I love surprises like that.
Jim: Very nice tribute and a fine image. I like that you have the entire life cycle in this shot. We have four cats, three that are less than four years old and one who is ten. The older guy is still healthy and vigorous but is the closest to my wife of any pet we have ever had. When his time comes it will be really hard. Wishing you the best and for sweet memories. >=))>
