Mtn. Wildflower - ID pls?

I saw this on one of my morning walks and had to go home and grab a camera. I have no idea what flower it is but I liked that it had not opened yet. Many wildflowers, one they open, just look too “messy” for my taste.
Shot it backlit with a D500 and a 300 mm lens, handheld, f4.0, ISO 100, 1/300 sec.

Regards to all
Kathy

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Technical Details

Is this a composite: No

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This looks pretty good unopened. I’d have gotten my camera, too. I like that the buds seem to be lit from within. Was it only the backlighting that did it or did you help it along, too? Either way it’s pretty effective.

Kathy. The background colors enhance the violet blooms in the stem, the vertical pano format works to accentuate its stature and the pattern and spacing of the flowers add interest for this viewer. Good eye to find this beauty.

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Hi Kristen
Thank you
For the comment!! No, I did not do anything individually on the flowers. I lifted shadows generally but the flowers were just that lit due to the backlighting. I walk very early in the morning, the sun was just coming up.

Very elegant. Really liking the strong vertical orientation. My only thought is a bit more vignette as the edges of the frame are quite light and it’s easy to drift away from the main subject.

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Lovely. Backlighting worked out well popping up the flowers and details. The 300mm was a good choice doing a nice job on the bg.
It looks a bit like a lupin.

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Kathy: Great find and a very pleasing final result. I like the vertical pano and the backlighting is superbly handled. Most excellent. >=))>

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good idea Tony. I’m going to try and get back and similarly take a pic of this open. Will put a Vignette on that one

Looks like it might be a Rocky Mountain Pentstemon (Pentstemon strictus).
In the attachment, I applied some Orton tools of @Tony_Kuyper to the image’s edges, to diminish the white backlight on the sepal edges, and curves on the purple area to increase the backlight effect on the colored flowers. Also freeform vignette.

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Dick
Thanks for the ID. I just walked past there and plan to go back tomorrow or the next day. The buds are open now and I believe you are right - its penstemon. I don’t believe Ive ever seen it on Green Mtn before. Its very tall compared to most of the other wildflowers I have seen.

I like what you did to the photo. Had not thought of applying Orton to those edges. Interesting concept.
One question - what would “curves on the purple area” specifically do - increase the luminosity of the purple??? I am trying to understand it in LR terms as I do not use curves in PS.
Best
Kathy

In LR use a brush on the blossoms wit added exposure and maybe saturation, with the brush selective to blossom color. In LR to address the bright edges, maybe a brush w highlights down over those areas.