The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
While kayaking earlier this week, I had the opportunity to photograph many Pitcher Plant flowers in the bog plants. They were all out of reach so it was hit and miss if one would work from a distance without too much stuff in the way or behind it to distract. I don’t have a favorite here, but if you want to pick you, that’s cool. Mostly I wanted to show the odd shape and arrangement they have. Like flying saucers. Each one rises on a scape, not a stem and of course the leaves are the water-filled death traps we all know and love. Most are the rich ruby red you see, but some dark purple; like eggplant and so I was happy to find one like that, too.
Specific Feedback
It was a bright day with thin clouds so I got some modeling and shadows that I like and I did my best to accentuate it. Does the processing work for you? I did some distraction removal when needed, but mostly left the surrounding vegetation alone. My distance and long telephoto worked to soften a lot of the backgrounds.
Technical Details
All handheld in the kayak and most with the CPL in place.
Most of the exposures went like this -
And all processing in Lr - mostly to even some of the luminosity and work with the colors to bring out modeling and light and shadow in the petals.
Yeah, @Shirley_Freeman - these grow in most bogs and I have photographed them now and then when I could. I wanted to get some leaves (the pitchers) in them, but just too much foliage etc. Maybe I’ll go back. The lake isn’t far and it’s fun to paddle.
Hi Kris,
wow, that looks beautiful. I never saw this kind of plant.
The telephoto lens did a really good job here. I used mine 100-400 lens for some closeup shots too recently.
Hey thanks @Jens_Ober - they are a bog specialist as are many carnivorous plants like sundew. Bogs are very low in nutrients and so only certain plants are adapted - like tamarack pines and black spruce. Also various shrubs like blueberry, rhodora, bog rosemary and leatherleaf. I spied some tufted loosestrife as well, but it wasn’t easy to photograph so I didn’t get any shots that work. A 100-400mm is very useful for close up and slices of landscape. I love mine.
Wow!! I’m just on my laptop and sleep-deprived (traveling down the eastern Sierra, which is an exhausting candy store), but found some down time to scan around for what I’ve missed and had to stop on this one. Also a new flower for me, and a lovely one. How wonderful to be able to capture them from the kayak.
The first is my hands-down favorite, both for the flower and for the BG. It is very interesting and not too complex. I love the sharply-focused stem coming in from the left, which is something I might normally want to remove, but not in this case. The only thing I might think about is to very slightly subdue the large OOF stem/leaf below the flower, with maybe 30% opacity cloning. It is a bit at odds with the lovely rhythm of the rest of the BG.
Thanks @Diane_Miller - I put a 2nd version of the 1st photo up and I think taking down the sharpness where you mentioned works well. Didn’t even notice that, but I’m glad you did. Oh and take a nap! The hours astro photographers keep is necessary, but wearing.
Funny how I think of these as common and ordinary since I see them often enough from the kayak and from boardwalks in other bogs that I’ve explored. Judging from all your reactions, I guess they aren’t all that well known or mundane. I’ve always thought their construction rather cool and of course, they trap and digest insects which makes up for the nutrient-poor habitat of the kettle bog.
This is the one I meant – I like it, but would take it down just a little. This is a way-too-clumsy job on my laptop. Going to take a nap now. Got up at 3:30 this morning for pre-sunrise on the Mono Lake tufa. (It was worth it…) Doing an osprey nest this afternoon and the Milky Way tonight.
These are some of my favorite flowers. for myself, I find them difficult to get a good image of since they can be hard to approach because of the bog. I like how the background helps the flower stand out. Nicely done.
Thanks for chiming in @Carl_Simmerman - they are hard to shoot, aren’t they? But such odd little things that I can’t help being drawn to them so I have to try. I was glad the wind was relatively calm since that helped keep the kayak steady.
Boy, @Kris_Smith , these are really beautiful. I really like the isolation of the single flower and the touches of blur you’re experimenting with. The first three images are my favorites, and it is hard to decide on a single favorite. I was really caught by the first one, then saw the others. I’ll pick the first one as that caught my attention first! The lovely shape of the drooping flower, and the single stalk are really elegant. Congrats!
Thanks @Mark_Muller - it was hard to get them isolated, but with so many blooming at once in a large bog, I eventually found some. I’m glad you like them in all their carnivorous weirdness!
