Photographing Blues

[bobpbx]

I really wish I were a better photogropher. I came across these white orchids on Cedar Creek, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't capture what I wanted the image to look like.

It is rare to come across a setting like this, there are seven orchids on one grass hummock, and three of them are over 38" tall, which is a very healthy size, even for whites. I could only capture 4 or 5 in this shot:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/albums/albun08/acr.sized.jpg

Here is a closer shot:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/albums/albun08/acs.sized.jpg

And here they are from a different viewpoint:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/albums/albun08/act.sized.jpg

As you can see, the setting these big whites are in makes for perfect pineland photography. If ony the guy taking the pictures could get it right.

For pineland plant photography, Mike Baker is now becoming really, really good. He has one of those $1,500 Nikons with 5 Megapixels (or something like that). White subjects always give me trouble. The flowers flash back at me, and you just cannot give them a good background for contrast, unless you have the dark cedar water. As you can see, the pools of light on the water are where the cedar trees do not block the light. That's also a problem.

If any of you have an idea on how to capture this setting better, let me know. I may try one more time to get a good one this weekend.........

 

[Teegate]

Bob,

When you are taking a shot into the sun, I have found that I must use the manual settings for the light. I just take the same shot with different light settings and pick the best.

Did you go back, and what were the results?

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Bob,

Also, when Mike Baker talks to us about his photography, he always mentions that he alters them in his computer. His photo's, as all of ours do, need some adjustments. In the end it all depends on how good we are with that.

I am not an expert at that, but I have played around with your photo real quickly to see if I can fix it up somewhat, and I have met with limited success in trying to do what you want done.


Your photo from the post

Altered making flowers whiter, greens greener, removed light in water.

Altered again making the flowers slightly blue in the process

Guy

 

[BEHR655]

This was the best I could do:

 

[bobpbx]

Bob, Did you go back, and what were the results?

Hey Guy, you and Bear are pretty good with that manipulation tool.

Yes, I did go back today, with Mike and Steve. It was time for the professionals. I wish you could have made it, we had a good time. Here they are looking over the shot possibilities:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Here is Mike lining up:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

And Steve getting up close and personal:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/albums/albun08/adc.sized.jpg

I found something very unusual today. A white orchid had gotten its flower head inside a pitcher plant flower:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

As you can see, when I opened it up to free it, the flowers inside were as fresh as they were on the outside:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Here it is, free at last, God Almighty, Free at Last!

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Mike then took us to some yellow crested orchids:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

And finally, here's some nice arrowhead flowers:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/forums...ery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

 

[Teegate]

Very nice Bob. Thanks.

I am sorry I was not able to make it as I had planned.

Guy

 

[BarryC]

Bob,
I thought your pictures were just fine, considering the light conditions you had to deal with. And the flowers themselves are awesome. I've never seen whites as big as those. The place near here along 624 where you were with us when we saw some- last year there were none. Today I found 2 plants.
I also found a bunch of arrowheads at a bog near here, but the flowers are nearly spent, and don't look half as good as the ones you saw.