Saturday, May 17, 2014

Can't get enough of the lilioids

 I've probably taken over a hundred photos of the Scarlet Fritillary over the past couple of weeks.  Add this to my previous years' totals and the number is probably over 500.  I got one of them into a European horticultural journal.  They actually found me; I wasn't looking for them.  Sometimes I wonder what I'm trying to accomplish - pursuit of the perfect photo?  I don't think so.  It's actually, the feeling is more akin to eating popcorn or potato chips.  Once you start, it's just hard to stop.
These two were photographed along West Ranch Road near an old, rusty pickup truck.  The site was pointed out to me by fellow wildflower lover Jay Wright. 
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3 comments:

  1. Spencer DykstraMay 17, 2014 at 8:29 PM

    I know how you feel with these Joe. I feel compelled to take images of these every year. They are just so captivating.

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  2. Joe WillisMay 18, 2014 at 6:31 PM

    I like the Fritillary you just posted. I keep wondering why you chose to focus on the top blossom. I wanted to see the same composition with the middle one focused then the bottom one so I could compare. Your photo reminded me of the difference between our eyeballs and any still photo. When we look at a plant like that we keep scanning with eyes from top to bottom hardly aware that we are continually changing our principal focus. I get the same weird sensation when looking at Ansel Adams' shots with incredible depth of field. I love them, even though we don't see things that way. I wonder if you pondered the possibilities when you looked at your Fritillary, or did the choice of focus hit you immediately.

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  3. Spencer DykstraMay 19, 2014 at 9:26 PM

    Hey Joe,

    I did ponder those things while taking this photo. I have found through trial and error, and developing a personal "style" that if I focus on the nearest bloom in a line, with all of the others "falling" out of focus, I can both isolate and add context to the image. If all were in focus, the background would also be in more focus, creating more possibilities for distraction. Then there is the technical side, large aperture, dark forest and high iso speed just to get a decent shutter speed to stop the slight breeze. I love your comps though, they are definitely perfect for your style.

    Cheers

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