Corpse Flower in Full Bloom
The corpse flower blooms rarely. And usually not during the day. So it was an exception treat to see (and smell) this 8 foot-tall flower at full bloom. ...
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The corpse flower blooms rarely. And usually not during the day. So it was an exception treat to see (and smell) this 8 foot-tall flower at full bloom.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
There was a corpse flower at the US Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Corpse flowers bloom for 24-48 hours, and then only rarely. In the past the ones at the Botanic Garden have only bloomed at night. So seeing it during the day was a big deal. Corpse flowers give off a smell something like rotting garbage, which is supposed to attract pollenators. The corpse flower was prominently displayed, front + center, in the greenhouse.Time
This was taken at approximately 1:30pm on the day it bloomed. When I learned that it was blooming, I jogged from my house over to the Botanic Garden, waited in line for about 15 minutes, and then I was able to enter the greenhouse and get this shot.Lighting
The corpse flower was in a tall greenhouse, and it was sunny out that day. So although lighting was out of my control, there was plenty of natural and ambient light to get a good shot. I did not use a flash. You take 'em as you find 'em. In this case, it turned out that the lighting was just right.Equipment
Sony a5100, 16-50mm lens. f8, 1/25 second. Shot at 29mm (44mm at full-frame or 35mm film equivalent). No tripod. No flash. No filters. Nothing else. Just me, my camera and its lens.Inspiration
I missed out on seeing the last corpse flower bloom several years ago in DC because it bloomed when the Botanic Garden was closed, at night. This time I wanted to go to experience it -- to smell it as much as see it. When I got there I took a moment to study it from several angles, and then it hit me -- this is the star of the show, and I knew exactly what to do. I used the trees on either side of it, and the palm fronds along the top, to create the effect of a stage and draperies, with the corpse flower taking center stage.Editing
I did a little post-processing of the raw image in Lightroom. I brought the shadows down, to make the tree trunks and other green plant and tree life a little darker, just like it was curtains on the side of, or across the top of, a stage. I brought the whites up a tiny bit, reduced the hightlights to bring our detain the the top of the flower, and reduced the blacks somewhat to make the image "pop" more. Then I added a little clarity and upped the vibrance a touch until it looked just how I saw it in my head.In my camera bag
I use a Sony a5100, 16-50 mm lens, and that's usually it. I will sometimes add a CPL to my kit, but I find that the best camera is the one you have with you, and lots of gear gets in the way of that. This set-up is compact enough to pretty much always have with me. I will bring a tripod with me if I'm out shooting at night, but that's it. I don't use a lot of gear. I travel light and use what I've found works for me.Feedback
Take your time, even when there's crowds around. Thoughtfully look at the environment and see what you can use to make the shot more interesting than a "tourist picture." As long as you're only taking up only your own space, let people flow around you while you wait for the right moment to take the shot. Try to get it as right as you can before post-processing.
