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Coneflower - Echinacea purpurea
Purple showy heads of composite flowers on the ends of long stems.
Experimental studies show that extracts of echinacea have significant immune system stimulating activity. It may reduce the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms. It works by enhancing the particle digestion capacity of white blood cells, which then increases their ability to attack foreign particles, such as cold and flu viruses.
"Echinacea purpurea" is a species of flowering plant in the genus "Echinacea" of the family Asteraceae. Its cone-shaped flowering heads are usually, but not always, purple in the wild. It is native to eastern North America and present to some extent in the wild in much of the eastern, southeastern and midwest United States.
Similar species: Asterales
By Christine Young
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Uploaded Dec 31, 2018. Captured Jul 10, 2017 10:22 in 91 Main St, Sharon, CT 06069, USA.
comments (10)
But on topic: it seems to me you have composition skills nailed, the other creative aspect could be off-camera flash. I somewhat feel guilty for rambling on about it, and I'm a mere beginner at it, but I truly believe it has awesome potential for static subjects. Plus you can get your kids to finally be useful as they will be holding mum's flash units ;) Posted 6 years ago
Depending on the lighting situation you would need some kind of help. You would not need another person if you can place the light sources on the floor or a support structure like a branch. Another solo method is to have the camera on a fixed structure whilst you hold the lights yourself, and then trigger the camera remotely or on a timer. I guess in other cases you do need that extra pair of hands.
You are basically photographing the ideal subjects for it: fungi, slime molds, plants, etc.
My thoughts on when to use it:
1. To solve a specific problem, or...
2. To add a creative angle
1. To solve a specific problem.
In my experience, there are situations where the classic frontal flash approach leads to questionable results: hard shadows, reflections (for example from wet leafs), a unnatural angle of light (as natural light comes from above, not the front). In part this can be solved with diffusers but not entirely. With off-camera flash you can "mimic" natural light coming from above. Which makes you wonder, why not just use real natural light? If you need f/16 for macro, there's not enough natural light unless you have a tripod. Yet even with a tripod, you'd need to expose longer where there's a chance a subject moves (by wind, or on its own).
2. To add a creative angle
Where #1 deals with solving a specific technical challenge, to me a far bigger appeal is fun and creativity. Having near-full control of light brings possibilities. Soft light from the side, backlight to draw a silhouette, isolating light to your subject creating a calmer scene, adjust light temperature, simulating a sunset, playing around with droplets and reflections, anything is possible!
That said, it's a time-consuming discipline but cheap to try and your subjects aren't going anywhere :)
Posted 6 years ago
The first one enhances natural light or "helps" it, the second example is just a crazy overboard effect. Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
I have the same mindset - I'm out for productivity most of the time. But, on occasions where I find something interesting or fitting, I am going to try to slow down and try some creative lighting because I really love the effect. Posted 6 years ago
By the way, got a new example up:
That shot is so fantastic!! I would love to try to get such a lovely shot. Posted 6 years ago