James Silliman
May 2023 - Christmas Cactus
About the Image(s)
My wife has this crazy Christmas Cactus, it seems to have its seasons confused. When it should be in its dormancy season, it is in full bloom. Or maybe it is just late, thinking it missed its blooming season. Now it is making up for lost time. At any rate, I decided to take advantage of the blooms and make a few images. I tried some focus stacking but did not capture what I was hoping for. So I am going use what I have and hope the plant decides to bloom again...out of season.
This image was captured using my Nikon D610 with a Nikkor 105mm Micro lens. Exposure was made at ISO 12800. Shutter speed was 1/60 second. To achieve maximum depth of field I used f/22.
4 comments posted
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your story about this 'confused' Christmas Cactus. I have a friend who gets her plants to bloom a second time in April. She moves them to an east-facing window where they get tons of daytime sunlight but are not exposed to drafts, and a full 12+ hours of darkness. She claims this helps them bloom again.
I enjoy admiring the flower details in this image as they hold my interest and I can imagine the silky textures of the petals. The saturation of this showy flower looks so realistic to me and the crop highlights the sharp focus on the pollen-bearing stamen and what looks like a bud at the terminal end.
The downward arching orientation of the bloom is typical of this plant, but it might be interesting to capture the image from a different orientation...just an idea. The tiny sliver of what appears to be a hot spot or reflection on the budded stem is just a tad distracting to me. Posted: 05/11/2023 15:34:02
Thanks for your story about this 'confused' Christmas Cactus. I have a friend who gets her plants to bloom a second time in April. She moves them to an east-facing window where they get tons of daytime sunlight but are not exposed to drafts, and a full 12+ hours of darkness. She claims this helps them bloom again.
I enjoy admiring the flower details in this image as they hold my interest and I can imagine the silky textures of the petals. The saturation of this showy flower looks so realistic to me and the crop highlights the sharp focus on the pollen-bearing stamen and what looks like a bud at the terminal end.
The downward arching orientation of the bloom is typical of this plant, but it might be interesting to capture the image from a different orientation...just an idea. The tiny sliver of what appears to be a hot spot or reflection on the budded stem is just a tad distracting to me. Posted: 05/11/2023 15:34:02
Charissa, thank you for your comments. In giving that "hot spot" a second look based on your comment, I went back to Lightroom. What do you think of the added effort? Also, the next time I will indeed give it another look, from a different
perspective. Hopefully I will have improved my focus stacking skills by then. Posted: 05/11/2023 18:16:10
perspective. Hopefully I will have improved my focus stacking skills by then. Posted: 05/11/2023 18:16:10
Jim, I do like this, especially if your intention is to draw the eye toward the lovely pollen-bearing stamen. Posted: 05/12/2023 18:23:09
Ruth Mayer
I love Christmas Cactus flowers. They have such a unique shape. This is such a pretty pinkish rose color. I like how you photographed it from the side instead of straight on. I am going to have to try that on some of my flower photos.
I like some light on the flower part. With out it I am looking at the white of the other flower parts first. It depends on what you wanted when you took the photo. Posted: 05/12/2023 15:28:04
I like some light on the flower part. With out it I am looking at the white of the other flower parts first. It depends on what you wanted when you took the photo. Posted: 05/12/2023 15:28:04