David Terao
October 2025 - Magnolia
Original
About the Image(s)
This image was shot in my backyard after a rainstorm. I saw this magnolia blossom opening up with its carpels and stamen peeking through its petals. I shot four images and focus stacked the images in Helicon Focus. Then, I darkened everything except the blossom and cleaned up some distractions in Photoshop. You might have noticed the lower petal was "pushed up" a bit using Photoshop's Liquify tool. Shot with a Canon full-frame camera using a 100mm macro lens on a tripod. Exposure was 1/250 sec @ f/11 and ISO 800.
6 comments posted
I love this image; large flowers are not easy to photograph. Nice background and nice soft light on the flower. This would be a great subject to shoot more images maybe 25 or 30 in a stack to get more detail in the stamens. The stamens usually have a violet color to them and have a very interesting pattern when their detail can be seen. Nice image. Like the border line. Posted: 10/05/2025 21:01:54
Thanks, Dick. I rarely shoot magnolia flowers because I can never seem to find a nice specimen that is within reach. They seem to decay so quickly. I was quite fortunate to find this one at eye level although it was a little windy. Posted: 10/07/2025 22:53:25
Beautiful magnolia David. I like how the center petals curve around and embrace the carpels and stamens. You did a really nice job of cleaning up the background to focus on just the flower. Love this image. Posted: 10/06/2025 18:13:04
Thank you, Denise. I was attracted to the pureness of the white flower. No blemishes! And, I tried to ensure that I didn't blow out the highlights. Posted: 10/07/2025 22:55:32
Lovely! Love the white magnolia against the black background. It pops. The petal hugging the stamen has an extra bit of light and seems to glow. Well exposed with nice details. Very pleasing to my eye. Posted: 10/07/2025 20:25:51
Thank you, Barbara. The pureness of the white flower called for a pure black background. Posted: 10/07/2025 22:56:49