Mark Bamberger
April 2026 - Orchid Family
Original
About the Image(s)
I had several orchids which bloomed last year and then lost their buds. I have never been good at bringing them back to bloom but kept them hydrated and put by a window and ignored. Last month I was surprised to see buds on one of them! A couple started to bloom and it looked to me like a 'family' with a mom and dad and several kids. (The parents look stressed!) Let me know what you see. A stack of 18 shots using a tripod. Edited in LrC with a border added in PS.
R6II w/ 100mm macro lens.
f/6.3
1/4 sec
ISO 100
7 comments posted
A wonderful orchid image! Everything is in sharp focus, and the diagonal composition gives the image a dynamic feel. The pure white against the black background makes the orchid jump out of the image. Posted: 04/04/2026 21:23:18
Thanks David. I always try to see if another background would also work. Sometimes a shade of green or a gradient looks good, but usually people prefer the black. Posted: 04/07/2026 17:31:20
I see the little family you saw as well. The white flowers really pop against the black background. A suggestion I have is to use a mask with a brush to lighten the dark horizontal stem that's on the left. The section that is closest to the white left flower seems to be blending too much with the background.
Nice job! Posted: 04/06/2026 19:15:05
Nice job! Posted: 04/06/2026 19:15:05
Thanks Denise. A good suggestion. No matter how long I can look at an image I usually miss something minor (and sometimes major :)). Posted: 04/07/2026 17:32:48
Great shot! The stack gives this image great detail. Composition is right on with a perfect background which gives the image impact. Again, a polarizer would clean up the highlights especially on the stem on the left side. You must have a green thumb to get an orchid to bloom again. Posted: 04/08/2026 00:21:37
Hi Mark,
What a fine art image of those orchids. I like the dark background, which enhances both the colours of the flowers and the overall composition and detail. The pinks and greens are very pleasing alongside the delicate whites of the flowers.
Very nicely composed and shot. Posted: 04/12/2026 20:26:55
What a fine art image of those orchids. I like the dark background, which enhances both the colours of the flowers and the overall composition and detail. The pinks and greens are very pleasing alongside the delicate whites of the flowers.
Very nicely composed and shot. Posted: 04/12/2026 20:26:55
Kim Kowalewski
A nice image and funny interpretation. The exposure, composition, and detail are excellent. When I take photos of orchids, I always shoot the flowers and not the buds, so your intention of interpreting the buds as a family is a creative way of photographing orchids. I wonder if your interpretation would be improved if you cropped some from the top and the right. That way the bright white and colorful flowers would be less distracting and the buds would be more prominent. Posted: 04/13/2026 16:05:18