Kurt Reinhard  

Yellow Lollipop flower by Kurt Reinhard

April 2026 - Yellow Lollipop flower

About the Image(s)

'Yellow Lollipop Flower. I took this photo just a couple of days ago using my Nikon Z5 with my macro lens, F/5, 1/50 second, ISO 250. I'm in charge of photo walks for my local photography club, and the April salon topic is flowers, so I arranged for those who were interested to go to the Majorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul. The conservatory was open late for photographers, and it was a sunny evening, so we had really good sunlight for the shoot. I like doing botanical shots, so the conservatory is also a favorite place of mine. What I looked for during the shoot were flowers that had a good texture, some translucence from the sun, and some shadows. The bigger flower was really bright in the original, so I did a full dehaze and adjusted the exposure by about 15%. I increased the exposure in the background by about 15%. Finally the leaf in the lower right corner was reflecting a lot sun, so I increased the contrast and increased the exposure on that leaf to darken it.'

7 comments posted

Angela Bonner   Angela Bonner
Never seen a flower like this before!!
Beautiful colour and I like the other, smaller flower in the background.
I did wonder whether a closer crop would be better? So, as you know me, I had a go!! I cropped in and then blurred the BG a bit more to bring the main flower out more.
See what you think?   Posted: 04/01/2026 14:42:25
Comment Image
Kurt Reinhard
Hi Angela. I had actually cropped in a good bit from the right side on my version and felt I might be over doing it by cropping in on the left side. But I do like your version better, Thanks.

FYI - I had not seen this before either, but it is called a Lollipop Flower.   Posted: 04/01/2026 23:14:48
Kurt Reinhard
  Posted: 04/01/2026 23:14:49
Jennifer Wu   Jennifer Wu
Actually I saw this flower when I was in Taiwan. Beautiful flower. I liked it very sharp. Angel cropped did look better. Well done.   Posted: 04/10/2026 20:08:00
Rose Norman   Rose Norman
An unusual and attractive flower. The yellow really stands out. You did capture the texture and translucence of the flower. The leaf at the bottom right is still a bit bright. Perhaps toning it more or eliminating it in post processing would solve the issue. I did like Angela's cropping. It would bring the flower closer to the forefront. Very nice.   Posted: 04/15/2026 15:08:40
Jo-Ann Rolle   Jo-Ann Rolle
Kurt, great use of the Nikon Z5! You successfully captured that translucence and texture you were hunting for. The yellow is vibrant and truly "pops." I agree that Angela's crop helps, but your original exposure work is excellent. Well done!   Posted: 04/17/2026 23:41:44
Doug Sampson   Doug Sampson
A lovely botanical close-up! The background blur is smooth and creamy, keeping all attention on the flowers while the dark green foliage creates a rich, moody backdrop. The vivid golden-yellow of the blooms against the dark background is visually striking - a classic and effective contrast that gives the image real punch. The soft, directional natural light catches the delicate petal texture beautifully without harsh shadows or blown-out highlights. The petals almost glow. The focus on the main bloom's petals is crisp and detailed.

The horizontal aspect ratio leaves quite a bit of empty dark space on the left; a tighter crop could add more intimacy and impact.

Overall, this is a technically strong and visually beautiful floral shot with a professional quality feel.   Posted: 04/19/2026 03:41:46

 

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