Common House Plant That Rarely Blooms
Karin Kalmus – Blooming Jade Plant
Karin has submitted this photo as a “Photographer’s Choice”, noting particularly, “The carpels and stamens are absolutely clear. A botanist friend at ECU was amazed to see this photo of a blooming Jade and noted how sharp the detail was. These Jade plants rarely bloom but one of mine has bloomed from December to February every year since we brought it back from California (>20 years old). It never bloomed in California.” Karin used a tripod to obtain the clarity from her Nikon Coolpix S8100, using soft, natural light to bring out the detail without any harsh shadows or blown highlights. The framing, with the blooms off center, adds to the appeal. The rich, deep green background makes the blossoms truly pop.
This image can be used also to point out the importance of post processing and the improvements possible. The image below is as it came from the camera, somewhat flat, slightly underexposed, but more importantly, with a strong blue/green color cast. It only required a couple of adjustments to bring out the full potential of the image.
Karin Kalmus – Unadjusted jpeg
GK’s comments are always a delight to read and insightful. I had to look up viridian. “…. a blue-green pigment, a hydrated chromium(III) oxide, of medium saturation and relatively dark in value. It is composed more of green than blue. Specifically, it is a dark shade of spring green, the color between green and cyan on the color wheel, or, in paint, a tertiary blue–green color. Viridian takes its name from the Latin viridis, meaning “green”.”
The first recorded use of viridian as a color name in English was in the 1860s (exact year uncertain).
Very pretty, Karin!
beautiful..and wonderful to see something so rare!
Expert adjustment in post processing!
It may be accused of being a common house plant, but what a delight it is to the eyes! I bet it blossomed quietly in secret jungles, way before it was discovered in common houses!
The well balanced and proportioned composition is beautifully worked into the background. The hint of pink in the tips of the shimmering petals waft teasingly towards the observer, supplying the image with depth against the gently receding viridian hue.
Lovely!