Don't Get Skunked!

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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Don't Get Skunked!
Don't Get Skunked!1932×1288 896 KB

Image Description

Symplocarpus foetidus, usually called skunk cabbage, is a low-growing plant that’s found in wetlands. I love searching for them in early March because they’re one of the first signs of Spring. The hood-like leaf displayed in the image is protecting a petal-less flower inside. Cool fact- the flower is like a little furnace and can warm up to 70 degrees, which will melt any snow around the plant. When the flowers mature, the leaf opens so that pollinators like flies and carrion beetles can get in to pollinate the flowers.
For this image, I was fortunate to find some twins that had similarly curved tips. The sky was overcast and I got really low to show off the graceful curves of the plants.

Specific Feedback and Self-Critique

I wanted to show a little bit of the habitat and a wider or deeper view would have included distractions without adding to the “story”. Any suggestions regarding composition or exposure would be welcome.

Technical Details

Fujifilm X-H2, Fujinon XF 16-80mm @ 80 (120mm), ISO 800, f/8, 1/120s, hand held, AWB. Post processing included adjusting highlights for some small blown-out spots, and some boosting of midtones, contrast, and vibrance.

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I love skunk cabbage in all its craziness. When I learned about the snow-melting properties I was pretty surprised. Not sure many other plants do that. From my time seeing them early in the spring, I see a lot of cropped leaves and I think it’s deer, finding the first green and fresh produce of the season. No wonder the flower has to be protected - I’ve never seen this leaf cropped off and eaten, just the regular green ones.

I like the twinning here and the fact that they are indeed, in water. They are water lovers! The pale blue reflection makes a nice platform and sets off the colors beautifully.

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Kris, thank you for your nice critique. Once in a while I will break off a bit of leaf from a mature plant but have yet to detect any bad smell, but maybe the animals do. :nauseated_face: