Paintbrush made the morning

Image Critiques Flora Critiques
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What technical feedback would you like if any?

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What artistic feedback would you like if any?

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Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Focus stack

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I was working on some Davidson’s Penstemon (Penstemon davidsonii) early morning last week with not great results. Yes it was fun to be out in my front yard of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness but the images I was producing just lacked something. It dawned on me my mind was not focused on the subject or even photography,but the events of the past days as our society is struggling to get a grasp on the issues of equality, race, and the pandemic we are confronted with. Remembering a chapter in his book The Zen of Seeing by Frederic Frank, I was suffering from what he called “me cramp” in other words thinking about things affecting me but not being in the moment of what I was intentionally there to do. Mind wandering I made the decision to return home. As I packed up and headed back down the trail, Looking up as something caught my eye was this scene, a Wenatchee paintbrush (Castilleja elmeri}back lite and contrasted with Chelan penstemon (Penstemon pruinosus) both at peak bloom. This finally switched me into a more artistic approach and seeing the contrast of two different plants living in a difficult ecosystem supporting each in harmony. Not unlike what were seeing in today’s challenges of people trying to live together and support each other.
I had a bit of a climb and if Sally my wife was there I’m sure a rope and some protection would have been the topic of conversation but…neither were around so up I went. I do always carry a small rope to tie off the tripod, pack, and camera so ya everything is fine. I chose to make the paintbrush blossom the focus and not include the full stem or ground leaving the viewer to imagine the reaming parts of the plant. I offer some out of focus color in the bottom frame to give some weight to the image and give the eye something to see aside from the purple of the penstemon, showing the viewer there is more for the imagination.
Image was made with Canon 5D mk IV, 100mm Laowa macro, on Gitzu tripod and RRS Ballhead and focusing rail. I built some shade for the stem and lower left with a Marshal 12x18 scrim -3/4 stop.
12 images focus stacked to give just enough depth to the paintbrush but not include the background rock cliff or Penstemon. I got lucky and every thing stayed calm on the side of the cliff and little if any wind.

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2

Michael: A great find well worth the effort. I get combinations of paintbrush and bluebonets in the spring in Texas that can produce a similar color palette. Really nice work and a superbly crafted image.>=))>

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Michael, the paintbrush really stand out well here against the colorful background. The mix of focus and oof blooms does a fine job of putting the viewer into the midst of a large collection of wildflowers.

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Thank-you Mark, Yes color contrast was special that day I also give credit to the Laowa 100mm Apochromatic lens and its ability to focus colors correctly.

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Thank-you Bill, yes this was special that day and a wakeup call to not get into a me cramp situation. I would love to se your bluebonnets, do you have any posted?

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Michael: Here’s a link to a field I discovered this Spring. Bluebonets and Paintbrush Thanks for asking.

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A beautiful image, Michael. I like the out of focus paintbrush tips entering the bottom of the frame, but I’m not sure about the little bit entering from the lower left. The back light through the main subjects is awesome. The mountain paintbrushes always seem to have more intense colors than our lowland varieties on this side of the mountains.