Sulco for a change!

[DaveW]

Time I changed to a new genus, but I am still using the old generic names as shorthand!

Sulcorebutia tiraquensis bicolorispina

[attachment 5561 bicolorispina.jpg]

DaveW

[Vic]

Another superb pic Dave! Have you ever looked at this website, some more great pics by another Dave:

http://www.botanica.uk.net/index.htm

[iann]

Mine are asleep. No sun, no water, no flowers. I'll just admire yours while I wait

[DaveW]

I would encourage people to use a diffuser, or scrim as they are sometimes called, between the sun and the plant to reduce the contrast when photographing their plants in full sun Vic.

I use one of the "Lastolite" circular spring open types, but you can easily make your own from a wooden frame similar to a picture frame with a sheet of tissue paper glued on to it, or very thin white cloth.

I even used to use a sheet of that thin milk white plastic they use as a diffuser in front of recessed fluorescent fittings in suspended ceilings in shops in the past.

Try this one too Vic, Irwin Lightstone does a lot of photostacking of cacti and some of his pictures grace the cover of the American Journal:-

http://www.radiantimagesphotography.net ... D=1&row=15

DaveW

[Vic]

You mean the sort of scrim you mentioned the other day available on Ebay Dave - I may get one if it will improve the photo quality??

Cheers for the link - I'll have a butchers.

[DaveW]

Yes Vic,

The trouble is the EBAY source now only seem to have the larger size. Mine was 32" from there in the past if I remember correctly. These spring open diffusers are made from about 12"-18" in diameter upwards. I think the EBAY ones are made in China, that is why they are cheap.

I have found some various size "Litedisc" diffusers in this link if you scroll halfway down (+ VAT though!):-

http://www.teamworkphoto.com/photoflex.html

There is an article on their use here:-

http://www.naturephotographers.net/arti ... 002-1.html

DaveW

[Vic]

Thanks Dave! I was looking at these:http://www.warehouseexpress.com/?photo/ ... bottletops

Yes you can really see the difference with the shadows cast on the petals.

I was reading somewhere that you can use a piece of white backed cardboard covered in kitchen foil - but I expect these have a limited life span although cheap to reproduce plus not very portable but useable in the garden/greenhouse environment.

[DaveW]

Yes Vic, you can use a reflector to fill in the shadows, but obviously there is a difference from reflecting light into them and imposing a diffuser between the plant and the light source because that mimics a white lightly clouded sky, supposedly the best form of natural photographic lighting.

Full sun is supposed to be the harshest and worst form of lighting for photography, but of course our plants always open their flowers best in full sun, so a diffuser is "instant thin light white cloud" when you need it!

Have just looked at your link Vic, Lastolite is the best known of these collapsible reflectors/diffusers but expensive. Make sure you are getting a DIFFUSER though and not just a REFLECTOR. Some diffusers have zip on reflector panels so can perform both functions, but if you just get a reflector it is opaque and cannot be used for diffusion.

For those not photographically inclined the reflector "bounces" light back towards the subject like a mirror whilst a diffuser is held between the light source and the plant so the light shines through it just the same as using a sheet of tissue paper above the plant.

DaveW