Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by RonBeam:
The species is Kniphofia and is commonly called "Torch Lily." Another shot of this exquisitely beautiful flower is here.

Message edited by author 2005-06-06 15:28:32.

Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by arnigunnar:
A shame the first one (on the left) is a bit cut off. Would be better if all 3 were in focus I think.

Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by Catherine_B:
Great title and subject. Good use of color. I would have had all 3 of the main stalks in focus though. Looking past one out of focus stalk to see the in focus stalk with 2 more out of focus in the back ground isn't working for me, and hurts my eyes. Great attempt though, keep trying.

Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by aimee_skittles:
Wow, great dof on this pic! Brilliant colors!

Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by jpochard:
Beauty is a subjective thing, I know. In my scoring and comments I'm trying to score based on NOT whether or not I would think a particular subject beautiful, but on whether the photographer has succeeded in creating a beautiful photo. I look for the elements of color, lines, focus and dof interest, lighting, and a certain element of grace and lovlieness. I'm looking for a unique and creative appeal for the highest scorers. The description says to create a photo that makes the viewer think "that's beautiful", so it will undoubtedly be very subjective. (This is what I'm putting at the start of all of my comments, and I hope it is helpful.)

That being said, this is an interesting plant I've not seen before. Colors are great, but I don't like the composition or dof all that much. Having the out of focus selections so prominent, and having the focused one partly covered - just doesn't add anything to the shot imo. I think the biggest drawback to my eye, is the large one in front on the left that really seems to take over and it makes the composition very unbalanced in my view.

Silver and Gold
by mexico

Comment by mexico:
Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate them.

Wow, my first 6! This idea had many glitches along the way, DOF being the biggest problem. This was actually taken on a 9" side plate with some sand that had been coloured, the sort you use for flower arrangements, etc. The patterns were made with a fork and the shell was less than an inch long. This meant macro which in turn meant shallow DOF although I do like the out of focus background, not so sure about the foreground.

I used a halogen desklight on the left and a small LCD torch from the right to create the silvery light from that side. Ultimately I was quite pleasantly surprised as I normally take pictures of what is there, not what I've created, but that's the fun of DPC!

Red Hot Pokers
by mexico

Comment by buzzmom:
these are absolutely beautiful...i have never seen them before

Silver and Gold
by mexico

Comment by bluecannibal:
Looks more like bronze or copper to me, but I like the composition regardless.

Silver and Gold
by mexico

Comment by Dr.Confuser:
One of this photo's best features is the lighting and the way it contributes relief to the shadows. Nicely focused on the shell. Among my top picks for a ribbon.

Silver and Gold
by mexico

Comment by ankit0621:
good shot...