Dally in the Dahlias

[Dennis Ernst]

Photo taken at a farm that raises over 100 species of dahlias. It was amazing to be in 40 acres of blooming flowers. This one was about 8 inches in diameter. When you get up close the colors and textures are amazing.

Dennis Ernst

 

[Chris Dodkin]

That's surreal Dennis - wonderful symmetry and color

 

[Kev Pugh]

Looks like a painting that Dennis, would like to see the whole lot I bet the colours were outstanding

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Fabulous!!

 

[Paul Lange]

It has a wall art feel to it doesn't it?

Do you have any of the views of the field? I bet that is something to see.

 

[adrian jordin]

This is pretty sharp too, which can be 'blooming' difficult in an open field. One stray breeze and you have to start again...

 

[Dennis Ernst]

Paul,

Here are a couple field shots to give you a feel for what it's like:

 

[Dennis Ernst]

Adrain,

You're right about it being pretty tough to get good shots. The owners don't let you walk down just any row. You have to stay on dirt roads they use for harvesting. Of course there are a lot of people and that add to the challenge as everyone want to get a good shot.

I use a Sigma 180 lens so that give me a little longer reach. It's very hard to find a flawless flower with any decent background. It is very hard to isolate a single flowers when they grow in mass.

Any wind at all becomes a lesson in patience. You are forever waiting for it to die just long enough to get a shot. The sun can really wash out the delicate colors and even on a cloudy day White flowers are near impossible to shoot and retain the natural detail. Sometimes filters help but it's not a complete fix.

Here are a few more shots to show you the huge variety of colors and types of dahlias:

 

[adrian jordin]

Some excellent photos here, Dennis.
I love the colour range in that first field shot.
Are you using any post-processing on these pictures?

I'll have to dig out some of my flower photos and get them scanned in....

 

[Davie Hudson]

View attachment 1863

Photo taken at a farm that raises over 100 species of dahlias. It was amazing to be in 40 acres of blooming flowers. This one was about 8 inches in diameter. When you get up close the colors and textures are amazing.

Dennis Ernst

Brilliant !! the colours are amazing

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Dennis - any tricks to stop the bright colours maxing out the camera's ability to record them?

I had real issues early in the year shooting at the local flower fields here - the reds were saturating the red channel of the camera, even though the over-all exposure was 'correct'.

 

[Dennis Ernst]

I'm using Lightroom to process my raw files. As my camera is old and will only go ISO 400, so I try to shoot so I can do more in Lightroom. As long as I can get a good capture, I don't care what it looks like right out of the camera.


Here is the link to the Swan Island Dahlia Farm:

Swan Island Dahlias providing the highest quality dahlia bulbs and dahlia flower

I also shoot a tulip farm in the early summer and there are several orchid shows at different times of the year.

The orchid shows are the most difficult as they are indoors, often held in a mall with poor light and there are throngs of people who bump the tables and make the flowers move. It can be fun though and it take a bit of patience. Occasionally they will let photographers in an hour early but you're still fighting a crowd.

I'll post some of this on a separate thread after the holidays.

Dennis