I was enamored of flowers long before I started looking at them at the macro scale. I’ve done some extensive wildflower identification and taking pictures during that process made me realize there is much to learn about taking great shots of flowers. Moving to a studio approach for whole flowers was part of developing my general photographic technique. These may not be as surreal and abstract as some of my other pictures, but they’re still gorgeous.

• Fuschia Pair

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Fuschia-Pair-16x20-1.jpg

  Large swaths of vibrant colors.

  

• Spider Lilly (Amaryllidaceae Hymenocallis) (10 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Spider-Lilly-20x16-initial-affinity-2X.jpg

  I first saw these in Australia and loved them enough to track them down and plant them while living in Rosamond, CA. The delicacy of the petals is breathtaking. This is an example of how a perfect flower picture requires a perfect flower. I watched everyday while they were flowering, waiting for this perfect specimen. This was one of my earliest studio works. I got the back lighting perfect – mostly from natural window lighting. Not focus stacked.

  

• Gladioli in Vase

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Gladioli-Vase.jpg

  Gladioli evidently love growing in the desert given enough water. These naturalized in our flower garden in Rosamond, CA coming up every year. One time I realized I had all these different colors at the same time and just had to take a picture.

  

• Narcissus (A little over 1 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Narcissus.jpg

  I love daffodils and their cousins. The depth of their trumpets was a motivating reason for my interest in focus stacking.. This is the first photo stacked picture I was really happy with. This one was store bought in Eugene, OR before I started growing them here. 150 stack photos (using a manual focus rail.)

  

• Columbine or Granny’s Bonnet

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Columbine.jpg

  Maybe it’s the mathematician in me, but I’ve always loved the geometry of columbines, although the color combinations are pretty awesome too. This did not use focus stacking. Homegrown, Rosamond, CA

  

• Passion Flower (Passiflora Caerulea) (1/2 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/passion-flower.jpg

  Passion flowers are wonderfully complex and colorful flowers. We planted a catalogue bought seedling in Rosamond, CA without much hope of it doing well in the desert. To our surprise it ultimately covered over 30 feet of the side of our house. Not focus stacked.

  

• Purple Iris (4 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Purple-Iris.jpg

  We had a couple patches of irises that multiplied extensively while living in Rosamond, CA. With 3 foot stems and half a dozen flowers per stalk, they provided one of the larger cut flower displays we had in our house every year. Such a lovely shape and color. Not focus stacked.

  

• New Crocus with Snow

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-Crocus-with-Snow-FINAL-8-5-x-11.jpg

  It doesn’t snow too often in Eugene, but I saw this on my deck when I woke up one morning. This is one of the few times where I intentionally left the background unfocused since it added visual clutter and drew the eye away from the main subject. The new growth is about ½ inch. 18 stacked photos.

  

• Bi-Colored Daffodil (1.1 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/bi-colored-daffodil.jpg

  I grow a lot of daffodils and there are so many varieties. This is from an online bulb and is small for a daffodil with a shorter than usual trumpet. The depth of daffodil trumpets was a motivating factor for my interest in focus stacking. This is a later effort that showcases the two colors. 86 stacked photos.