The centers of flowers can be very complex and intriguing. Since this is where the reproductive organs of plants reside, I generally think of these (and many of my other) shots as flower porn. Certainly many close up images of flowers, as per Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, can be erotic. (For those interested in a biology refresher: stamens are the male parts that produce pollen; pistils are the female parts that collect the pollen. The top of the stamen is the anther and the top of the pistil is the stigma. The bottom of the pistil is the ovary.)

• Begonia Splash (1/2 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Begonia-Splash-20x16-FINAL-40X.jpg

  Sometimes it just takes an elegant shape and bright contrasting colors to satisfy the eye. I bought a begonia as an experiment to see how it would do in the shade. The flowers are only so-so until you look closely in the middle. Begonias are monoecious, meaning they have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. This is the stamen of the male flower. The subject is about ½ in. 59 stacked photos.

  

• Octipul Embrace (Toad Lily - Tricyrtis Formosana) (0.3 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/octipul-embrace-toad-lily-20x16-FINAL-65X-1-1.jpg

  I was looking for a late summer blooming flower and came across this toad lily in an online catalog. The bulbs grew thin 4 foot stalks by midsummer and I’d about given up on them blooming when they suddenly did. At about 1.5 inches, this is the smallest lily I’ve ever seen. It’s unusual for a lily in that the flowers are waxy and sturdy and I’ve never seen pistils like this. The width of the subject is about 0.3 inches. 60 stacked photos.

  

• Crocus center (1 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Crocus-center.jpg

  As pretty as crocuses are when normally viewed, this close up really shows the complex shape and stunning colors. I grew this in a container in Eugene, OR. The subject is about 1 inch. 118 stacked photos.

  

• Crocus Explosion (1/2 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Crocus-Explosion-FINAL-20x16-40X.jpg

  Like fireworks, colors exploding from the center. Sometimes, rather than focusing on the tips of the stamens and pistils, focusing on the interface between them and the petals is stunning. I grew this in a container in Eugene, OR. The subject is about ½ inch. 47 stacked photos.

  

• Crystalline Crocus (1/4 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Crystalline-Crocus-FINAL.jpg

  The nature of focus stacking is that you don’t really know what the details look like until the software stacks the pictures. I know there was some pretty colors here, but who would have thought that a crocus would have such a crystalline structure on its stamen? I grew this in a container in Eugene, OR. The subject is about 1/4 inch. 38 stacked photos.

  

• Daffodil Side Stamen (3/4 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Daffodil-side-stamen.jpg

  Daffodils are always a part of my garden. They were a flower I knew I’d need photo stacking to capture the way I wanted to. So they were one of the first targets for when I started this technique. Sometimes I have to modify a flower to get the picture I want. I cut away the side of the flower in order to access the center. The subject is about ¾ inch. 76 stacked photos.

  

• Daffodil Center (3/4 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Daffodil-center.jpg

  Daffodils are always a part of my garden. They were a flower I knew I’d need photo stacking to capture the way I wanted because of the need for the depth of field. These were one of the first targets for when I developed my technique. The subject is about ¾ inch. 178 stacked photos.

  

• Fiber Optic Pansy (0.2 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fiber-Optic-Pansy.jpg

  Pansies can be extraordinarily lovely and I’ve grown them often. But it took me quite a few attempts to get a shot I was happy with. The beautiful shape and colors of pansies tend to mask the detail I was able to capture here. This portion of the flower is about 0.2 in. 50 stacked photos.

  

• Snail Ala Marigold (1/4 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/snail-ala-marigold.jpg

  Sometimes when I dive into a flower, I don’t really know what I’ll find and, even when a flower appeals to me, I don’t always produce a satisfactory picture. This is a time I wasn’t sure if I’d get anything, but I found these snail antennae sticking out. I grew this in Eugene, OR. The subject is about ¼ in. 27 stacked photos.

  

• Out of the Chasm (Petunia) (1.1 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-the-Chasm.jpg

  The feel of this shot is quite a bit different than most of my photos. It’s kind of an in-your-face shot that doesn’t capture the normal simple curves of a petunia. Even with focus stacking, getting into the throat of this flower wasn’t easy. This is a commonly sold annual flower. The subject is about 1.1 inches. 92 stacked photos.

  

• Whiskers (Starship Lobelia) (1/3 in.)

  http://photo.chjonesconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Whiskers-Starship-Lobelia-FINAL-16x20-23X.jpg

  To be honest, I’m not sure if this is the stamen or pistil. My guess is that the whiskers are the remnants of the stamen and the center is the stigma of the pistil. Either way, as someone with whiskers, I think it’s cute. The subject is about 1/3 inch. 47 stacked photos.