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Monarda punctata
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Monarda punctata

by Jim Zablotny

Gallery: FloraPosted June 27, 2015114 views7 comments

Monarda punctata, also known as horse-mint, is a plant that prefers dry sandy areas in prairies.  Unlike other species of Monarda, the flower spike is more stretched out and fades in color during flowering. K5 IIs 180mm f3.5 (1/40sec at f29, ISO 640) Exposure +1.5, levels, brightness and contrast, noise removal to BG, TK's luminosity masks for lights, midtones & darks......................Jim

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on June 27, 2015 at 2:29 AM

Well made and processed, Jim. I like the alternating tiers of flowers and leaves. Certainly is a unique looking plant!devil

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments
Comment posted by Patricia Brundage on June 27, 2015 at 3:16 PM

Not a flower I've ever seen.  Like the layers and intricacy of the flowers.  Well presented.  Thanks for sharing.

Registered on March 23, 2006, 1111 Posts, 6531 Comments
Comment posted by Ramamohan Pai on June 27, 2015 at 9:15 PM

Jim - First thing that struck me was all the nice pastel shades. These must be nature's own wedding cakes indecision

I like reading your notes. The ones here have richer colors and are sure different in variety than this one. I have no observations, everything seems to have been done well here. 

 

Registered on November 1, 2003, 550 Posts, 9037 Comments
Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on June 28, 2015 at 10:53 AM

Very nicely lit, Jim, on a delicately graded bg, with excellent processing.  I like the relatively low contrast effect ( interesting, though, to see whether a touch more contrast would also work ? )  A classic portrait of a very interesting plant !

Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments
Comment posted by Albert Darmo on June 29, 2015 at 4:50 PM

Hi  Jimcrying  Thanks  for sharing this  unusual  bloom     i  enjoy  the soft colors and the complex linesdevil

 

Albert Darmo

Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on June 29, 2015 at 9:58 PM

I think the centered vertical format works well for this flower/plant Jim.

Excellent details & true colors, those ants about it are a nice touch.

Great workdevil

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by Giuseppe Guadagno on July 2, 2015 at 2:18 PM

A very nice and interesting photo of a flower that I have never seen before. Luminous, with very light shades, the image shows pastel like colors.

Registered on February 3, 2007, 827 Posts, 5052 Comments