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Strelitzia


Strelitzia
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-18
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds MkII, Canon 24-70 mm f 2,8 L-USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Flower(Yellow)II [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-10 11:12
Viewed: 1190
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A couple of weekends ago we went to Madeira - it rained most of the weekend, but I did get a few shots. I think this may be the first flower I have posted - apart from the Rafflesia - which is noy a true flower (it is in my Malaysia folder).

Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. The genus is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. The common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower, because of a supposed resemblance of its flowers to the bird of paradise. In South Africa it is commonly known as a "crane" flower.

The species S. nicolai is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m tall; the other species typically reach 2-6 m tall. The leaves are large, 30-200 cm long and 10-80 cm broad, similar to a banana leaf in appearance but with a longer petiole, and arranged strictly in two ranks to form a fan-like crown of evergreen foliage. The flowers are produced in a horizontal inflorescence emerging from a stout spathe. They are pollinated by sunbirds, which use the spathe as a perch when visiting the flowers; the weight of the bird on the spathe opens it to release the pollen onto the bird's feet, which is then deposited on the next flower it visits.
delic, boreocypriensis, nglen, eqshannon, jaycee, matatur, JoseMiguel, CeltickRanger, rousettus, Adanac, Luis52, albert, uleko, ramthakur has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Luis52: MexicoJamesp 1 03-11 00:44
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Critiques [Translate]

Wowww.. what a strange and beautiful flower James. I have not seen before. It is very interesting and beautiful. Your capture is excelent as usual my friend! An anusual thing is I became familiar with your excelent landscape captures! I think I have to make a surprise in todays:). TFS this beauty friend!
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 449 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2008-03-10 11:25]

Lovely colors that stand out so well against the darker backdrop. Seems like you almost need f/1.4 to blur the back. Regards,
Hakan

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2900 W: 34 N: 8586] (32012)
  • [2008-03-10 11:31]

Hi James.Somthing a bit different from you today, I have seen one before and i must say the most beautiful looking flower i have seen. You have captured it with good colour and detail with a good POV. well done TFs.
Nick..

Hello James
This is a very fascinating bloom...I have been lead around many garden centres by my partner and have never come across anything like this...Photographically it is perfectly captured.

Paul

What a gorgeous shade of yellow this is...I am not partial to bright yellows but these deep dark ones with other rainbows thrown in for balance....just wonderful James...You have a talent that's for sure!
Cheers and a tip of my hat to ya!
Bob
I just made this my backdrop on the computer for a couple of days:-)

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-03-10 13:02]

Wow! What a fabulous shot!
This is one amazing plant!
Brilliant colours!
Superb clarity as well.
Very well done James,

Joe

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-03-10 13:07]

Hi James,

A flower from you! And a most unusual looking one. It is beautiful and interesting. Colors are just amazing and the details are sharp and clear. It has a 3-D effect standing out from the leaves.

Jane

Hi James,
This is a very popular and common flower here in my country.
And you made an impeccable image of it.
Good natural light and a great leaf background that stands out all the beauty of the inflorescence.
Congratulations and thanks for share.
My best regards,
JM

Hi James
Althought it is first flower for you, great shot. Congratulations.. You present it with great focus and details, beautiful coloration and nice composition and POV. your notes very nice to read. TFS, well done
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2008-03-10 18:51]

Hello Jmaes,
I like how you used a strong backlight to light up this wonderful flower, thanks for sharing James.
Rick

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1111 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
  • [2008-03-10 20:05]
  • [+]

Hi James.
Dont know for sure if I had seen this flowers here in Mexico too, I guess they grow only in places with a lot of rain, any way it is beautiful, and You had taken an exellent photo of it.
Your note is very interesting.

Hello James,
Perfect exposure and focus in capturing this beautiful Strelitzia!
very sharp indeed with beautiful colouration and details
well done
TFS
Tony

You should do flower captures more frequently James, This Strelitzia is a perfect macro-take from several viewpoints my friend, including an ideal POV, perfect lighting, fine DOF choice and its natural result, a sharp focus of the whole flower and a pleasantly OOF BG. An expert combination indeed!
Cheers,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1109 W: 23 N: 3643] (13049)
  • [2008-03-11 4:12]

wow James,
this is a real beauty, colours are very vivid and the whole thing is just amazing to look at, almost birdlike in form. Sharp focus and perfect DOF, well done!
Paul

Hi James,
Excellent photo with true colours
This strelitzia species is "Strelitzia reginae" also named as you noted bird of paradise or crane flower
Native from RSA but has been introduced all over the world where it is hot and humid
Kind regards
Albert
PS: I got both Strelitzia reginae and nicolai in my garden!

hello James

lovely shot of beautiful flowers, with excellent luminosity of the
mage, excellent POV, great DOF, excellent sharpness & details

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-03-11 9:52]

Hello James

A beautiful image of this striking flower.
The colours are vivid and rich.
Very good use of lighting.
Good choice of POV.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2008-03-11 10:01]

James, very nice shot and I hv posted something similar today But your shot is superb ganesh

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2983 W: 162 N: 911] (2687)
  • [2008-03-11 10:46]

Hello James,
This is a splendid capture of the Strelitzia that seems to be a symbol for the Canary Islands as well. On Tenerife they were sold as souvenirs to take back home! It's certainly a very spectacular flower and your capture is very sharp and the colours wonderful.
Many thanks, Ulla

I love the blue part of this Bird of Paradise flower, James, which is so prominent in this lovely image.
The image as a whole is just beautiful.
TFS and regards.
Ram

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