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Charming Wallflower


Charming Wallflower
Photo Information
Copyright: Silke Force (Silke) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 108 N: 1729] (5398)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-25
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Nikon D70S, Sigma 18-200 mm (F3.5-6.3), Tiffen 62 MM Circular Polarize
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-08-16 8:20
Viewed: 597
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Much to the occasional consternation of those who care about me, I will do the oddest things to get a good shot of something that appeals to me, especially when it is something I have never seen before.

I had been taking pictures of an ancient mill when I noticed that there were trailing plants growing out of the wall above the water. They were a little too far way to get a good view of them especially since their flowers were only the size of a infant's fingernail.
So I clung to a crevice in the ancient stone wall, swung my upper body and right arm around the corner and over the millrace to get the camera as close to my subject as I could and let the automatic focus do the rest.
This is the best of the six shots I took with almost no cropping from the bottom and sides. I held off posting this until I could identify it and did so thanks to Bob Shannon! While I was looking up the ID for his noxious weed posting, I finally stumbled across the ID for this little beauty.

It is known variously as Kenilworth Ivy or Ivy-leaved toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), is native to southwest Europe and has widely naturalised elsewhere. This tiny ¼” flower grows in sheltered crevices in walls, pathways, rocks and scree, and develops into a trailing or scrambling plant over 1 metre long. The various species differ in subtle details of leaf shape and flower colour.

Its survival on the sheltered side of this ancient mill is guaranteed by the fact that it cannot readily be reached by human hands, for all that it is undoubtedly carefully cleared off the three walls that are not directly over the millrace. (I will add a photo of the building to the workshop, just for interests' sake.)

Tech: shot in RAW, converted to jpg, with minimal cropping along bottom and both sides, resized and sharpened edges

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day.
XOTAELE, gracious, jaycee, marhowie, jmirah, jeanpaul, eqshannon, uleko, pierrefonds, angybone, PaulH, jmp, Argus has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Argus: cultivatedSilke 1 08-18 08:57
To PaulH: the placeSilke 2 08-17 08:20
To jaycee: extremes :)Silke 1 08-16 10:11
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Critiques [Translate]

Preciosos detalles y hermoso el colorido amiga Silke.
Como siempre tus notas son bastante completas.
Hasta pronto, JL.

spl

Hello Silke,
Lovely captured of the wallflowers in a bright sunnyday!
good clarity with natural colour and details
wild flowers can be very beautiful but quite noxious indeed as we have here in NZ too, I see most of them when I did my tracking in the bush on the last summer!
thanks for sharing, Silke!
cheers
Tony

Hi Silke,

You certainly went to extremes to get this picture.
It was worth it! The ivy with the lavender flowers are quite lovely. Good details and pretty colors. I enjoyed seeing the workshop of the building.

Jane

Hello Silke,
Very nice colors and even exposure, it's bright and cheerful.
Nice detail and a pleasing frame..the size of an infants fingernail you say?
Well then, that makes these flowers all the more special :)
Well done!
Howard

Well if that doesn't beat all. What a family those Toadflax gang. There goes the neighborhood as folks used to say in the old days...

Great shot and so very much dainty. I absolutely love wildflowers, and yours very much...

Bob

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-08-16 20:27]

Hello Silke

I got a kick out of your notes,I am so glad I am not the only one who is found lying on the ground in the forest or clinging to a railing with a camera in one hand.Another very informative and interesting post.The flowers show very well and the focus and detail is very good.The colours look well saturated and natural.TFS

Rob

Hi Silke,
Nice story about your trials to get the shot. A very pleasing photo of a fine little flower and vine. Well captured.

TFS
Jim

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2577 W: 170 N: 7864] (24859)
  • [2007-08-17 2:34]

Hello Silke,
This is a very pretty ivy that is trying to take over my rockery! You've really got a splendid close-up here showing sharp details of leaves and the tiny flowers. Good natural colours and an excellent composition too.
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

Hi Silke,

A nice image of the flowers and of the leaves, the photo has a good composition, sharpness and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.

Pierre

A lovely shot and great story. I think people view nature photographers with a little amusement. We're the ones crawling around in the dirt, hanging out of trees, chasing snakes. ha ha

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1064 W: 26 N: 3196] (11459)
  • [2007-08-17 8:09]
  • [+]

Hi Silke,
i know the spot you mean (it think) and i have a funny image in my head! Christchurch Harbour is the last place you want to fall into..
Anyway, a very pretty and delicate presentaion, with lovely light and natural colour...well worth the risk.
tfs and have a great weekend.
Paul

Hi Silke,
yes, realy charming - I love the nice violet colour and the light was wonderful here.
Thanks and greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Bonjour Silke
Très belles ces fleurs sauvages, excellente restitution des couleurs, belle prise.
Amicalement et a bientôt ...JP
Les sourires demain

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2340] (8406)
  • [2007-08-17 13:55]

Hi Silke,
I like this kind of ivy with such a nice flowers. Excellent exercise of climbing and good photo that tells a lot about Nikon's autofocus!
TFS, José M.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 147 N: 7948] (24747)
  • [2007-08-18 8:34]
  • [+]

Hello Silke,
The Ivy-leaved Toadflax is a plant I see every day in growing in our rockery, though as it is cultivated we can't post a shot of it on TN.
This is a fine sharp and well composed capture and nice to see on this site.
TFS and have a nice weekend,
Ivan

Hello Silke,

Also "ordinary" flowers can be very beautiful. Simply and sharpen. The colours look well saturated and natural. Very nice composition. Interesting info Have a nice weekend. TFS Bob

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2058)
  • [2007-12-24 15:11]

Hi Silke
nicelly captured this small and very beautiful species, very nice composition
clear photo with great colors
regards, Dejan

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