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"Just a thistle"


Photo Information
Copyright: Per Hoj (hojper) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 52 W: 4 N: 78] (224)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-10-21
Categories: Flowers
Camera: Casio EX-Z4
Exposure: f/3.2, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2004-11-01 17:37
Viewed: 4836
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is just some kind of thistle - and not even a vicious thorny one at that. And I couldn't give you the latin or even the Danish name. But I can tell you stories about thistles:

As the story goes, a long time ago when Scotland was being ravaged by Viking invaders, a group of Scottish fighting men were resting overnight in a field. Unknown to them, a raiding party was preparing to attack them, under cover of darkness. As the attacking Vikings approached the encamped Scots, they stood on a patch of thistles with their bare feet and let out cries of pain as the thorns dug deep into their feet. The Scots, having been awakened by the noise were able to fight off the attackers and drive them back across the North Sea. So from that day, the thistle has been adopted as Scotland's national symbol.

But that is not all. Our own Danish Hans Christian Andersen wrote a beautiful fairy tale about the thistle which ends like this: "He became more and more thoughtful — kept on thinking and thinking till near Christmas, and then a flower of thought came forth.
“If the children are only good, the parents do not mind standing outside the garden pale.”
“That’s an honorable thought,” said the Sunbeam. “You shall also have a good place.”
“In a pot or in a frame?” asked the Thistle.
“In a story,” replied the Sunbeam."

You should read the whole tale here

And Hans Christian's Andersens words came back to me as we get closer to Christmas and the thistles can suddenly be found in "bloom" on a late October day.

Technically this was just resized and sharpened and bit.
RAP, Luc, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-11-01 17:50]

No es sólo un cardo... es una maravillosa imagen con una composicion excelente, a partir de un colorido muy natural, un gran agudeza (sobre todo en la flor y el capullo superior) y atinados encuadre y DOF.
Bien hecho Per... gracias por publicarla.

It is not only a thistle... is a wonderful image with an excellent composition, from a very natural colorful one, a great sharpness (mainly in the flower and the superior cocoon) and accurate frame and DOF.
Well done Per... thanks for posting.

Good shot! You've captured this nicely, I particularly like the combination of colours here, and the texture of the flowerbud would work well in B&W I think. One minor nit, it looks like a knapweed, not a thistle to me - although to be fair they are all in the same family ;) Anyway nicely done :-D

  • Great 
  • sito (68)
  • [2004-11-02 3:25]

Nice sharpness and DOF, What a compositon!

just a thistle, but a very sharp and clear one!good composition and nice colours and details.interesting note to.well done.

Per Hoj, In this case I think Ricardo's evaluation is "right on"! Excellent supporting note & a job well-done!!

  •      
  • XOTAELE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1324 W: 60 N: 964] (8)
  • [2006-09-25 13:39]

Hermosa flor, preciosos los detalles.
Una delicia para ver con calma. Saludos, JL.

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