New to the forum and introducing myself

[KevinGSaunders]

Hello all,

My name is Kevin G Saunders and my journey to this forum came through a chance meeting with Liz and Don O'Toole, a lovely couple who own E.D. Huntington Orchids + Tropicals in San Antonio. I am a professional photographer and I was looking for flowers to photograph and my sister Jamie Huizenga, who owns Cebolla Fine Flowers in Dallas said, "Find the orchid society. Orchid people are cool!"

I found Liz and Don and went out to the greenhouse and was absolutely floored with the way they grew their orchids. You could feel the love they put into the plants and all the plants were exceedingly happy. I knew I had to build a collection of fine art prints right there on the spot.

You see, I had been perfecting techniques to photograph things like orchids over the last six years, but I had not really been introduced to them formally. Once I saw the plants, however, I knew exactly what to do.

So I now have a big task ahead of me to learn more about the orchids and their stories. I plan on photographing 100 plants for the collection and will be doing lots of research.

I had been lurking here already learning quite a bit and hope you don't mind a total newbie with a great appreciation for the plants and of course the growers who care for them.

[ezil]

Welcome, you're in the right place! You learn from us, and we will certainly learn from you. Please share some of your pictures.

[Bud]

Welcome and Hello !
Sit back, relax and read postings from some of our members where you can glean precious knowledge on how to care for your orchids based on their wealth of experience...post pictures of some of your blooms...

[KevinGSaunders]

Originally Posted by Bud

Welcome and Hello !
Sit back, relax and read postings from some of our members where you can glean precious knowledge on how to care for your orchids based on their wealth of experience...post pictures of some of your blooms...

Wow you guys are a friendly bunch! Thanks for the warm welcome. I created a gallery but the best way to look at these beauties is on my gigapan site, (edit, I couldn't post the link, but go to gigapan.com and search for Kevin G Saunders, and maybe you guys can tell me how to post the link) where you can zoom way in as if you were in front of the actual print. The largest print so far is of v. tesselata 'leopard' which is ten feet tall.

The cool thing about these prints is the plants are the superstars, and Liz and Don, the growers, are as well. I just had some techniques and equipment that suited the creation of massive prints and the plants were more than happy to oblige.

(edit: The link to the gallery is in my sig. I will get the hang of things and thank you for your patience!)

[Bud]

Your photographs of the orchid blooms is amazing. I have tall flowering Vandas too but I just dont have the photography talent you have. I use my camera to archive and record my blooms for posterity sake.....I have to learn how to correctly angle and focus artistically or maybe get to know my camera thoroughly and all its features as opposed to just clicking away

[Phalchid]

Welcome! Your photographs of the orchids are so beautiful!

[KevinGSaunders]

Thanks Bud! I have a $100,000 camera, and it took a long time to figure out the techniques to do the big vandas and of course the blooms. I just love the plants too and they are a joy to photograph.

They really do talk to me too. That tessalata bloom kept drooping when I was photographing it until I figured out a better angle, then it settled down and posed properly.

Originally Posted by Bud

Your photographs of the orchid blooms is amazing. I have tall flowering Vandas too but I just dont have the photography talent you have. I use my camera to archive and record my blooms for posterity sake.....I have to learn how to correctly angle and focus artistically or maybe get to know my camera thoroughly and all its features as opposed to just clicking away

[KevinGSaunders]

Thank you so much. There is so much more where this came from.

Originally Posted by Phalchid

Welcome! Your photographs of the orchids are so beautiful!

[KevinGSaunders]

Thanks very much for the kind words. I will certainly share my photographic knowledge and of course I want to tell the world about the fine art prints. This will be a marvelous adventure. I appreciate your hospitality.

Originally Posted by ezil

Welcome, you're in the right place! You learn from us, and we will certainly learn from you. Please share some of your pictures.

[tucker85]

Welcome to Orchid Board!