Rhynchostylis gigantea

[Rosim_in_BR]

This is a seedling flowering for the first time. The flowers with just few spots really are captivating! And perfumed!!

[SP2340]

Beautiful piece!! How do you get the background so black in the photo? Thanks!

[dgenovese1]

Mauro...it is beautiful, and like you, I agree that the "few" spots does give this specimen an alluring quality.

By the way, like SP2340, I too have been wondering how you get your photo background to be so black. I sometimes use a black foamboard as a background, but it usually doesn't show as contrasting as in your photos. Nice technique!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by SP2340

Beautiful piece!! How do you get the background so black in the photo? Thanks!

Originally Posted by dgenovese1

Mauro...it is beautiful, and like you, I agree that the "few" spots does give this specimen an alluring quality.

By the way, like SP2340, I too have been wondering how you get your photo background to be so black. I sometimes use a black foamboard as a background, but it usually doesn't show as contrasting as in your photos. Nice technique!

I use a large black cloth as background and always take my shots in natural light, preferably in the morning, or late in the afternoon sometimes. To get good black background, the cloth must be clean and free o waves, I mean well stretched. Then you play with the distance you place the flower from the cloth, the distance you place the camera from the flower and the depth of field of your camera. As a general rule, the farther the camera is from the flower, the more are the chances the background gets in focus; the closer the camera is from the flower the more the background tends to be out of focus producing a uniform black. The contrast you need to adjust on your camera

[Roy]

Mauro, that is a very nice giganteum. The flowers are so well spaced. The spotting mainly on the petals is very unique, I dont think I've seen one like that before.

[dgenovese1]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

I use a large black cloth as background and always take my shots in natural light, preferably in the morning, or late in the afternoon sometimes. To get good black background, the cloth must be clean and free o waves, I mean well stretched. Then you play with the distance you place the flower from the cloth, the distance you place the camera from the flower and the depth of field of your camera. As a general rule, the farther the camera is from the flower, the more are the chances the background gets in focus; the closer the camera is from the flower the more the background tends to be out of focus producing a uniform black. The contrast you need to adjust on your camera

Ross,

Thanks very much for your photography tips. It seems like I'll need to get a good size piece of black felt and stretch it over a frame...and keep the camera as close to the subject as possible. Hopefull this will work as well for me as what you are doing.

[Don Perusse]

Is it in a basket? So dark I really can't see the container. Do you use and medium? I ask as I just inherited two rhy. from a dear friend who pass away. One is white and the other rotusa. Leaves are healthy looking tho the roots look rather dry. His last days I am sure they didn't get the care needed. Would love for these to thrive and bloom. Thanks. Don

[gixrj18]

Originally Posted by Don Perusse

Is it in a basket? So dark I really can't see the container. Do you use and medium? I ask as I just inherited two rhy. from a dear friend who pass away. One is white and the other rotusa. Leaves are healthy looking tho the roots look rather dry. His last days I am sure they didn't get the care needed. Would love for these to thrive and bloom. Thanks. Don

Looks like it's in a 4" pot, maybe 2". The spotting reminds me a little of Sedirea japonica. Nice one, Mauro!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by Don Perusse

Is it in a basket? So dark I really can't see the container. Do you use and medium? I ask as I just inherited two rhy. from a dear friend who pass away. One is white and the other rotusa. Leaves are healthy looking tho the roots look rather dry. His last days I am sure they didn't get the care needed. Would love for these to thrive and bloom. Thanks. Don

Jasen is right, the plant still is in its 4" seedling pot. As it grew up I didn't see the need to take it off and place it in a basket. I maybe do it, but really don't see the need.
Don, I grow my adult Rhynchos without any medium, roots free in the air. They are watered every day. They also love heavy fertilization. The more I fertilize, the more they respond. But, I must say that to do that, you need to always fertilize first and then, a few minutes later, wash the plants to remove any trace of salts from the plant, especially from the roots. Otherwise you'll have the root tips burnt.

[Don Perusse]

Thanks for the advice about root tip burn. Will definately keep that in mind.

Don