Flannel Flower Lampshades

THE SUBJECT:
Here we have a nice set of Actinotus helianthus (Flannel Flower) basking in the mid-afternoon sun on a warm Spring day.

THE LOCATION:
The shot was made whilst on a wildflower hunt with a couple of Port Macquarie Panthers Camera Club friends along the Flower Bowl Walk in the Kattang Nature Reserve at Dunbogan, south of Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia.

THE MAKING OF ‘Flannel Flower Lampshades’:
The photograph has been purposely under exposed by taking the metering directly from the brightest flower to show the full affect of the sunlight on the petals of the open flowers, making them look like lamps with inverted lampshades.
What I really like about the final result is the wonderful natural composition of the flower head, the clarity of detail and of course that glorious light.
Fuji S9600: RAW, Manual settings of f/3.7 @ 1/400sec, Auto focus, ISO80, Hand held.
S7RAW & Photoshop CS.

Visit my Aussie Wildflower collection in my BubbleSite Gallery for more native gems.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: 06-04-09
These fabulous Flannels have been awarded the POTD in the Shutterbugs Theme Section.

UPDATE: 12-4-09
Someone with impeccable tase, a love of light and beautiful Aussie wildflowers has bought a Medium Laminated Print of these fabulous Flannels.

WILDFLOWERS: FLANNEL FLOWERS
(Click the links!)

Actinotus helianthus – Flannel Flower Lampshades