Submitter's name:	Lex Jenkins
Title:	Mexican Petunias
Gear used:	OM-1, Zuiko 50/3.5 macro
Diaphragm:	f/5.6
Shutter speed:	1/250
Film used:	Kodachrome 64
Technical information:	Handheld, midday sunlight.
Subject information:	Mexican petunias are usually among the most attractive wildflowers found along Texas roadsides. But a 3-year drought and recurrent summer heatwaves have reduced them to a few weary stragglers. These were among the best examples I found.
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Comment left by: Olaf Greve (ogreve@hotmail.com)

Oooooh, very nice composition and colours, I was thinking this was shot on Velvia, and then I read it is actually K64! Nice surprise! Great bokeh too, BTW ;)

Comment left by: Tim Hughes (Hi100@aol.com)

What a sharp photograph for the web. Wonder whether Kodachrome material has greater edge effects from developement? That Kodachrome always has such good blacks. It must be a pleasure to see this projected.

Comment left by: Lex Jenkins (lexjenkins@hotmail.com)

Thanks, Olaf, Tim...you should see the original; the background bokeh is even better. This is actually a flatbed scan of an 8x10 dye sublimation print made at an Eckerd Pharmacy where they have a Polaroid 35 Plus scanner. I'd forgotten to bring a diskette or I could have uploaded directly from there. Kodachrome has been my favorite slide film for 30 years, for this reason. Only Provia 100F rivals it to my eyes. BTW, the Zuiko 50/3.5 macro was courtesy of Dave Bulger who let me borrow his for a while. Whew! Did I want to keep that sweetie! Thanks bunches, Dave, I sure appreciate you.

Comment left by: Christoph Hertzler (hertzler@ilt.fhg.de)

I like that photo. The flowers are almost jumping out of my monitor. I think the Bokeh part of the picture is not its strongest point. The out of focus background in the upper left corner could have been more smooth.

Comment left by: siddiq (siddim01@student.ucr.edu)

yow, surprised at the colors from kodachrome! another example of super colors from K64 by John Lind. Christoph, I've got more Bad Bokeh shots with this infamous lens, see link in previous pictorial entry.

Comment left by: Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com)

Tremendous impact. Focusing is just about perfect IMHO. I don't see much bokeh in this shot. I think the dramatic effect was achieved more by the use of light than bokeh, but still - that's what photography is all about, isn't it?

Comment left by: Keith Berry (k.berry@telinco.co.uk)

I like everything about this picture, especially that all parts of the flowers are in focus. The bokeh looks fine to me, though a darker section of background behind the central bud may have improved the counterpoint.

Comment left by: Jay Maynard (jmaynard@conmicro.cx)

Very nice flower picture. Everything just works. Wanna come shoot some bluebonnets next May?

Comment left by: Giles (no e-mail specified)

Very impressive. The shot has great impact yet the colours vary subtly.

Comment left by: Alasdair Mackintosh (vanda@dtn.ntl.com)

One's first impression is of the vivid foreground, and one wonders quite what what this has to do with bokeh. But a more careful look at the picture reveals that the the bokeh is indeed what is helping to make the (perfectly exposed) petals stand out so vividly. They're uncannily three-dimensional. Great stuff.

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