Submitter's name:	Olaf Greve
Title:	Hatching beauty
Gear used:	Olympus E-500 + OM->E adapter + Zuiko OM 50/3.5 Macro lens + FL-50R + extension tubes?
Aperture used:	Not recorded, but around f11 or f16
Shutter speed used:	Not recorded, but flash synchronised, most likely underexposed by up to 1 or 2 steps
Media used:	Sandisk Ultra II card, set at ISO 125
Subject information:	One of the clematis flowers in our garden. For this TOPE I went out to the garden after a rainshower, so everything looked fresh. I ended up having a very hard time picking a shot for TOPE as there were many ones that I liked (and I am positive that others would have picked a different picture). For some reason, I kept coming back to this shot, and I find it an intriguing and somewhat mysterious composition, which appealed more to me than the shots of the wide-open flowers. I also particularly like the fact that the petals came out darkish (low-key almost), whereas the centre is nicely bright, without being hotspotted by the flash. Finally, the concept of this beautiful flower about to fold open to catch its first rays of sunlight, somehow captivates me and makes it a more interesting shot to me than the other shots are.
Technical information:	I took many shots that day, and I haven't kept meticulous notes of each one of them. Yet, I am quite positive (by comparing it to other shots of the same flower) that this particular shot was taken using extension tubes, most likely the 21mm one (by Hama). Also, the shot was taken using the FL-50R flash, and I bracketed somewhat on this subject too. It seems to me that this shot was underexposed by 1 or 2 full steps, in order to get the darkish petals, and the non-hotspotted centre of the flower. Focusing is not so easy with an MF lens that is almost fully diaphragmed. As this was one of the last shots of that session, further complications were the heavy set-up (due to the flash) and the -by then- tired arms.
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Comment left by: siddiq (no e-mail specified)

Ok, a rather unusual shot, but I do like it a lot for that reason--it's not typical. Maybe post the other shots elsewhere afterwards?

Comment left by: J A Segura (jafsc@sympatico.ca)

Splendid macro! The contrast of light and colors is very well done!

Comment left by: Wayne Harridge (no e-mail specified)

Very appealing which I think is due to the purple/yellow colour combination. Nice detail in the bits within the lens DOF too.

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