I was worried I might miss the opening of the night-blooming cereus I mentioned yesterday but a well-timed power outage left me with no distractions at all and I was able to focus on this beauty.
It began to open at dusk . . .
John moved it from the green house to the front porch where I could sit in comfort and figure out how best to light it. Below is with the camera flash alone . . .
But then I tried turning off the flash and using a strong, hand-held flash light . . .
And I like the results much better.
Such a magical bloom . . .
It has a wonderful fragrance too. . .
Moths (its natural pollinators) were beginning to fly around it but I didn't manage to capture any -- I think the flashlight beam confused them.
I sat up with the bloom till about eleven . . . and in the morning, it had wilted.
But then I noticed a tiny bud, no bigger than the tip of my little finger . . . something else to watch!
11 comments:
Nothing more fascinating than the natural world is there Vicki. Your beautiful flower is indeed magical. I love your pictures of it.
Such a shame it doesn't last longer, but you sure did and excellent job capturing the moment!
Wow- how cool! I don't think I have ever seen one bloom.
On camera flashes aren't the best, unless maybe you have one where you can control the power output. Anyway, your solution was perfect. It's a marvellous bloom. Great work.
How lovely!
Amazing! I hope the little blossom gives off its beauty for you as well.
Vicki, your patient vigil and clever deployment of the hand held flashlight have brought us some magical, exquisite images. That bloom is remarkable in every way. How thrilling to see that there might be a second act to this performance. Full moon coming up on the 31st....
xo
I think it is rather magical that it lasts for only a short period of time. We must be patient and vigilant to observe its beauty. Thank you for sharing this magic with us. It is beautiful!
Simply fascinating. Such a beauty for so little time...
Beautiful!! I'm so glad you didn't miss the grand opening. Wonderful photos!
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