Monday, March 16, 2009

The Luck Of The Iris

This Might Be The Latest Rainbow Warrior

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON


One of the pleasures of having a large garden that produces blooms in almost every season is the old-fashioned joy of walking out in the front or back yard with a pair of secateurs and choosing a variety of tall and short flowers for different-sized vases.

It’s something I’ve always done with the Authorbloglets, so there has been the added appreciation of time spent together, which is always so precious.

We had a very special occasion in our family recently, so of course every vase at Casa Authorblog was crammed with flowers of many descriptions. These shots were taken indoors, in soft light in a room that was lit by afternoon sun but not completely bathed in an overpowering glow.

Yes, I deliberately waited for this time of day for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to be able to capture every nuance of the blues that grace this iris. Secondly, the tall rosebuds in the same vase were the most delicate shade of link pink. Because they were almost white, I knew they would photograph best in indirect light.


In the four hours that I waited patiently to take these shots, one of the irises in the broad vase was probably at its most interesting stage, because the partially-open flower showed strong variation in colour, while still retaining the delicate folds of more beauty to come.

In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow as well as the messenger of the gods. The rainbow manifestation is fairly clear, with the vivid tongue of yellow amid the mix of blues. The first image that appears with this post is actually one of the last I shot in the series but I guess the reason I like it is that the angle makes the iris look like a frill-neck lizard or some psychedelic monster emerging from the deep.

Any angle that endows an object with an added dimension is a good angle.


Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

42 comments:

Maggie May said...

Happy Birthday to whoever it was/is.
Lovely flowers. Iris is a favourite of mine. I find they don't last long in water though. Maybe you have a secret solution?

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Wonderful photos and beautiful flowers David!
I've always loved the striking combination of blues and yellows...

Oops! word verification: Daisy!!!!!! haha

imac said...

2 Great colours and together, wow David spot on my friend.

anna.M.A said...

Thats lovely, sweet color of flowers...i keep this for me :)
thanks a lot...
regards,
Anna

Unknown said...

david...once again you have done a magnificent job capturing the ordinary and turning it extraordinary!
I thank you for sharing your gift once again!
~AM

Susan English Mason said...

I definitely see the creature you're describing emerging in the first photo. This brought back memories from our garden in Michigan growing up.

Gaelyn said...

These are beautiful flowers. How lucky to enjoy a colorful garden with family and be reminded by vases full of delight.

ArneA said...

Will still take 4 month until the Iris is blooming in my garden

Kathy W said...

heck I'm impressed. Love the blues in the Iris. Haven't seen a lot of them around here. Nice shots. =)

Sniffles and Smiles said...

I love irises . . . the brilliant blue and sunny yellow! And so I've got a photo of a tulip and iris on my blog's header . . . but your photos, as always, are infinitely better than anything I can construe! Happy celebrations to you!

RiverPoet said...

And this is why you're a world-class photographer. Stunning colors and setup!

Peace - D

nitebyrd said...

Beautiful! Iris is my absolute favorite flower.

Sylvia K said...

Exquisite photos of exquisite flowers! They both happen to be my favorites, so they are particularly appreciated! Thanks, as always David, for your poetically beautiful shots!

imbeingheldhostage said...

Beautiful. Irises are my favourite and I love thinking that you actually waited four hours to get the right shot :-)

Saz said...

ahhh...always reminds me of my Nana, her proper name was Iris eleanor, lovely eh? she preferred June Young for the stage you know!!

TR said...

Beautiful flowers, my friend

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Gorgeous Iris, I'm partial as it's our State flower ;)
Those are my absolute favorite colors too...
Great photo's !

ArtistUnplugged said...

Awesome and beautiful photos! the iris is wonderful but i love the simple pale pink rose, my fave.

Lilli & Nevada said...

Beautiful Iris and that rose is such a nice pink color

introspection said...

Colours, colours and colours. Your genius is two fold: colours and angles. It's incredible how you focus thus.
This one is 'state-of-the-Art'.
Can I nominate this one as "Post Of All Posts..?" It really is, is'nt it...!
Thanks for sharing something so original.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Ahhhhhh! Beauty fills the heart, and after looking at these, my heart runneth over.

Cath said...

These are beautiful. I hope you all had a great celebration whatever it was, which no doubt was enhanced by the flora in the room!

I love how the iris has the rainbow colours in it. Iris are my mum's favourite flower. I remember having them in our garden at my childhood home. And the soft pink of the rose is beautiful. A perfect contrast.

Gill - That British Woman said...

what beautiful shots.....

Gill in Canada

Bim said...

They look great from bird perspective.

Anonymous said...

You did a beautiful job. It's not always easy to capture the true colors in reds and purples/blues. These are perfect! I wish I had enough flowers in my yard to not miss any when they've been cut. I need to work on that.

Rune Eide said...

And you made a nice lecture at the same time as a glorious photo!

Thank you.

Thom - - Dr. John said...

The contrasting colors are superb together. Bravo!

DeniseinVA said...

How fortunate you are to have a garden full of beautiful flowers all year round. Your Iris' are sheer perfection, as are your rosebuds. Great imagry. I treated myself to Iris' today, along with a variety of blooms in the same bouquet. They do brighten the house up.

Nessa said...

Flowers are so pretty and you do them justice.

Anonymous said...

How lovely. Gardens are always part of the Teagarden home too, of course!

Unknown said...

I wish we could grow irises in Florida.My mother always had them in her garden,in Western New York State.I miss them.

Anonymous said...

I was just transplanting irses today. They are a spectacular flower.

Judy said...

I love irises, and you have done a wonderful job of capturing them. I had never noticed that partially furled stage before, so that was a treat!! I must remember about the indirect light, too.

Debbie said...

Irises and pink roses are my two favorites. Great photos David.

Ananda girl said...

Your flowers are breathtaking! I collect iris and day lilies. pairing these with the soft pink... stunning. Thank you for injecting such beauty into my day.

I'm glad you visited my blog and it led me here. :)

Naturegirl said...

Beautiful photos! The last is brilliant..gorgeous!!

TBM said...

These are beautiful flowers! Such vivid colours.

Laura said...

Beautiful! My sister's name is Iris and I think the flower really fits her (and vice versa).

Daryl said...

ah if you'd stopped by on Sunday afternoon you would have told me the name of the sweet little flowers I shot ... since then I have been told they are a variety of crocus .. these flowers are lovely .. and I am sure they added to the festivities!

Janet said...

We have lots of iris, but I've never seen one that shade of blue. Gorgeous!

George said...

I trust that the special occasion was a great success -- the pictures certainly are. As much as I like roses I have to say that the iris is gorgeous.

Unknown said...

Very, very pretty..........