Something New & Completely Different

On a morning hike before work I came across a small patch of Tufted Evening Primrose buds prime for blooming that evening. I returned a bit before “Golden Hour” and was hopeful of wondrous things. I had never tried this with this species but I had with other night time bloomers and learned they were not even close to what the documentaries show. In reality it’s like watching paint dry or a tide rise or fall.
I setup a general composition on my tripod and began to watch and wait for any signs of several buds starting to bloom. The sun lowered closer and closer to the horizon. I adjusted positioning to avoid casting shadows on my subjects. Walked around the area making other observations, checking the buds now and again like an expecting parent. Well so far the same a watching Sacred Datura buds bloom although they are referred to as “night” bloomers. With evening as a part of their namesake I was still hopeful. Golden hour came and went. I still held on for blue hour or a twilight opportunity. Nope there was nothing, all visible light was all but gone and the threshold of absolute starlight was almost upon me. I packed up and headed home.
I returned at dawn the next day to try again before work. I found only a few buds had fully opened sometime in the night. It would be hours before any rays of the sun would caress these flower or leaves. I setup my tripod, center stem inverted between the legs and got to work looking for the best composition.
After work I stopped again but found no big changes other than some of the blooms already wilted. I headed home for a break and a leisurely evening. I downloaded the mornings images and began evaluating and culling them.
I returned the following morning, just not as early.
In post-processing I was having some problems with the color of the cliff in the background and the leaves. After time and time again to get satisfactory greens of the plant and vermilion of the native rock, yes that’s what they’re named Vermilion Cliffs (sometimes spelt with two ls). After some weeks of letting it rest and going back, finally I tried yes when in doubt go with monochrome / Black & White. No wasn’t looking good as a straight B&W. I was missing the subtle colors in the flowers and buds which to me were the most important part of this image. Next was finding a gratifying tone of sepia for the image except the white pedals, yellow stamen and pistils, and delicate pinks of the buds and the wilted flower.