I would like to take this opportunity to interrupt the review of my first Steward Island visit in order to bring you this bulletin on the appearance of the first Iris of the season. We have many buds and several more are beginning to open, but this is the only one so far that has opened fully. I managed to catch it in the natural, golden light of the low-angle, late-afternoon sunlight, only moments before the ambient light faded into dark shadows.
I would also like to dedicate this photograph to my very dear friend CRO who, I learned today, will be undergoing serious surgery in the very near future. This one’s for you.
krikitarts 
All I can say is… prize winning photography for sure! Stunning!!
Cindy, you are just too kind! And it’s in the 80s here already–and you’ve got serious snow! What a crazy, crazy season!
On a happy note, it was warm and sunny this afternoon, and the snow is already starting to melt. Yay!!!!
WOW, WOW, WOW!!!! I’m speechless :-)
I can’t stop looking at this…. It’s unbelievably GORGEOUS.
Very best wishes to your friend CRO.
The more I look at, the more I like it, too. I’m afraid this one is destined for serious enlargement and a place on the wall.
Careful, now, don’t hurt yourself…Thank you so very much, Lemony, that’s a very high compliment indeed!
Love the drops and lighting
It was in full shadow when I went out to try to capture its essence and I was propping a little hand mirror up in a patch of sunlight 20 feet away to reflect light on it for around 15 minutes–and then the sun moved and peeked in between the linden leaves and surpassed all my humble efforts at illumination. Love it when that happens!
So beautiful. It’s as if the iris put on a cloak of water droplets just for you.
And who’s to say that it didn’t? Heh, heh. I’m delighted to know that you share my delight!
Worth the interuption
Sometimes good old Mama N just takes you by the ear and gives you a little shake and says, “Never mind what you had in mind–have a look at THIS!” And you just gotta listen!
Trouble comes when the ear starts to hurt after all those interuption!
Beautiful image with such lovely detail and colours. All the very best to you and your friend.
Sincere thanks, kind sir. I just love how the petal and droplets on the shadowy side turned that luscious blue. I don’t think I could recreate that in a studio if I tried.
And you captured it exceedingly well!
Thanks, Jeff, it’s all about light after all.
You know it!!
Beautiful photo, the light on those water droplets is amazing! :)
Thanks, Alana, the sun came in at just the right angle, and my camera was already in position. All I had to do was be there and be ready.
Very beautiful image, Gary. It might possibly be >>>marginally improved by cropping out the dark space lower left, so that the left frame of the image runs just about up the left edge of the gorgeous white petal – this way, the bloom fills even more of the frame and has even more impact. Excellent picture! Adrian
I really appreciate your thoughtful and considered suggestion, Adrian, and you have a very good point. As I was developing the image, I carefully considered–and actually tried–exactly the crop that you’re contemplating. When I compared the two before and after, I felt that that dark space at the lower left helped to balance out the other two that appear at the right top and right center of the frame (and are not croppable). If there had been a modicum of detail in the other two, I would have taken the additional step. Like minds!