Sunday color

Amaryllis Minerva Hippeastrum minerva blossom
Amaryllis Minerva Hippeastrum minerva pollination detailNo, wait – I’m not doing the color thing this year. Or at least, not on a weekly basis, but you’ll still see some images put up here almost entirely because of the colors. In this case, it’s an Amaryllis Minerva blossom (Hippeastrum minerva) that The Girlfriend is growing in the window. Or at least it might be; like all decorative plants, there are so many species of amaryllis that it might not be that particular name. If I am drastically misleading someone, I shall take full responsibility and weather the consequences.

Naturally I couldn’t pass up the macro work, in this case showing how the flower is pollinating itself (since the house is woefully short of bees.) This might actually have occurred as the blossom was unfolding, since the house is also fairly thin on stiff breezes, though the nearby heater vent might have assisted – I saw no notable dispersal of pollen any of the times I’ve been nearby while the blower was active, but this is by no means an exhaustive study. It might even have occurred because of curious cats.

Just a quick note on lighting angle, too: this particular image won out because the pollen on the pistil (the Y-thing) stands out against the shadows in the background, but other images had the flash unit positioned higher and so the base of the same pistil was brightly illuminated, producing less contrast and definition. Subtle changes like this can help make an image stronger, so experiment with light angles when it’s within your power to do so.