Castilleja - Indian Paintbrush - Mt. Rainier 0952
Why, so many years ago, I deciced to darken *some* backgrounds for some floral images. I'm uploading two at once, so I have no idea which will come up first, but if it's the one with the natural background, when seeing an absolute field of Indian Paintbrush, I couldn't distinguish one flower from another. So many flowers have indistinct structure, they blend from one flower to another. I decided to see what I could do with a single Paintbrush, and I'm very happy with it.
However, I do understand that a good blurred (depth of field) can make the subject pop just as well and give a better idea of habitat. Still, the "artist" in me demands a little more skill, and I'm still trying to perfect it by first composing and focusing well. When I return to aloe, you'll see many more closeups with black backgrounds. I like them, and I want you to have something to talk about after I'm gone (not that I'm going anywhere soon so talk about me now if you so desire).
Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far east as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. I have never seen a profusion of these flowers more than in the western half of Washington state and, in this case, at Nisqually Meadow on Mt. Rainier.
Uses: The flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible, and were consumed in moderation by various Native American tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed. Highly alkaline soils increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic, though only if the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation.
Castilleja - Indian Paintbrush - Mt. Rainier 0952
Why, so many years ago, I deciced to darken *some* backgrounds for some floral images. I'm uploading two at once, so I have no idea which will come up first, but if it's the one with the natural background, when seeing an absolute field of Indian Paintbrush, I couldn't distinguish one flower from another. So many flowers have indistinct structure, they blend from one flower to another. I decided to see what I could do with a single Paintbrush, and I'm very happy with it.
However, I do understand that a good blurred (depth of field) can make the subject pop just as well and give a better idea of habitat. Still, the "artist" in me demands a little more skill, and I'm still trying to perfect it by first composing and focusing well. When I return to aloe, you'll see many more closeups with black backgrounds. I like them, and I want you to have something to talk about after I'm gone (not that I'm going anywhere soon so talk about me now if you so desire).
Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far east as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. I have never seen a profusion of these flowers more than in the western half of Washington state and, in this case, at Nisqually Meadow on Mt. Rainier.
Uses: The flowers of Indian paintbrush are edible, and were consumed in moderation by various Native American tribes as a condiment with other fresh greens. These plants have a tendency to absorb and concentrate selenium in their tissues from the soils in which they grow, and can be potentially very toxic if the roots or green parts of the plant are consumed. Highly alkaline soils increase the selenium levels in the plants. Indian paintbrush has similar health benefits to consuming garlic, though only if the flowers are eaten in small amounts and in moderation.