problems getting right colour

[Dorsetman]

This post has been deleted - I still want to start the discussion but have not yet got the pics right to explain the point in question.

[JDT]

That is a very tough color to get a good photo!

[zainal abidin]

Nice hard cane dendrobium Geoff is it species or hybrid?

[Dorsetman]

Nice hard cane dendrobium Geoff is it species or hybrid?

It is a Berry, but not the variety Oda - lip is a different shape. It is very dark, the lip almost black, and the sepals mich darker than Berry 'Oda' . The problem is that if I get the exposure right for the lip, the sepals and petals are far too light. I think it is that my eyes don't see infra-red, and the camera sensor does so that it is registering a lot of light which is invisible to me.
I think I just have to give up on this one.
There is a well known problem in England, UK in fact with one of our wild flowers, which we call bluebell ( a Scilla species) which completely carpets suitable woodland in the Spring. Cameras of all kinds, even the old film cameras can't get the colour right. Way back, when Kodak was king in photography, and perhaps 50 years ago I asked for tech support on that question, and they rproposed a stack of filters for "correction" which ended up needing a 5 minute exposure to get enough light through. I gave up on that one too.

[Chris in Hamilton]

A lot of older homes in my area that have large tree's, especially beech, have bluebell naturalized on there lawns. Very pretty.

[-Nicola-]

Hi,
I hope I can be of help with your problem.
First of all, I agree with JDT it is a difficult color to render in photography.
The first image of your post is obviously deliberately underexposed, because it best represents the color of the petals and sepals. Right?
In the second image the details of the lip are more recognizable, but the petals and sepals appear desaturated.
I believe that this is not a problem of exposure, but that the petals and sepals are much more reflective than the lip.
My experience with orchids is limited but I have noticed that often the petals and sepals have much more iridescence perhaps because they are made to attract pollinators, while the lip has more guiding function?
However if this is the case I would try using a polarizing filter.
This does not alter the color but corrects the saturation of the parts that are too reflective.
I hope it helps
ciao Nicola

[cxcanh]

Some color are difficult to photograph like your orchid color is one of example.
To get the right color you should be well know your camera, other people can tell the principle to make one photo but can not tell detail how to make a real photo of each flowers colors.

[Dorsetman]

However if this is the case I would try using a polarizing filter.
This does not alter the color but corrects the saturation of the parts that are too reflective.
I hope it helps
ciao Nicola

This seemed such a good idea that I put rotaary plarisers on all three of the lenses I use for most of my orchid photography : I am really sorry to have to say that it has not made life much easier in trying to get correct colour especially in the dark red colours - see that Cattleya Vallezac I posted a week or so ago - that is another which drove me mad, until I thought to try rhe "vibrance" modifier in my photoshop - that was an easy way to make quite an improvement.

[78Terp]

I think the background color can affect results. I wonder how a light blue background would work.