Brassavola nodosa question and PHOTO

[Paphraguy]

I have a Brassavola nodosa 'Mendenhall' x self and according to the grower, the flowers are supposed to have larger lips than the usual nodosa.

I personally don't like the shape of the flowers on my plant. The petals and sepals are too straight and stiff looking. I'm not a Brassavola expert, so is it normal for a nodosa to have such straight and stiff looking petals and sepals? Could it be a hybrid and not the full species?

The others I have seen have longer slender droopy petals and sepals which I really like and prefer, those to me appear more elegant and graceful. I wish I had purchased the var grandiflora instead. Here is a picture of mine in bloom.

[LJA]

I've never seen one with petals and sepals that erect. The nodosa we have here is mounted on cork and the petals are much droopier. Yours may very well be a hybrid.

Still, as always, gorgeous photography.....

[Paphraguy]

Thanks, lja!

I have also been told that judges actually like the straight petals and sepals. I don't know much about Brassavolas. I grow mostly Paphs and Phrags.

[LJA]

I've never taken ours to a show for judging, so can't speak intelligently about that. Also, the color of the sepals/ petals on yours is a lot whiter than on ours. I don't know if that's because of the light or processing on your photo, or what. The petals on ours are somewhat yellower, like fresh butter rather than fresh cream.

What camera / lights / equipment are you using to get those kinds of pics? (Not to put it all on the machinery: I'm completely aware of and impressed by the photographer...) Seriously, you could enter those photographs / plants in *any* orchid show as far as I'm concerned and you'd get ribbons if not trophies.....

[Paphraguy]

Thanks for the nice compliment!

I use an older 3 MP Kodak digital camera with natural lighting. I'm red/green color deficient, so I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I do like the looks of droopy longer petals and sepals instead of straight stiff ones.

[LJA]

What about background? How do you get that pitch black background? Do you change it in image processing software?

[Paphraguy]

For the dark black background, I use a black poster board and sometimes a sheet of black velvet.

[LJA]

I'm definitely going to have to try that. Your photos are incredibly dramatic.

Thanks!