Camphorweed bud opening
Click for greater clarity.
Another thing I photographed on the Blackland Prairie in northeast Austin on August 6th was this opening flower head of camphorweed, Heterotheca subaxillaris. The color in the background came from some prairie verbena, Glandularia bipinnatifida. And speaking of glands, notice the tiny drops of fragrant resin exuded by the camphorweed. The camphor in the popular name tells you what the resin smells like to some people.
© 2014 Steven Schwartzman
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I’m out of town for a while. Of course you’re welcome to leave comments, but please understand if it takes me longer than usual to respond.
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Wow! Beautiful, beautiful color. A real eye opener! Another Schwartman classic. D
Pairodox Farm
September 28, 2014 at 9:01 AM
Must be because I read a lot of the Classic Comics when I was a kid.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:37 PM
A stunning image, Steve! The details are exquisite but what caught my eye is the color relationships of gold, green and purple. So beautiful at so many levels.
composerinthegarden
September 28, 2014 at 9:30 AM
Thanks, Lynn. For me the purple from the verbena made the camphorweed stand out, and for you it made the picture outstanding.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:42 PM
Absolute beauty! What a shot, is just magical on the highest level, a perfect miracle made by Mother Nature!
marksshoesbyevamarks
September 28, 2014 at 10:03 AM
Mother Nature may have done almost all the work, but Father Steve will take a little credit for the alignment of the camphorweed and the verbena.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:47 PM
Agreed “Father Steve”, it takes two to perform magical miracles! 🙂
marksshoesbyevamarks
September 29, 2014 at 11:09 AM
Fantastic complementary colour composition Steve 🙂
Sarah Longes - Mirador Design
September 28, 2014 at 2:14 PM
Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate your compliment on the complementary colors.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:50 PM
😉
Sarah Longes - Mirador Design
September 29, 2014 at 12:57 PM
Stunning image. The background colour and really compliments the bud. 😀
Raewyn's Photos
September 28, 2014 at 3:04 PM
I spend a lot of time looking for positions that provide good backgrounds because the background is often as important as the subject.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:52 PM
This one’s dressed for Mardi Gras. Laissez le bon fleur rouler!
shoreacres
September 28, 2014 at 3:21 PM
I thought of purple and yellow being traditional Easter colors, but you’ve extended that back about 40 days to Mardi Gras and added a Cajun connection.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2014 at 11:58 PM
Now that is indeed a lovely color combination.
Steve Gingold
September 28, 2014 at 5:52 PM
Speaking of combinations, I’ve long had the idea of doing a book in which every photo would show two or more wildflowers.
Steve Schwartzman
September 29, 2014 at 12:02 AM
Time for a little self-publishing.
Steve Gingold
September 29, 2014 at 3:05 AM
I’m working on it, at least in the electronic realm.
Steve Schwartzman
September 29, 2014 at 10:34 PM
Encore une réussite avec ces couleurs.
Pierre
September 29, 2014 at 9:46 AM
Comme on dit en anglais, “Nothing succeeds like success,” “Rien ne réussit aussi bien que la réussite.”
Steve Schwartzman
September 29, 2014 at 10:37 PM
An amazing photo, with the perfect clarity of an opening bud, beautifully photographed. The background too, fading from deep purple to green, adds such a dramatic touch.
Mary Mageau
October 1, 2014 at 6:32 PM
Just call me a drama king, Mary.
Steve Schwartzman
October 1, 2014 at 10:38 PM