Sometimes the blue that’s violet or purple is white

Speaking of bluebells (Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum), which my eyes and brain see as violet or purple, I’ll add that occasionally the flowers are mostly white. That’s obviously the case in this view from July 16 on the Blackland Prairie in far northeast Austin. Note the faint traces of the normal color rising into the petals’ whiteness.

© 2016 Steven Schwartzman

First bluebells for 2016

On June 28th I came across my first bluebells (Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum) of the year when I went walking along the Northern Walnut Creek Trail. As I took pictures, a Korean man and his wife who were also walking the trail stopped nearby. The man told me that he knows these native American wildflowers from Korea, where they’ve apparently been cultivated for some time, as they have in Japan as well.

On the aesthetic side, don’t you like the way the bud and its stalk arc across the flower below them? I do. And if you’re interested in the craft of photography, point 20 in About My Techniques is relevant to today’s image. So are points 1 and 2. So is 18.

© 2016 Steven Schwartzman

Bluebell gentian flower unrolling

Don’t know what it is with 2015, but I haven’t seen any bluebell gentians (Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum) this year.* Last year on August 6th in far northeast Austin I photographed this unrolling bud that had caught my attention because of the prominent hole in one petal. I’ll anticipate your question and say that I don’t know what caused the hole itself and the rings around it.

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* Two days ago I was pleasantly surprised to come across a few late bluebell flowers, but as I’d already prepared this post I decided to keep it in the lineup.

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman