Notes from the field :

Clinton River Park, MI; We are very fortunate to be living right next to one of the larger preserved woodland areas in our county. We are glad the city of Sterling Heights takes pride in the amount of preserved areas it has, and this stretch sandwiched between many suburbs is particularly nice. Though this park also has many dirt bike trails, paved walking paths, and is centered around a river not known to be the cleanest around, nature still finds a way to prevail. There is something here for everyone. Several areas of this park erupt with wildflowers beginning in April. These Bloodroot are among the first to bloom in the springtime.

Along with Round-lobed Hepatica in the area, these wildflowers stand out against the masses of brown leaves left over from the previous fall. They make for a nice contrasting backdrop for a variety of images.

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About the subject :

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is part of the poppy family, and gets its name from the orange-red juices it has inside its stem. The leaves are quite unique, making them easy to find before the flowers bloom. The leaves also have a tendency to curl around the stem of the flower, creating somewhat of a cradling effect. Many interesting compositions can be made from these simple white flowers.

The red juice from the underground stem was used by Native Americans as dye for baskets, clothing, facial paint, and insect repellent. In the woods near us, it is very rare to see a grouping like this. Mostly you see 1-3 plants here and there, but this one was one of the best clusters I found. I also liked the diagonal arrangement that lended itself to a nice flowing composition.

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Technical details :

This image was made using a Nikon F5 and a 105 mm f2.8 Nikkor micro lens, Fuji Provia F film. A large white diffuser was needed for several reasons. One, since Bloodroot only open up in full sun, a diffuser was needed to soften and even out the lighting. Secondly, the wind on this day was very frustrating, and can try the nerves of even the most patient photographer. The large diffuser helped block some of the breeze.

There is so much detail in this image, that sadly it cannot be represented accurately through a medium sized web JPEG.

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About the composition :

1] I liked the flowing pattern that these flowers formed, and composed them on a diagonal in the frame to give the image a more dynamic feel.

2] The dead leaves do a lot to tell when this image was made and a bit about when Bloodroot blooms - very early in the spring, when dead leaves remain from the previous fall.

3] Exposure can be tricky in these cases, you do not want flower petals to be blown out. The diffusers helped even out the lighting to keep the contrast down.

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