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Transparencies
HDR photography of flowers with a light box creates the illusion of translucency, which is very attractive in itself. By fusing X-ray light and visible light in flower photography, one expands the photographic possibilities by reproducing the inner structures of the photographed plants or objects. The illusion of translucence is enhanced by the physical transparency of X-ray light. Even photographically non-transparent objects can be given the illusion of transparency by fusing X-ray light and visible light.
A publication by the dPunkt publishing house in „foto espresso“ gave me the opportunity to present this idea in the May 2023 issue.
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Lilies of the Valley
Yesterday I came across a piece of music through a noble advertising trailer of a French watch company with the wonderful actors Catherine Deneuve and Rami Malek directed by Guy Ritchie. I was almost magically drawn to the film because there was a time when I lived in Paris.
But the most exciting thing was the soundtrack „Lilies of The Valley“, which exuded such an incredible lightness. I hadn’t heard of the composer Jun Myiake before, but I did know Arto Lindsay, who added his inimitable vocals. Perhaps one cannot leave the cosmos of one’s own taste.
That’s why I quickly set off to get some lilies in town. They were to be white lilies, of which I could only get two. Red lilies in all stages of blossoming I then allowed myself to enjoy. So I took some pictures with a mixed bouquet of paradisiacal blooming lilies. -
Spring Dance of Tulips
Today the sun shone warmly, almost too warm for a day in mid-February. A few tulips given as gifts were getting older in the vase and one started to hang its head. They had delighted us with their colourfulness for many days.
So I decided to do a photo series with tulips on my lightbox.
Tulips are best suited for scenic representations because they look like a human person against a light background. Dance is the most obvious association I have then. The leaves become whirling arms. The flower is the head. The legs are not really needed.
If the tulips lie close together, you get the impression of a tapestry. The light from the lightbox penetrates well enough to create an airy effect.
Here they show themselves in a formation like a dance group.
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Floral compositions
18. Februar 2023 /Floral compositions
Clockwork ornate styleClockwork of flowers: flower power © Julian KöpkeRed rose petalsRed rose petals © Julian KöpkeSix rosesSix roses © Julian KöpkeThree rosesThree roses © Julian KöpkeBlooming thistle at the former railroad tracksBlooming thistle at the former railroad tracks © Julian KöpkeDancing tulipsDancing tulips © Julian KöpkeDream of tulipsDream of tulips on a lightbox © Julian KöpkeThree purple tulipsThree purple tulips HDR photo © Julian KöpkeComposition with rosesComposition with roses on a lightbox © Julian KöpkeFloral Arrangement with FreesiasFloral Arrangement with Freesias © Julian Köpke -
Fusion Imaging of Flowers
12. Februar 2023 /Find some technical explanations in my FAQ section.
Composition with roses X-ray image fusion © Julian KöpkeComposition with roses X-ray image fusion © Julian KöpkeChrysanthemum X-ray fusion photography © Julian KöpkeChrysanthemum X-ray fusion photography © Julian KöpkeAmaryllis X-ray mammography fusion photography texturized © Julian KöpkeAmaryllis X-ray mammography fusion photography texturized © Julian KöpkeFusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV © Julian KöpkeFusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV © Julian KöpkeTwo roses fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeTwo roses fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeThree purple Clematis fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeThree purple Clematis fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeCornflower X-ray fusion photo © Julian KöpkeCornflower X-ray fusion photo © Julian KöpkeBlue aquilegia X-ray fusion photo © Julian KöpkeBlue aquilegia X-ray fusion photo © Julian KöpkeFusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV. Black background using Lab inversion. © Julian KöpkeFusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV. Black background using Lab inversion. © Julian KöpkeThree purple tulips fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeThree purple tulips fusion X-ray photo © Julian KöpkeX-ray fusion image of yellow Calla Lilies © Julian KöpkeX-ray fusion image of yellow Calla Lilies © Julian KöpkeFusion image rose and pink dahlia © Julian KöpkeFusion image rose and pink dahlia © Julian KöpkeX-ray fusion image of a Gloriosa lilly © Julian KöpkeX-ray fusion image of a Gloriosa lilly © Julian KöpkeFusion image of a Bird of Paradise. © Julian KöpkeFusion image of a Bird of Paradise. © Julian KöpkeFusion image Hydrangea © Julian KöpkeFusion image Hydrangea © Julian KöpkeFusion image Dahlia © Julian KöpkeFusion image Dahlia © Julian Köpke -
Flowers on Black
12. Februar 2023 /Using Lab-colors a black background can be achieved by inverting the L-channel.
Fusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV. Black background using Lab inversion. © Julian KöpkeFusion X-ray photo Calla lilies IV. Black background using Lab inversion. © Julian KöpkeComposition © Julian KöpkeComposition © Julian KöpkeWhite Amaryllis © Julian KöpkeWhite Amaryllis © Julian KöpkeRose leaves © Julian KöpkeRose leaves © Julian KöpkePapaver II © Julian KöpkePapaver II © Julian KöpkeClematis © Julian KöpkeClematis © Julian KöpkeRed amaryllis on a lightbox with a black background © Julian KöpkeRed amaryllis on a lightbox with a black background © Julian KöpkeAmaryllis Lab color inversion photography © Julian KöpkeAmaryllis Lab color inversion photography © Julian Köpke -
Flowers on a Lightbox
12. Februar 2023 /Get some technical aspects about photographing and processing flowers on a lightbox from Harold Davis.
Dahlias using manual HDR in visible lightDahlias using manual HDR in visible lightSpring Dance of Tulips © Julian KöpkeSpring Dance of Tulips © Julian KöpkeWhite and purple orchid © Julian KöpkeWhite and purple orchid © Julian KöpkeHDR Calla lilies © Julian KöpkeHDR Calla lilies © Julian KöpkeYellow gerbera © Julian KöpkeYellow gerbera © Julian KöpkeYellow gerbera on a lightbox © Julian KöpkeYellow gerbera on a lightbox © Julian KöpkeLarkspur in the open countryside © Julian KöpkeLarkspur in the open countryside © Julian KöpkeDelicate rose hips before autumn starts © Julian KöpkeDelicate rose hips before autumn starts © Julian KöpkeCornflowers © Julian KöpkeCornflowers © Julian KöpkeThree vetches © Julian KöpkeThree vetches © Julian KöpkeRed chrysanthemum and yellow gerbera © Julian KöpkeRed chrysanthemum and yellow gerbera © Julian KöpkeLady's slipper © Julian KöpkeLady's slipper © Julian KöpkeAstilbe blooming © Julian KöpkeAstilbe blooming © Julian KöpkeRose petals © Julian KöpkeRose petals © Julian KöpkeThe colors of a white amaryllis on lightbox © Julian KöpkeThe colors of a white amaryllis on lightbox © Julian KöpkeTwo white amaryllis © Julian KöpkeTwo white amaryllis © Julian Köpke -
Flowers
12. Februar 2023 / -
White and purple orchid
My LED ceiling light, which I use as a light box for flower photography, can be dimmed and the color temperature is adjustable. The cold and extremely bright light can be tamed and turned into faint, warm light. Together with my tent of linen, I manage to control the light.
With LiveView, the composition is created and the focus is worked out. The camera is controlled by cable connection via laptop (tethered shooting) and the recordings are made with mirror triggering. The colors become better and the impression of the picture more natural and vivid. -
Alstromeria
With daylight and a lightbox I took the cut off flower of an Alstromeria. With the lens I’m able to approach the bloom on approximately 20 cm. The blossom then fills almost the entire sensory. The ratio of the mapping is thus approximately 1:1.
The quality of the RAW images is convincing in itself. The creation of the finished HDR takes place in a combination of manual and automated steps.
RAW conversion is done using CaptureOne, HDR processing is done manually in Photoshop. Further, I generated two automated HDR developments using HDR Efex Pro 2 and Photomatix Pro 6 and layered them in. Some of the original color is transferred from the daylight image with the lightbox switched off.