Bulbophyllum gracilimum Timelapse with Music

[Achamore]

Three years ago, over several months, I made a number of timelapse videos of the orchids I grow. The finest one I made isn't a slipper orchid, its a Bulbophyllum. The behaviour of it completely blew me away. To this day it still astonishes me. I feel that this one video justifies all the months spent doing this and little else. I ended up setting it to music (with permission & paid for...) of Keith Jarrett. Here's that video link if you wish to see it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3K3mu46c2c

The shots were taken over a period of roughly 7 days.

 

[Ozpaph]

truly amazing and inspiring.
Thank-you so much.

 

[Achamore]

Thank you..!

truly amazing and inspiring.
Thank-you so much.

 

[eggshells]

Wonderful. What software do you use to stitch all the photos together?

 

[Rick]

That was really nice:clap::clap:

That should have been a couple of weeks worth of documentation, but so seamless and fluid!!

 

[paphioboy]

Love the bit when the petals dance in the air as the flowers open, around the 1 minute mark... Later on, the same thing happens. Is this due to air movement or do the petals physically move about?

 

[abax]

Perfect! The music is absolutely perfect and the total
effect is stunning. Of course the plant is moving; plants
are living things that respond to various stimuli. What an
incredible ballet. You are something wonderful Don.

 

[Lanmark]

Very cool and beautiful too!

 

[Achamore]

As the room is entirely blacked out, windows and doors closed throughout the filming, the movement of the petals is definitely NOT a response to currents of air etc. It is its own dance as it were. I'll post one of Scaphosepalum swertifolium doing something similar though far less dramatic. By the way, not all open in such dramatic fashion. I shot Bulbo echinloabium opening up, and it was frankly almost too boring to post..! Just opens exactly like one might expect. But this Bulbo gracillimum takes the prize for the greatest dance of them all, amongst the ones I have shot.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Another awesome video. Again, what equipment are you using?

 

[Achamore]

I used a Nikon D800, an intervalometer, photographic lights, and a turntable. I have all of this and the details of software and procedures all described in a Word doc. Happy to send that to anyone who wishes to read it. The article was first published in a Swedish orchid journal.

 

[SlipperFan]

Amazing how much they move. Who knew?!