Currently In bloom in my orchid room. Paphs, phals. Please look! I also want people to critique my photography!

[Ndove]

Like I said in title I’m an amateur photographer and I love photographing my orchids when in bloom..

I’m a Phal freak so the majority of my collection is novelties, (I know, most of you here are not a fan of phals), but I have some other genus too: paphs, cattleya, and maxillaria.

Just doing some shoots of some recent blooms here…

Also can anyone tell me, is it common for these type of “bulldog” paphs to have multiple flowers? I thought they bloom sequentially… but this one had 3 buds lined up, the third one blasted and the second bloom got squashed by its big brother.. lol

 

[big923cattleya]

Normally Bullfrog Paphs. have a single flower. However there are instances where a Bulldog is crossed, often with a species that produces more then one flower, that can result in more then one flower.
But crossing a single flower bulldog with another single flowered bulldog typically yields a single flower.

As far as your photography goes, look into other threads. See what images appeal to you. That might give you ideas.
I am a bird photographer as well as an orchid grower. For orchids I prefer a solid background, typically black. “Busy backgrounds” in my opinion detract from the beauty of the flower. The busy background makes it hard to concentrate on the orchid.

 

[troy]

I like your pictures, especially the bird, I’m a big fan of predatory birds, owls mostly

 

[big923cattleya]

Thanks. That particular shot earned me a place in a calendar for a Zoological Park. The cash money was pretty cool $$$ too.

 

[hkunberger]

Normally Bullfrog Paphs. have a single flower. However there are instances where a Bulldog is crossed, often with a species that produces more then one flower, that can result in more then one flower.
But crossing a single flower bulldog with another single flowered bulldog typically yields a single flower.

As far as your photography goes, look into other threads. See what images appeal to you. That might give you ideas.
I am a bird photographer as well as an orchid grower. For orchids I prefer a solid background, typically black. “Busy backgrounds” in my opinion detract from the beauty of the flower. The busy background makes it hard to concentrate on the orchid.
View attachment 44683

This photograph is amazing! The detail of the feathers is really striking. The colors and detail on the crest is just gorgeous. And that eye! What a beautiful bird!

 

[big923cattleya]

I know. I love that image!
It is a Cattle Egret taken in St. Augustine Florida at the Alligator Farm. It was about 15 minutes or so after a passing thundershower around 6:30 in the evening.
Great bird, wonderful perch, and a case of right time, right place.

 

[Just1more]

Love the egret photo. We raise cattle here in SC Texas and have many of them, but have never thought to check them with my binoculars. Are the other three Sandhill Cranes?

 

[Just1more]

Ndove I’d love to see the mage #4133 in natural light and also know it’s ID. Due to my age I’ve trimmed my collection of orchids drastically and have come to appreciate the phals more, simply because they give me long lasting blooms.

 

[big923cattleya]

Yes, Sandhill Cranes. Taken on my cellphone at a golf course that my son and I play at.
Cranes are all over this part of Michigan. I have a place 30 miles from home where both they, and Great Blue Herons nest.
I start visiting this area in early April.
My other goal this year is to travel north to photograph Elk. Prior to moving here, I never knew the upper half of Michigan is full of them.

I was about 18-20’ from the Egret when I got those images.

 

[southernbelle]

Like I said in title I’m an amateur photographer and I love photographing my orchids when in bloom..

I’m a Phal freak so the majority of my collection is novelties, (I know, most of you here are not a fan of phals), but I have some other genus too: paphs, cattleya, and maxillaria.

Just doing some shoots of some recent blooms here…

Also can anyone tell me, is it common for these type of “bulldog” paphs to have multiple flowers? I thought they bloom sequentially… but this one had 3 buds lined up, the third one blasted and the second bloom got squashed by its big brother.. lol

FYI The photo of the yellow phal looks like you are growing it too dry. New leaf look like it has crinkling lengthwise and moss looks dry. I agree about busy backgrounds, better to have a solid black background. But your solid black background needs to be smooth and flat, preferably, not wrinkled. Black velvet works well. Jet black but not reflective. It shows off flowers and colors better. Also, IMO photos taken in non-daylight LED light spectrum are not good as all colors are distorted. The more natural the flowers look, the better. Natural daylight bulbs are best for that if inside, indirect light outside early morning or late afternoon is best. No glare.

 

[Ndove]

FYI The photo of the yellow phal looks like you are growing it too dry. New leaf look like it has crinkling lengthwise and moss looks dry. I agree about busy backgrounds, better to have a solid black background. But your solid black background needs to be smooth and flat, preferably, not wrinkled. Black velvet works well. Jet black but not reflective. It shows off flowers and colors better. Also, IMO photos taken in non-daylight LED light spectrum are not good as all colors are distorted. The more natural the flowers look, the better. Natural daylight bulbs are best for that if inside, indirect light outside early morning or late afternoon is best. No glare.

Yeah I’m struggling keeping my humidity high enough in my growing area, and that particular Phal is just recently repotted and the moss is brand new so it’s not holding much moisture for very long I have to water every day, my current growing area is a new setup and I’m still dialing in the balance of heat and humidity..

 

[Ndove]

Ndove I’d love to see the mage #4133 in natural light and also know it’s ID. Due to my age I’ve trimmed my collection of orchids drastically and have come to appreciate the phals more, simply because they give me long lasting blooms.

That is Phal Jiaho’s Pink Girl, a schilleriana hybrid. This particular plant is a reliable bloomer and it’s also a blue ribbon winner for me at the local orchid society I’m in.

 

[big923cattleya]

Ndove, I have extensive experience with growing all types of orchids in moss. Here are a few tips.
Spend the money and get good quality New Zealand long fibered moss.
Invest in a metal screen like colander. I pre moisten the moss by running Luke warm water before using it. It sits for a few days in my potting area in case I repot something else.
Working with moss is very tricky. If you pot it too loosely it dries out too quickly. If you pot too firmly, water fails to seep deeply and the roots stay dry. It takes practice to handle it just right. ( sounds like Goldilocks and the 3 bears )
Until you get use to it, check often for dryness.

 

[southernbelle]

Yeah I’m struggling keeping my humidity high enough in my growing area, and that particular Phal is just recently repotted and the moss is brand new so it’s not holding much moisture for very long I have to water every day, my current growing area is a new setup and I’m still dialing in the balance of heat and humidity..

Usually it’s better to soak moss then ring it mostly out before potting. That way it’s is saturated and hold moisture better. Since you didn’t do that maybe soak your pot for about 15-30 min then drain completely. That should allow it hold moisture better.

 

[Ndove]

Usually it’s better to soak moss then ring it mostly out before potting. That way it’s is saturated and hold moisture better. Since you didn’t do that maybe soak your pot for about 15-30 min then drain completely. That should allow it hold moisture better.

I did that… multiple times in fact. The moss still dries out too fast. It’s very high quality moss, was not cheap.. my grow area is very dry and also there’s lots of ventilation.. it’s at about 40 percent humidity most days that’s with a humidifier going constantly on the highest setting..

 

[hkunberger]

I feel your pain! I’ve got three humidifiers running constantly on high in my room and am struggling to keep the humidity in the high 50s.

 

[big923cattleya]

But the high 50’s may just be as good as it gets. If you have indoor heat for the winter season, that just sucks the moisture right out of the air. My den in the back has 19% humidity.
My light stands have 2”” deep trays to hold water. I have about an inch in there most of the time. Humidity in the plant room is around 55%. On days that I water, it goes up to 70%.
If your house is like mine, unless you have a door shut to the plant room, it is going to get dry. Other rooms will suck up that moisture.
Watering more often, maybe every other day might be the best solution.

Think of it like weather systems outside, energy flows from high pressure towards lower pressures. The stronger the system, against a weaker system creates the winds. My 55% air is constantly being pulled towards the 19% air. I have three plant carts with 8 trays and another area with 4 trays. That is a lot of standing water, humidity. I would hazard a guess it is around 25-30 gallons. Something is getting watered just about every day.
Plus, the warmer the room, the quicker the humidity dissipates. The cooler, the slower. My 25 light tubes have an impact as well. I only have the lights on for ten hours a day.

 

[hkunberger]

I think one thing working against me is that we live in an old house (built in 1905). I do have the door closed but the ceilings are high and it’s old fashioned radiator heat. It works great but it makes the air very dry. I did have four humidifiers going but finally had to take one away from the orchids for my bedroom because my skin is so dry!

 

[big923cattleya]

It is a curse of many indoor gardeners. Orchids are no exception.
Mine was built in 1949, the year I was born. But it was a small, maybe 400 square foot house originally with two add ons. The last one was in 1969! But, the owner I bought it from was born here. His Dad was the original owner. I don’t think they ever had money to do things right.

 

[hkunberger]

I know exactly what you mean. This place has been like an archaeological site of bizarre “improvements”. Here is one of the more interesting discoveries. When we moved here in the early 1990s there was an ugly 1970s drop ceiling that had been installed in the back half of the house. Also, the original back staircase had been removed at some point. When the carpenters removed the ceiling to replace it, they discovered that the main beam that supports the second story of the house wasn’t attached to anything on one side. It turns out that the back staircase was the main support for that beam. The carpenter looked at me and said “ I’m seeing a very well built pantry in your future”.