It’s been a busy morning. The front coated mirrors arrived just now. That gave me a break from pouring over the flower books trying to identify the results of this morning’s labour. It is still very windy but it is dry. 
This is a pound coin balanced on the front coated mirror and lit with the ring flash. No double reflection and the flash doesn’t show in the mirror. I’ll think of things to do with this set up but as I can use flash I should be able to take pictures of insects on the mirror. This isn’t Photoshop if you enlarge it you can see the writing on the edge of the coin. I just love getting results straight out of camera.
All todays images were shot with the 100mm macro lens at f22.0 and 1/200s. the ring flash was set with a bias of 1:4 and metering is E-TTL.
I was going to call this clover but it’s leaves are wrong for clover…… It is a Clover. Thanks Trevor.
Had I known the mirror was coming then I’d have caught this and taken it’s picture on the mirror.
Thank you Keith for the correction.
Sweet Cicerly in bud. Thanks to Trevor I now start to look as if I know what I’m snapping.
Another one that Trevor knew. For an engineer he is a damn fine botanist. It would save us both time and effort if I just e-mailed a draft post to him. Thanks to Trevor for a post that is worthy of a botanist.
All images will enlarge with a click. As always identification is a major problem. Help is always appreciated.
Have a great weekend.
I don't understand about the mirror but look forward to more examples about how it works. Might the clover style plants be Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)?
ReplyDeleteLucy, I popped a snail on a normal mirror and it gives a ghost reflection from the surface. These mirrors don't so I get a perfect reflection. It's all Tomfoolery.
DeleteI don't think it is Red Clover. Red clover still has the light green stripe in it's leaves and it's leaves are trifoliate. I think all clover leaves have to be.
Great selection of flowers I am next to useless with any form of id that has no feathers lol.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to the mirrors with bugs I reckon it will look fantastic, ingenious idea.
Douglas, I like flowers. I was lying down this morning and was amazed how many there are within a few square feet. I will have to get a better book than th cheapo Collins. These mirrors are off cuts but are not cheap. They are impressive. I Got two for £42.00p delivered and they are on thick glass so weigh a fair bit. I'm not sure how keen Terry will be but if you want a piece he can be contacted at:
DeleteVacuum Coatings.
He was fine with me.
Glad that you're feeling better today Adrian.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing what photo trickery you've got lined up for those mirrors. Please, no self portraits?
You did a good job of photographing those flowers in the wind. I think your clover is Zigzag Clover (trifolium medium) it has long(ish) pointed leaves.
The last two, are (I think?) members of the Carrot family and are still in bud...Sweet Cicely (myrrhis odorata) if you find it again give it a good punch!...it smells of Aniseed when bruised!
and..Wild Carrot (daucus carota) it has white flowers which start off as pink buds....[;o)
Trevor, They are brilliant mirrors. not silver but aluminium vacuum coated with a few microns of silicon popped on. They act like a normal mirror if looked at the wrong way. Terry writes Backside in felt tip on the backside. I saw myself and thought...How did he know?.
DeleteThanks for the IDs. I found Colts Foot this morning but sans flowers. I never realised the leaves get to 4". Also these have the spiders webs on top and just not underneath.
Keeping them in half focus is the problem. The strobe looks after movement. I have tried using strobes on manual but it isn't worth the hassle. Let E-TTL do the work. It's brilliant.
Sweet Cicely it grows on a bank at the back of the van.......I'll check this afternoon.
Thanks again.
You seem better today? I've a feeling you'll be doing more weird camera things with that mirror, but love the flowers.
ReplyDeleteFrances, I'm back to normal. Whether that's a good thing I'm not sure.
DeleteI'm like a dog with two tails now I have two mirrors.
I am not a fan of big flowers but I love the ones that folk tread on by mistake.
Nice set od flowers Adrian.
ReplyDeleteThey can be a bugger to ID at times.
I think your Yellow Iris is a Monkeyflower.
Keith, I tossed a coin. it was blowing about six inches in either direction; I thought at the time you little monkey. Thanks for the ID. I can't alter it without a lot of messing as I flatten the layers prior to saving.
DeleteI got the yellow bit right. 50% is a pass mark.
Less than 50% for politicians. :-)
DeleteKeith, they have criminals as spin doctors and mega bucks dads to buy them a degree.
DeleteAltogether they are fine members of the society.
DeleteHa. Ha. I'm yet to be convinced they aren't just useless twats.
DeleteDon't think we Aussies can help with your flower identification. They just look like weeds to me :-/ Do the iris grow wild?
ReplyDeleteCarol, they grow wild by the sides of streams. They are really wild, everything up here has to be. The locals call a 30mph wind a zephyr. No trees grow. The breeze just rips them out of the ground. The Iris is a Monkeyflower.
DeleteBeautiful images Adrian, they are wildlife in the making of.
ReplyDeleteTa Bob, it is wild up here. I'm thinking of going to Dunnet Head on Monday. I bet the bloody Puffins are back at sea now. Still it's worth a look.
ReplyDeleteI think it's sweet cicely without the "r".It was formerly used as a salad herb or the root was boiled and used as a vegetable. Its leaves taste sweet and are used with tart fruit such as rhubarb. If you use sweet cicely in cooking, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. You can use its seeds instead of cloves in apple pies, or grind them and add them to spice mixtures. If you chew a leaf the flavour is reminiscent of anise or liquorice, and smells like lovage, another bee plant.
ReplyDeleteSweet cicely used to be grown in kitchen gardens near the door, and it is famously used by Carthusian monks to make the liqueur, Chartreuse. In the plague years it was used to prevent infection as was angelica. All parts of the plant can be used and it has been used in cookery and medicine for centuries.
Thank you YP, from not knowing what it is to knowing what to do with-it and how to spell it all within twelve hours. It is amazing this internet business.
DeleteAmazing beautiful these wild flowers / plants Adriaan it seems to me a great area there.
ReplyDeleteBas, it is an excellent area. A small area of lime rich soil.
DeleteI knew two of your plants, that's a record for me. Unfortunately, both are bloody pests to us. I've spent too many hours grubbing thistles to appreciate their beauty any more. Carrot weed, unfortunately, we don't seem to be able to do much about. Glad you're feeling sprightly again today.
ReplyDeletePauline, get some goats. Ours used to eat thistles but it's debatable whether the goats are more trouble than the thistles. They are the national Flower of Scotland.
DeleteA botanist and a very good photographer. Nice work with your new toy. there's no sense of taking a photo of a plant and then not giving the name.
ReplyDeleteRed, I usually try to name them. I have this natural ability to give them the wrong name.though.
DeleteYou're not the only one to come up with wrong names.
DeletePerhaps not Red but I'm getting a reputation for it.
DeleteYou're getting really good with the close shots of flowers.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to some mirror experimentation.
Thanks John, next time the rain settles in I'll get the tomato box out and set up the mini studio.
DeleteI could really get the mirror bug for insects. I think the idea has infinite possibilities. I shall store the idea away for my retirement.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll get set up tomorrow afternoon and see what I can find to photograph on mirrors.
Delete