A bloom a day.

I purchased an Hibiscus plant this summer and we have been blessed with a bloom each day.  Even as the weather changes outside this plant flowers and brings a sweet scent to our living room.  Now one of the reasons I do not like to cut or pick flowers to photograph is that once you do they don't live much longer. Even if you stick them in a vase they have a limit lifespan.  However each Hibiscus bloom lasts just one day and then falls away, so I was not to worried when I decided to cut this one of and use it for today's subject.

After clipping it from the plant I took it to the studio where I placed it on a black piece of plexiglass and place a black card behind it.  I then used my Alien Bee with a small Chimera softbox to the side and slightly behind as my light source.  I took a number of photo's (both with the iPhone and the Canon 7D) and chose the top image for my Instagram 366 photo for today.  These two are from the iPhone and post processed with both Snapseed and iPhoto.  I like the graphic design elements of both.

Now I have chosen not to share my favorite taken with my 7D as I had what I think was a terrific capture and I am planning to enter it in the HIPA awards competition ( http://www.hipa.ae ). This is the second year of the competition and the synonym is short for the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photo Awards.  My good friend, Martin Graham Dunn, is active with this award and it is open to photographer's from all over the world.  This years main theme is "The Beauty of Light" as well as Black and White, Emirates and General.  The prizes are outstanding and prize money is $389,000.  After seeing the results I had from tonight's shoot I am happy with the results from the 7D and am planning to use one of the shots as a submission for this competition.  I hope you will check it out as well.