July 2007 mailing list messages

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From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

Jan,
Don't knock your 'consumer' cybershot for orchid photography. The biggest
advantage of buying an SLR is that you see through a real optical viewfinder
and the shutter response time is close to an old-fashioned film-SLR (to we
ordinary mortals). There is a downside for close-up work with an SLR;
macro-lenses don't come cheap if they're good and I think close-focus
consumer cams have the edge unless your are going to spend a lot more than
your C-shot cost you! Because the electronic 'film' frame size is smaller
than a 35mm frame, lenses become about 1.5 times the focal length in terms
of angle of vision and truly wide angle lenses are expensive too. I still
use an old Nikon Coolpix for very closeup work because the camera is
physically small, will focus to about 25mm and I can twist the viewing
screen to a convenient visible position when I couldn't possibly see through
the SLR viewfinder without a periscope adapter (£££££). Then there's muck
on the electronic sensor that gets in when you change lenses . . .!
I am surprised that you can't override auto functions on that camera −
certainly, you can on the little Nikons and many others.
Of course, you may get more pixels for your money but many small
cameras now boast more than older professional digital SLRs. My Nikon D100
only has six and a bit (6.2?) megapixels yet many small cams have 7 or ten!
In any case, who'd notice until you want to crop out a very small portion?.
You'll probably need to spend more on lenses than on a very versatile
complete 'prosumer' or 'consumer' cam. I am sure others in O-T will advise
too but, unless you have the ready money burning your pocket lining for an
SLR, research your needs and the advantages/disadvantages carefully. Don't
get me wrong; I wouldn't part with my digital SLR but that isn't because the
photos are much better so much as the response time and clear viewfinder for
moving subjects (birds etc) and it is heavier and therefore has steadying
inertia. It is also more economical on battery power because the electronic
screen isn't on so much and the battery is bigger. (certainly all day and up
to 400 images)
Most orchids aren't too quick off the starting grid except in high wind
and I suspect your greenhouse or house isn't that draughty! A cybershot on
a cheap tripod (or a bean bag − free!!!) should give excellent results . .
.and you don't need a rucksac to carry it!

For some expert and good advice and reviews try:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html
John

From: Kenneth Bruyninckx
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Stanhopea Articles
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

Have you got Rudolf Jennys monograph on Stanhopea, if not have a look at
http://home.scarlet.be/~hn015545/boekcaesianastanhop01.htm

Kenneth Bruyninckx
Akerne Orchids
Laarsebeekdreef 4, B-2900 Schoten, Belgium
tel. +32 (0)3 651 40 36 fax +32 (0)3 653 06 76

From: Beccy Holmes
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Brighten up a grey day
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

If only the world were filled with you lovely orchid-talkers and only
excellent photos such as these were taken, what a nice, happy world it would
be.

From: Dennis Read
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Encyclia citrina
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

Reference earlier postings concerning Encyclia (? ) citrina. Here are two pictures of my plant which this year has produced two flowers for me. The pictures give an idea of its beauty but cannot give the slightest sense of the perfume it gives out. It is an amazing citrus scent that fills the orchid house all day.
Regards from a sunny but very windy North Devon.

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Cattleya citrina.
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

Bite knuckles, swear, stamp feet..........you rascal you..........a very nice plant together with the two blooms, the perfume and the magnificent leaves.

Dennis,
Your plant is just lovely. Enjoy!!
Wirey hugs and love and xxx and licks from Janet, Bobby and Asta in Boynton
Beach, Florida

From: Dr Chong-Yee Khoo
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007

John raises some very good points. There are many advantages of compact digital cameras over SLRs,particularly with macro photoraphy (greater depth of field, less vibration as there is no flapping mirror, etc). Although I use an SLR nowadays, I do miss my old compact camera, a Nikon CoolPix 4500 (hope you're taking good care of it, Tricia!). Some of my best photos were taken with it.

I'm giving a talk on "Digital Photography of Orchids" this Sunday, 15th July, at 2:30 pm at the Sussex Orchid Group Meeting. Venue is The Horticultural Society, Ifield Avenue, Crawley RH11 7AJ. I'll be covering macro photography and other orchid related topics in my talk, as well as giving tips on how to handle various situations.

From: jan
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Thanks for you good advice − perhaps I feel a tiny bit happier about my
camera now. Still, the one thing I too find works against me is the
autofocus; it always knows better than me. It doesn't matter how much I
do to find just the perfect shot, as soon as I press the button it
focuses on something in the background, and the details I had in mind
are blurred. The only camera type I know (because I have asked) that
will allow me to do absolutely everything manually is SLRs, and not even
all of them.

One thing I tried to get a good picture of several times is a fine spray
of small, hanging flowers against a remote background, which always ends
up as a clear picture of the background with something blurry in the
foreground. But perhaps I do it the wrong way − is there a trick to
ensure that an autofocus will take a clear picture of what I actually
intend?

From: Dennis Read
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Cattleya citrina.
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Roger, I bought it 2 1/2 years ago at Burnham Orchids. They had many for sale all mounted on coconut hair. It seems to hold water/feed for a while but quickly dries out. When the bloom is over I let it rest for a month then it goes into my under bench misters -two months in then one month up in the roof etc. When the new pseudo bulb is fully grown it goes up in the roof with occasional spray to stop it shrivelling. It should make a specimen plant as it is a good clone.
Regards from a drenched North Devon

From: Dr Chong-Yee Khoo
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Jan − make sure that the focus indicator in the viewfinder (usually a small square or square brackets) is positioned directly over the flowers, and not the background.

If necessary, press the shutter button halfway down to focus on the flowers, then move the camera to recompose your shot (while still holding down the shutter button). This is called focus lock − see your camera manual.

If you still find that the focus is not spot on, try focussing on something else that is about the same distance as the flowers. This could be the mount of the plant, or the base on which the plant is standing on, etc. Use the same trick I outlined above for recomposition − that way the thing you focus on doesn't actually need to be in the final photo.

One thing you must remember is that the autofocus mechanisms in modern cameras works by detecting the focus position that gives maximum contrast (and hence sharpness). Therefore, for the focus to work well, the subject must be reasonably well lit. Try placing the plant near a window or shining a desk lamp on the plant for example (this can be turned off it it interferes with the photo, after you manage to lock focus by pressing the shutter button halfway).

You could also try using a white piece of paper which has a grid pattern marked out in black (using a felt tip marker for example). This makes an excellent pattern for the focussing mechanism to lock on. You'd place this near the flowers, lock focus, remove it and make your shot.

The nice thing about digital cameras is of course that you can try all these tricks without wasting film. Eventually you should get a photo that is acceptable. Hope this helps!

From: Dennis Read
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Photography, Projectors
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

I used to take all my pictures on 35mm transparancies but now i use a FujiP
ix. I am too tight to buy a lap top and digital projector but as I give the
occasional talk I still need transparancies. When I enquired the price of
conversion from digital to transparancy I was quoted C2UKP5 a slide. I now
make my own.
To do it you obviously need a computer but also a flat screen. The 35mm cam
era ( mine is a minolta bought in1980) is set on a tripodat min focal dista
nce from the vertical screen and focussed. Aperture is set at 16 with apert
ure priority set in the camera. You the bring up the picture required and t
ake it.If it is your first time it is best to experiment with various setti
ngs and screen colours firing off one spool and seeing the results.
I find it is best done in a dull room to cut out any reflections.
The great thing is you can modify the digital image prior to taking the tra
nsparancy that I can still show on my 25 year old screen and my 15 year old
projector.
I am just preparing a talk on Restrepias and I thought you might be interes
ted in my method.
Regards from North Devon. (I will not mention the weather.

From:
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photography, Projectors
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Jan,
I have limited experience of Sony Cybershots (limited to getting jam out of
the lens assembly of my grandson's camera!) but I suggest you check the menu
to see if there is a choice between a C-ontinuous focusing mode and a
S-ingle shot mode. In the latter you should be able to get a focus on a
subject (finger nail edge) at the appropriate distance and, by keeping the
shutter button half pressed, hold that focal position while you frame the
orchid. I know you have computer experience/skills so you will be familiar
with the old adage − " if all fails, read the 'andbook!" and, if you haven't
a handbook, check with Steve's Digicams on the web − he'll have reviewed it
however far back in history!

Again, I can't speak for the Cybershot but Nikon Coolpixes have a manual
focus of sorts. No twisty ring but and 'advance and retard' button-pressing
device that works. Check yours just in case.
Best wishes and good luck
John

From: Dennis Read
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: FW: Photography, Projectors
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Hopefully this is how it was typed in HTML before it was transmitted in plain text. It turned a reasonable message into gobble-d-gook. Maybe it now makes sense.Sorry Tricia I will revert to HTML Regards

> I used to take all my pictures on 35mm transparancies but now i use a
> FujiPix. I am too tight to buy a lap top and digital projector but as I
> give the occasional talk I still need transparancies. When I enquired the
> price of conversion from digital to transparancy I was quoted #5 a slide.
> I now make my own...

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Digital whatsits and thingamies.
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Dennis, we both know that are main topic in the 'Club' is all about Orchids, but I noticed that you mentioned a 'Digital Projector'.

Well, like you I give slide shows using slides..........the old and well proven method, but of course most of us are now 'digitalised' [my new word], and I have been looking for a projector that operates by just having a Memory stick [USB] shoved up its backside. No need for a Laptop to be wired in.

I have had an answer from one seemingly good company, but the price sends me running to the toilet.

Thing is if anyone out there has some knowledge of the type of projector that I am looking for then kindly E-mail me to my own E-mail address.

Then if any of us obtain some very interesting information, then that will be the time to enlighten all of our members with it, rather than clog the Club's message board.

From: James H
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachements)
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

Sony Cybershot IMO is the best point and shoot camera available, i have
taken many pictures with it that have won awards in amature shows.

From: James H
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007

i cannot get my cybershot to focus on a small object against a busy
background, i can only focus on a small object if the background is flat and
monotone. I spent hours trying to get a picture of a wild orchid that i
found, and there is no way to get a good picture of my endlers livebearers
(type of small guppy).

From: mojca klancic
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Makes you swear !!!
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

yes it happens to all of us. Last autumn I let all my windows half open and went to work. It seemd to be such a nice warm morning. Well, the day was not warm. My Cattleyas that were just to open their flowers for the first time threw them off. All the sheaths turned brown and I've got olmost no flowers in late autumn or early winter.

I've burned the roots once quite badly with a too concentrated fertiliser. I wanted to trust my feeling with a mineral fertiliser. Never trust the feeling. Take the time to study the label. After that I bought an EC meter, calculated carefully, made a 0,5 l bottle to be diluited 5ml in my 1,5 l wattering can. My plants seem to really like it.
Non repoting on time plants grown in organic matter caused some root dead in the past. I repot them in expanded cyal pelletes as soon as they show some new growth.
I have to repeat a wise sentence I've learned here on this forum:

> I was de-potting two large Cattleyas, washing them, cutting away all
> old roots, washing the main stems and removing all the old sheaths,
> carefully cleaning the rhizome and generally giving the plant a first
> class M.O.T. when I knocked off a nice new growth that was about 4cm in
> length..........I did swear $)(&^%$£(*&%.

From: Geoff Hands
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Digital whatsits and thingamies.
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

I think photography of our plants is sufficiently near to our subject that
it's not 'off message' , as long as this does not turn into another
photo-forum ( There are plenty of those out there for those who want them ,
I am a member of the RPS, and in the Digital Group there is a splendid forum
- but maybe rather beyond the ambitions of most here).

However, − digital projectors . I have one which I bought several years ago
when I used to give talks to Orchid Societys , I think I have talked to
every Society in England, between Sheffield in the north, West Cornwall in
the west , East Anglia in the opposite direction,and East Kent , whatever
they are called at Ashford in the South, with the exception of the Society
I currently belong to ( who are so extremely insular that when I joined them
and told them my name, they asked if I had bought an orchid yet, or did I
want advice about choosing my first orchid: and when I said that I already
had a few (!) and would like to put something on the show table , wanted me
to enter the competition as a novice − yes, honestly ! ).

However, I chose my digital projector by going to an A-V commercial
specialist , these things are widely used in industry for 'making
presentations' . I tried out half a dozen and bought the one which gave the
best results projecting my own images which I had made and burnt to a disc,
after taking advice about size, format etc, from the RPS A-V group ( I am
happy to pass that on, if wanted ) . It happened to be the cheapest of those
I looked at ( and I had privately set myself a budget, and would not have
bought any of the more expensive ones, in any event) . Since then they have
come down a lot, I have seen them down to £500 approx. (Dell have one at a
little more than that, but they are not the only ones), but I have also seen
them going for sale 2nd hand at £350 ( in a dealer's window, somewhere on
holiday, last year . No doubt they will get cheaper yet, since there some
new technologies which will help.

Of course for anything short of a public lecture/talk, there are
alternatives you can consider ; I already show holiday or family snaps on
our tv ( 42inch plasma screen on the sitting room wall) and the technique of
running a slide-show on a lap-top and coupling the tv as a second display is
quite easy . I would not want to buy a second 42 inch screen or carry it ,
but it occurs to me that a , say, 27 inch monitor is not too dear ( the
cheapest 27 inch flat screen tv seems to be not a lot more than £200 ) and
is big enough for images which can be watched by small groups , a dozen or
more people , which would suit some small clubs . In fact I have been
thinking of buying one to use as my monitor screen for my pc in place of one
of the two 20 inch screens I currently use ( one for the image I'm working
on, the other for the tools palettes, file lists etc ).

> Dennis, we both know that are main topic in the 'Club' is all about Orchids,
> but I noticed that you mentioned a 'Digital Projector'.

From: Geoff Hands
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachments)
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

Try using a plain background ? You can make a portable screen from a piece
of cloth etc. Grey is the preferred colour . I have used velvet bought from
the market. In fact I have a roll with sheets of white, black and red
velvet, and can use any of the three ( this is in the house − too big to
carry in the field) but if you intend to project a lot of images − as in a
talk to a Society , I find it gets very boring to use these and it is better
to have the flower or plant in focus and the background out of focus
although perhaps recognisably one of leaves etc.

Nowadays I use digital techniques − it is not difficult to select the
flowers etc on one layer, deleting everything else on that layer , feather
the edges ( so as to avoid the unreality otherwise conveyed) sharpen that
layer, then use the whole picture as a second but lower layer, use
smart-blur to throw it all just as far out-of-focus as you want ( and I
often de-saturate to reduce colour, and change the opacity too , to make it
darker or lighter as appropriate), then flatten to make a single minimum
volume file. Using photoshop it does not take much longer than it took me to
write this, even without using the automate command. I would not think of
using actual film − who can possibly afford it ?

If you do go into DSLRs , you can get a very good long macro lens without a
second mortgage, e.g. the Sigma 150 , although there may be a more recent
200 also. A longer lens seems to give more natural pictures of larger
flowers, say phals, although it can be a little awkward in dealing with
really wee ones like some of my tiny Gastrochilus etc. If I don't want to
get in too close − like working at 20 inches, or mor, I just use my normal
all-purpose lens ( the 18-200 Nikkor) which has VR ( takes the shakes out)
and my tripods gather dust , unused .

> i cannot get my cybershot to focus on a small object against a busy
> background...

From: LEONARD HANDLEY
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Makes you swear !!!
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

> Non repoting on time plants grown in organic matter caused some root dead
> in the past. I repot them in expanded cyal pelletes as soon as they show
> some new growth.

From: "WOOD, Michael $WG$"
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Cactus orchid in flower last night at 1.15am !
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

From: Geoff Hands
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: A new pic..
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

Angraecum Lemforde "White Beauty" . I think this is cv White Beauty , but
maybe it's Lemforde White Beauty . Doesn't really matter , unless you are a
purist.

Flower 6 inches plus in natural spread, waxy, looks as though it will last
and last.

Opened whilst I was off gadding about , found it today. First flowering on a
seedling. I think it may be Ang. sesquipedale ( the Darwin orchid, or comet
orchid − from its extraordinary long tail or spur) − crossed with another
Angraecum which I have forgotten , and don't have time to look up .

If well grown, I expect/suspect that it will grow to be a big plant and may
then have lots of flowers. I wish.

From: Geoff Hands
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: ps to two of my very recent meassages.
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

In one, I was discussing how I make pictures to show on a digital projector
, using Photoshop . In the most recent I sent a pic of an Angraecum.

I wanted to make the point that I only go through the Photoshop routine for
pics to be shown 6 foot a x 6 foot on a big screen − its usually unnecessary
for snaps such as the present one, which is quite untreated.

From: Geoff Hands
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachements)
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

> Sony Cybershot IMO is the best point and shoot camera available, i have
> taken many pictures with it that have won awards in amature shows.

From: Ron Newstead
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] FW: Photography, Projectors
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

I am confused. I used to send my emails always in HTML and Tricia said that
she preferred Plain Text. Is this one (in HTML) OK?

> Hopefully this is how it was typed in HTML before it was transmitted in
> plain text. It turned a reasonable message into gobble-d-gook. Maybe it now
> makes sense.Sorry Tricia I will revert to HTML Regards

From: epric@tiscali.nl
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Cactus orchid in flower last night at 1.15am !
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

From: Tricia Garner
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] FW: Photography, Projectors
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007

Ron, in an ideal world I prefer Plain Text, but it isn't essential. Just
use whichever you feel most comfortable with. I don't know why Dennis had
problems with his original Plain Text message, both versions looked fine to
me.

From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] ps to two of my very recent meassages.
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

Hi Geoff; sorry to disillusion you but, your pic ain't visible (on my system)!
A quick visitation from Mr Murphy I suspect!
John

From: John Stanley
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] A new pic..
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

Lovely pic − maybe this was what you were referring to in the next email.
John

From: Esther Koh
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Makes you swear !!!
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

From: jan
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. (With non-orchids attachements)
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

Indeed they are − they were mostly in my mind, and thus don't show up
well against the background. The purpose of the pictures was only to
show off some effect I found very interesting; that's why I added the
'non-orchid attachment' to the subject.

From: jan
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Photograping our orchids. Thanks to everybody
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

Wow. I've already learned more about photography than I would have
expected in a lifetime; thanks to everybody.

From: Dennis Read
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Cactus Orchid?
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

Try this. Here is a pic. of Triceros onaensis growing in a cactus / succulent at about 4,000 mtrs in the Ecuadrean Andes south of Cuenca.Regards

From:
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] A new pic..
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007

I have not seen many angraecums but I admare them. I have bought leonis about 4 month ago from Plested and it has grown one leaf. Not sure that I will have flowers withought a greenhouse. From what I know it likes warm humid conditions so it leaves on my bathroom windowsill. Thank you for your advice on photogrophy as well

Angraecum Lemforde 'White Beauty' . I think this is cv White Beauty , but maybe it's Lemforde White Beauty . Doesn't really matter , unless you are a purist.

Flower 6 inches plus in natural spread, waxy, looks as though it will last and last.

hi. i'm new grower to orchids. please help me with
promble phallanopsois can't floweer agane after 5
months. what do i do.?? thanks

From: Roger Grier
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: [OrchidTalk] Problem Phalaenopsis.
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007

Could you possibly send a couple of photos of your Phalaenopsis so that we could all see what it looks like, meaning that we could offer advice when we actually see if there are any problems.

From: mojca klancic
To: Orchid Talk List
Subject: Re: [OrchidTalk] Makes you swear !!!
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007

MONTH	DATE	DATE	DATE	DATE	MONTH	DATE	DATE	DATE	DATE
January	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	February	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-29
March	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	April	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30
May	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	June	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30
July	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31	August	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31
September	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30	October	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31
November	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-30	December	1-7	8-14	15-21	22-31

2007 Archived Messages

8—14 July