Crocosmia "Lucifer" (Montbretia) are flowering locally. Since they are not only eye-catching, but part of the Iris Family, we thought they deserved a brief mention in our Iris Arts blog.
Crocosmia "Lucifer" on a local hillside—a favorite of Hummingbirds. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
When summer arrived, so did the scarlet flowers of the Crocosmia. Also known as Montbretia (after the French botanist), three large groupings of them occupy a local hillside. The colorful blossoms, mounted in series atop long stems, sway in any light breeze, and the tubular flower and intense color attract hummingbirds. It is a treat to watch the hummers try to position themselves to get nectar from the moving flower.
The name Crocosmia derives from a Greek word meaning "saffron" and relates to the crocus—another Iris Family member and one of the first flowers to appear in late winter or early spring. Apparently, the leaves of the Crocosmia smell a bit like saffron when heated.
These groups of Crocosmia were photographed outdoors after a gentle rain shower. An intermittent breeze shook off the water drops and jostled the flowers. Other species of flowers with different colors were nearby, including a cluster of blue geraniums. By moving my position, I could change the background and background color. In a few of the compositions, I intentionally included the out-of-focus blue background, but in most, I kept it simple and included only the green leaves of the Crocosmia.
I decided on a fast shutter speed to stop flower movement, but also to have the largest aperture to create a very shallow depth of focus. After a number of tries at different compositions, I decided on the last—one sharp flower; blurred background leaves of similar color; suggestion of raindrops on the stems—for inclusion in Iris Arts.
Crocosmia, rain drops, and the blurred blue background of geraniums. Close inspection will reveal only a very thin plane of focus. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
The simplest composition was ultimately the most pleasing. Click on the photo to be taken to its location on the Iris Arts website. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
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