Fall flowers are pretty too!

I grew up in a the almost season-less sub-tropical climate of Southern Florida. It was hot, humid & wet in the summer and cool (almost never cold) and dry in the winter, which resulted in a practically endless growing season. There was very little variation in the flowers and plants that grew, and flowers for the most part would bloom year round.

This is not the situation in Tokyo and most of Japan. Seasons seem to be very distinct with certain flowers only appearing briefly during certain seasons. The Higanbana (red spider lily), white spider lily and toad lily appear in early fall. I'm still not sure what the purple and white bloom is.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 400, 1/125 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/200 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/125 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 400, 1/50 sec.

Two More Autumn Higanbana, Photography Insecurities about White Balance

Here are two more higanbana that were blooming along a residential back alley in my Yoyogi neighborhood. Although in Japan these flowers may be associated with death and the dead, I've always enjoyed these flowers and look forward to their autumn arrival.

On a separate note, I have many insecurities about my photography, and am always looking to improve my in-camera and post-processing technique and workflow. Looking at my higanbana posts, white (and color balance) varies a little more than usual although some of these shots were taken at approximately the same time (this post). The slightly different angle of light result in a slightly different "color" balance due to the clouds, shade and nearby reflective surfaces. The camera and post-processing software may try to auto-balance but usually fail without human assistance and result in unnaturally warm or cool colors, and sometimes unusual color casts (perhaps due to a nearby green wall or ceiling). Although I generally like neutral to slightly warm images, I try to limit my post-processing and strive to reproduce a natural color palette that that reflects the actual conditions.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f8.0, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f5.6, ISO 100, 1/60 sec.

Last Autumn's Higanbana

As summer fades, green stems break the soil and by late-September, Red Spider Lilies or Higanbana are blooming in my quiet Yoyogi neighborhood.

Back in the present, there's beautiful light and a sunny winter day waiting outside in Tokyo; however, I'm still hobbled for another 3-weeks due to my fractured ankle. Perhaps, I'll make my way outside later on crutches even for a short hop, but until then I'll spend some time editing and re-processing my backlog and posting. Just don't get used to it. My bloggin productivity will probably taper off again once I'm on my feet and the sakura are in bloom.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.8, ISO 100, 1/160 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f4.0, ISO 100, 1/320 sec.

Surprised by the Higanbana

This is a sure sign that summer is over, the Higanbana have bloomed and faded. These lovely higanbana or (Magic Spider Lilies) popped up in the planter across the street from our house in Yoyogi. Just over a week ago, they were in full bloom and now all that remain are stems.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens@ f5.6, ISO 400, 1/160 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f8.0, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Fading Red Spider Lily

On my walk home from work to the station, I passed these red spider lilies (or lycoris radiata).  The flowers didn't last many more days and faded away to stems. 

Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lensf4, ISO 200, 1/30 sec

Lycoris or Red Spider Lily

Not much to say, but that these beautiful Lycoris (or Red Spider Lilies) are in bloom at Komazawa Olympic Park (駒沢オリンピック公園).