> I was wondering about what everyone things is the ethical limit (if there > is one) as to what one has to do to "clean up" the flowers for photos. What I've seen done by many different plant people who take good photos: > ...dirt or some other unwanted item on a leaf or on the > bloom. [on a plant in your collection] > Should you clean it up before pics? Yes, by all means. > Does the same hold true for in > situ bulbs out in the wild? Yes, by all means. I first take a photo as I found it but most plant people clean first, then snap. > You walk five miles to find a new species of > bulb but the flower has a stick over it. Most people will move the stick, pull out the weeds near the plant, and many people I know would chop down shrubs and even tree branches blocking the light. I don't do this last part myself but I have seen it done by many other people. But if you look at photos taken in forests and jungles published in many different scientific periodicals, it is clear many published field photographers remove lots and lots of vegetation before taking photographs, and this usually involves machetes and/or axes. You're trying to make the plants look good and display them so viewers can get a good idea of how your subject looks. It is also fair to mist lightly, put something of a contrasting color in the background you leave out-of-focus, and use flash, reflectors, or other artificial lighting. Misting is especially useful for plants against a similarly-colored background. And another thing many people forget... don't just take dozens of close-ups. Take complete landscape scans of the surroundings so people can get an idea of the surrounding ecosystem. Back fifty steps away from the plant and take photos with the plant just barely visible for the same purpose. Take 360 degree landscape photos every quarter mile on your hike in. In 30 years you won't remember where you took those photos but if you review the whole series of photos starting at the trailhead you'll remember. Leo Martin Phoenix Arizona USA > > Like for example you have your prize bulb blooming and you go to take a > pic and you find dirt or some other unwanted item on a leaf or on the > bloom. Should you clean it up before pics? Does the same hold true for in > situ bulbs out in the wild? You walk five miles to find a new species of > bulb but the flower has a stick over it. Can you move it or should you > move it? > > I realize there is no one set rule but I would hate to take lots of pics > only to have my hard work discounted because I had moved a stick or clean > dirt off of a leaf. > > The standards are most likely different for scientific research and just > a pic to look at. I guess I am just trying to figure out the difference > between the two. Or if there is any difference at all. > > > Justin > Woodville, TX 8b/9a > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Windows LiveTM: Keep your life in sync. > http://windowslive.com/explore/… > > > ------------------------------ > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > > > End of pbs Digest, Vol 72, Issue 10 > *********************************** > >